Blue Boars women make history with premiership triumph

2024 will forever be remembered as the year of the Blue Boar, and Narrabri Rugby Club’s women’s 10s team are a major reason behind that following a dominant grand final victory against Gunnedah Red Devils on Saturday.

The Blue Boars women made all kinds of Central North Rugby Union history by just taking the field as they became the first women’s side to play in three straight grand finals and the first women’s team to play in a home grand final. The 29-12 triumph then saw them become the first women’s team in the zone to win a home grand final, to win back-to-back grand finals, and to be crowned minor and major premiers in the same year twice, let alone two years in a row.

Every time this champion team take the field they prove that they are not just the curtain raisers for the day, but they are the co-main-event, and they did that yet again in front of a packed crowd at Dangar Park on grand final day.

The Blue Boars’ 2024 NSW Country representative Cassidy Morley got the ball rolling when she scored the first try of the match in the eighth minute. A strong Nat McInnes carry got the home side in striking distance before back-to-back offloads from Peta Cox and Amelie Cobb-Johnson allowed Shona McFarland to swing a pass out wide right to Morley, who then stepped past two defenders and went in to make the score 5-0.

Narrabri scored again less than a minute after Gunnedah kicked off after Cobb-Johnson made a big run down the lift sideline and then watched on after releasing the ball as her side swung it all the way to Shaine Maunder on the opposite wing, who charged 55 metres to score after she received an Esta Kalatzis flick pass.

That made the score 10-0 at quarter-time, but it took Gunnedah just under two minutes to make their mark in the second quarter as a string of offloads released Holly Ford down the right edge and the Narrabri junior stepped past Morley and grounded to make the score 10-5.

Narrabri extended their lead just before half-time when Cobb-Johnson picked up a loose ball on the left edge, ran across field to the right and then straightened up before going back infield to score a wonder try in between the posts. That was the final play of the quarter as Morley added the extras to send the Blue Boars into the break ahead 17-5.

Gunnedah’s deficit still stood at 12 points at the final break after the sides scored a converted try each during the third quarter. Morley struck first in the second half when she received a pass on the Red Devils’ 22-metre line and stepped past three defenders before crossing in between the posts and kicking the goal to make it 24-5, but Gunnedah hit back with two minutes to go in the quarter as Steph Lennon went over out wide and Piper Rankmore nailed a tricky conversion from just inside the left sideline to make it 24-12.

Morley thought she had a hat-trick with a few minutes left when Cobb-Johnson made a break down the left and threw a pass inside to her fullback who grounded the ball, but the pass from the winger was called forward.

There was no denying the Blue Boars in the final minute though as Kalatzis put an exclamation mark on the game and the season when she took a quick tap on the bell and then powered her way through the Devils’ defence from close range to make the final score 29-12.

Bella Cruickshank was one thrilled captain after the match and told The Courier that it was a well-deserved win for the Blue Boars.

“It’s been absolutely amazing to captain these girls, especially being a young age and playing with older girls that I look up to,” Cruickshank said.

“Ever since we won the premiership last year we’ve wanted this, and everyone has put so much effort in.

“First women’s team to go back-to-back and first women’s team to be in three straight grand finals.

“It’s been amazing. We’ve all worked so hard, and we’re more than a team, we’re all mates.

“It’s been a bit of a roller coaster year though. A few girls weren’t too keen on playing but they came back, and we’ve had people have to play out of position.

“These last few weeks though have been amazing. We knew we could win the grand final if we gelled together and had patience, and we got it done.

“Everything that happened this year, we earned it.”

The 21-year-old skipper also enjoyed an individual honour this year as she was named the women’s competition leading point-scorer.

“It helps when you’re kicking goals, but I’ve worked really hard this year on my game and my fitness,” she said.