Four Lower Macleay Magpies players will be a part of history this Saturday when they take to the field for the inaugural Group 3 versus Group 2 women’s rugby league representative match held at Verge St Oval this Saturday at 11am.
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Ellen Hetherington, Shawnee Potts, Megan Archibald and Tahlisa Daley-Button were selected into the Group 3 side after helping lead the Magpies to a premiership in the Hastings League/Group 3 9s competition.
The match marks another milestone for the growth of women’s rugby league on the North Coast as only two years ago there wasn’t an opportunity for women to participate in the sport and now there is a representative pathway.
Prop forward Shawnee Potts is glad the game is finally starting to reach new heights.
“I have always been interested in playing rugby league and I know of other girls who were too, but we never had a competition or a chance to play until the last couple of years,” Potts told the Argus.
Potts claims the development of a professional pathway for aspiring women rugby league players has encouraged young girls, including her daughter, to sign up to play.
“My 14-year-old daughter started playing this season,” Potts said.
“I think the growth of the sport is great for the young girls.
“The local league competitions are great but now there is representative pathways as well and the potential for rugby league to be a career for these kids.
“Watching the WNRL has definitely created more interest for girls to play the sport.”
The Lower Macleay players will have an opportunity to strive for higher representative honours, as the Group 3 versus Group 2 match will be used as a trial for selection into the North Coast Bulldogs side.
Potts is excited to compete in the representative match but isn’t sure what to expect.
“I can’t wait for the game, I think it will be a great experience,” Potts said.
“I am not sure what to expect because it’s the first time but I am sure it will be a step up in performance level as it’s a representative game.”
The Lower Macleay Magpies competed in the Hastings League women’s 13-a-side competition earlier this year and improved drastically to win the Group 3/Hastings League 9s premiership.
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