THE Bega Chicks league-tag squad is taking charge in women’s sport.
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The Group 16 league-tag outfit is sitting pretty at the top of the ladder after toppling rivals, the Cooma Fillies 8-4 recently.
Chicks captain Joccoaa Rogers said she was delighted to see the sport coming in to its own and new teams coming on board.
“We want to encourage all the girls to play, get strong games together and really make a competition out of it,” Rogers said.
The Chicks are eager to see everyone get involved as league-tag spreads in popularity around the region.
The Tathra Sea Eaglettes were nearly forced to forfeit on the weekend, but Rogers said it was better to have a game than the points.
“They were short a few numbers so we helped them out to get a game going.
“They were thanking us for keeping them in the comp, but we’re thinking ‘hang on, you’re doing us a favour’,” she said.
With three years of experience under their belts, some of the Chicks have been showing the new members how it is done.
They are also excited to see other teams developing their combinations and strategies.
“For a lot of us it can take longer to develop the skills because we haven’t been playing since we were little like the boys,” Rogers said.
“But clubs like Moruya and Narooma are really stepping up this year.”
Rogers is pushing the mentality of running straight up the middle, as it has worked for them and the Fillies.
“Cooma has a similar mindset
to us.
“It is tag, so you’re either through or you’re not.
“You’ve got to hit that line because the faster you go, the harder you are to tag,” she said.
Meanwhile, newcomers to the sport are developing quickly.
“It took us three times longer to learn the stuff they are already doing this year.
“But we’ve got a heap of girls who have never played so we’re trying to tell them ‘you should have seen us when we started’.”
This Sunday, the Chicks take on the Merimbula-Pambula Hotdoggies at Colombo Park, Bemboka, from noon.
“We’ll move some of the newer girls in from around the edges and get them in the ruck.”
Meanwhile, Rogers is happy to see the sport expanding.
The ever-improving league-tag competition is smashing some preconceptions about rugby league being a men’s sport.
“A few people are surprised when they find out I play football, but the support has been excellent for us girls,” Rogers said.