Blue Boars take down Pirates to remain on top of the CNRU tens table

Narrabri Rugby Club’s women’s tens team enter the mid-season break on top of the table after scoring a gutsy win in round nine of the Central North Rugby Union campaign on Saturday.

The defending champions travelled to Tamworth where they challenged the Pirates at Chillingworth Oval and prevailed 27-5 in a match that was played in wet and muddy conditions.

The visitors outscored the hosts five tries to one and one conversion to none to return home with all five points on offer.

Narrabri entered the weekend in first position following four wins and one loss. They had a two-point lead over the second-placed Gunnedah Red Devils and they extended that to three with their fifth win of the year after they were able to secure a bonus point and the Red Devils were not in their 19-5 win over Scone Brumbies in Quirindi.

Third-placed Barraba Rams and fifth-placed Moree Bulls both had a bye in round nine and finished the day either side of the fourth-placed Pirates on the ladder, while Scone are in last place.

On a day in which all of Narrabri’s players stood up and battled through the tough conditions in the pouring rain at Chillingworth Oval, halfback Gerri Rumsby was exceptional. She scored her first try of the season and was also named her team’s players’ player.

The other four tries were shared between two of the side’s attacking weapons as Cassidy Morley finished the match with a hat-trick and Amelie Cobb-Johnson went over once. Morley and Cobb-Johnson are both in sensational form in 2024 and they are the Blue Boars’ leading try-scorers with 11 each at the halfway point of the season.

Captain Bella Cruickshank added two extra points off the boot as she kicked one of the Blue Boars’ five conversions.

The conditions were by far the toughest that the Narrabri women’s team have had to endure during the 2024 campaign, and their coach Mitch Creighton was proud of the way his players adapted.

“We were really good, considering how wet and sloppy it was,” Creighton told The Courier.

“It was so wet and so muddy. You were getting tackled into puddles.

“It was impressive the way the girls adjusted to what they had to deal with. We adapted and defended very well.

“Tamworth kicked it up a gear after half-time and they came at us pretty hard, but our girls copped it and just kept doing what they were doing.

“Our forwards were outstanding. They held the game together and they did a lot of the hard work, especially in attack. Their pick and drives were incredible. They just made so many metres and got Tamworth on the back foot, and that allowed us to spin it wide and go for it with our pace.

“In defence, we definitely improved as a team, but Shaine Maunder was outstanding on the wing. Every time someone from Pirates got out wide, she was straight up on them making the tackle.

“Peta Cox was really good too. She was so strong in the ruck and her scrums were incredible.

“The other really outstanding player was Gerri Rumsby. She was our halfback and she steered the forward pack around all day. She made a few big tackles and some really good runs. She was very, very good and got our players’ player, which she deserved.

“All of the girls ripped in and they had heaps of fun doing it, which was really good to see. Everything we’ve been doing at training, they have put it into action, and they come out guns blazing.”

Adding to the tough conditions on the day, the Blue Boars were forced to defend with nine players either side of the half-time break after Cruickshank was yellow carded following repeated infringements from the visitors. Creighton said he was impressed with the way they stood up and got the job done while a player short.

“They stepped it up another gear, banded together and kept defending,” the Narrabri coach said.

The competition will break for the King’s Birthday long weekend, and the Blue Boars have a bye in round 10 when the second half of the season gets underway on Saturday, June 15.

Their next game will be on home soil at Dangar Park against Moree Bulls in round 11 on Saturday, June 22 during what will be Narrabri Rugby Club’s 60th anniversary celebration.