Narrabri Rugby Club’s inspirational women’s tens team skipper Toni Gale stood up again when it mattered most on Saturday to help guide her side to a 26-12 Central North Rugby Union grand final victory over Gunnedah at Chillingworth Oval in Tamworth.
The 23-year-old sensation scored an impressive runaway try in the third quarter, after which she slotted her third and final conversion of the day to make it a two-possession game as the score became 21-12.
She produced a couple of try-saving tackles at the other end of the field as well and was everywhere throughout the 40-minute game, so it came as no surprise when she was announced as the player-of-the-match.
It was even less surprising to her friends, family, teammates and clubmates who know exactly how much work she puts in behind the scenes and the extras she does away from the training paddock to be the best she can be.
Gale told The Courier that she was pleased with her individual efforts on the day and was proud of all her premiership-winning teammates.
“It’s pretty special,” she said of the player-of-the-match award.
“Will (the side’s former coach, the late Will Guest) was always hard on me, saying that I had to give it my absolute all in every game because it could be the difference between us winning and losing.
“I’m glad that I honoured him today and played to the last second of the game.
“These girls mean a lot to me. One thing I love about footy is that it brings together girls that you’d otherwise probably never meet. Girls from all different walks of life and careers, and you build a friendship that can carry through for the rest of your life.
Toni Gale lifting the premiership shield alongside fellow co-captain Peta Cox after they received it off former teammate Abby McClure.
“It’s really special.
“It feels a lot better to win this year after we lost it last year. I think us girls were just a lot more calm, cool and collected, just getting around each other. Even though it was a first grand final for a few girls, the majority of us had been here before, and we just knew that if we played our game, we’d be fine.
“We played well. We had injured girls going down left, right and centre, but we dug deep, got up in defence and executed when we needed to.
“I’m extremely proud of the girls.”
Gale was also named the Central North zone’s leading point-scorer with 196 points in 2023, having scored 18 tries and kicked 53 conversions.
The next highest point-scorer was Moree’s Ben Legg with 135.
Making that even more impressive is the fact that she has spent this season playing mainly as a ball player rather than a ball runner, which highlights the extra effort she puts in to keep up with the play as a support runner and the way she can pick apart a broken defensive line off the back of the hard work of her teammates.
Gale’s coach and club president Mick Coffey has spoken highly of his skipper on countless occasions over the past few seasons, and labelled her individual accolades this year as well deserved.
“In sport, you get out what you put in, and she puts in a lot of extra effort away from training sessions,” Coffey said.
“There are a lot of footballers that sign up, and they train and play, and extras might be passing the footy about for five minutes with the other players until training proper starts.
“But that’s not Toni. She does a lot of extra work, especially with her kicking.
“She lives and breathes footy, and she’s always asking questions.
“She played exceptionally well in the grand final. It’s great for her to get those accolades. They are thoroughly deserved.
“I expect that Toni will be one of the women up on our honour board one day, in more than one spot.”
Adding to the occasion for Gale on Saturday was a proposal at full-time after her now-fiancé Jack Rae made his way onto the field after the final whistle and dropped down on one knee to pop the question.
She said yes.
Toni Gale leaving a Gunnedah defender behind during a powerful run up-field.
