Four members of the Mudgee Wombats’ first ever women’s team have been selected to play in the Central West Women’s team this weekend in Tamworth.
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The Central West team will play in the NSW Country Women’s Rugby Union Championships against teams from the Central North, Hunter, Illawarra and New England on Saturday, April 30.
The day will test the skills of local players Meg Eisenhauer, Jess Edwards, Rachael Hartas and Tessa Vaoga as they join the best women’s rugby players from around the state, including some who have represented Australia.
“I’m looking forward to playing with new people and having fun, but also the experience that it will provide me with,” said Jess Edwards.
The local players were selected through a trial game last weekend pitting the Mudgee side against a team of players from Cowra, Narromine and Orange.
The game was not only the first match for the Wombat women, but the first game of women’s rugby played at Jubilee Oval.
The team is beginning to cohere after the players’ first months of training, and a notable difference could be seen compared to the team’s first trial three weeks earlier in Cowra.
Tessa Vaoga, who stepped onto a rugby field for the second time ever on Saturday, impressed spectators with her hard playing and tackling, winning herself a place on the Central West side.
“I’m excited about watching and playing with more experienced players and just learning off them to improve myself, but also bringing some of that knowledge and skills back with me to help my own team,” she said.
Of the other local reps, Jess Edwards and Rachael Hartas have played for Mudgee High School and were on last year’s winning Orange Emu Chicks side.
“This year’s championships will be the biggest and best attended for several years, and reflects the interest which is currently being generated for women’s rugby,” said Country Women’s Chairperson Larry Thomson.
“The championships would also cater for players from zones which didn’t have a team competing, with these players to be linked with one of the five competing zone teams.”
The championships will serve as the means for selection in the NSW Country Women’s Rugby Union representative side, the Corellas, which will play against Sydney and participate in the Southern States Championships and the National Championships.
