Toni Rae caps off comeback season with player-of-the-match grand final performance

What a difference a year makes.

When the Narrabri Blue Boars claimed their second Central North Rugby Union women’s 10s minor/premiership double in as many years in front of a home crowd in 2024, Toni Rae (then Gale) was forced to watch the 29-12 victory over the Gunnedah Red Devils from the bench after she had missed the entire season due to a knee injury that she had suffered at the Toothy Tens Tournament in the off-season.

Only a year earlier, she had played a key role in the Blue Boars’ maiden premiership victory with a player-of-the-match performance against the Red Devils in Tamworth.

That day then ended as one she would never forget as her now-husband Jack Rae proposed to her on the field after full-time.

Fast forward to 2025, Rae’s return to the field could not have been scripted any better.

On Saturday, one year on from a bittersweet day when her Blue Boars celebrated back-to-back premierships as she cheered them on from the sideline, she helped make it a three-peat as she produced one of the most dominant grand final performances ever witnessed.

The gun centre crossed for four of Narrabri’s five tries, set up the other with a brilliant pass, and nailed all five conversions to help guide the premiers to a 35-26 victory over the Tamworth Pirates at Moree’s Weebolla Oval.

There was no surprise when she was named the player of the final and was also announced as the top point-scorer across all four divisions in 2025 during the post-match presentation.

Making the day even more special was getting to do all of that on her 25th birthday.

“It was pretty special, especially considering there are only a few of our original team from the past few years,” Rae said.

“To basically have a whole new team and go undefeated was pretty special.

“I think we started the game quite well, and so did Tamworth. It was a pretty hot day and the conditions played a part.

“Our fitness really showed by our ability to stack on a heap of points early.

“The second half, we spent a lot more time defending, but I think it’s also a testament to our fitness that even though they did score a few tries, we were able to hold the lead.

“Pirates really had no choice but to go wide because our girls in the middle were defending really well. That’s where their few tries did come, from going out wide.

“In saying that, our backs still did defend well overall. Pirates just created a few extra numbers a few times, but they weren’t easy tries.”

While the scoreboard certainly told one story, Rae’s journey back to the field told another – one of resilience, determination and dedication.

“I’ve always loved my footy, but missing last year gave me a little appreciation of how lucky we are as women to play this sport and what our bodies can actually do,” she said.

“I would have been happy wherever we finished this year just to be back out there playing.

“Watching was super hard because you just want to be out there, but I definitely shed happy tears last year watching the girls win at home. To get a home grand final is super special, and for our girls to go out and win it, with Gunnedah not ever looking close, I was just so happy and appreciated all the hard work that went into it.

“I had to do a fair bit of rehab to get back, and I started my own pre-season before our pre-season started because I didn’t want to rock up unfit.

“Sticking to the rehab and putting in the extra effort does make a difference.”

Rae’s return from that injury this year was a successful one from the word go.

She helped guide the Blue Boars to a third straight minor/major premiership double, during which they won 14 from 14 games to become the first women’s team in the zone to go through a campaign with a 100 per cent win rate.

They also claimed the inaugural Central North women’s Kookaburra Challenge Cup, which they started the season with, given they were last year’s premiers.

Rae finished the regular season with 142 points after scoring 14 tries and kicking 36 conversions, and she added 53 more points in the finals series after scoring five tries during the side’s two matches and converting at 100 per cent with 14 from 14 in those games.

That took her total for the season to 195 as she earned herself a third Ian Hillam memorial shield for the Blue Boars’ top point-scorer and finished as the zone’s highest scorer across all grades for the third time as well.

As humble as ever, Rae credited that achievement to her teammates.

“The credit goes to the team. The girls make it easy by scoring them quite close in attack,” she said.

“Not many tries are individual efforts. They all come off us supporting each other and the groundwork of our forwards.

“Any points to my name are a credit to our team as a whole.”