Orange will be well represented in the Central West Rugby Union’s playing trip to New Zealand in early 2019, with four women and five men listed as part of the 35 men and 25 women set to cross the Tasman.
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Five Emus girls – Em McDonald, Milika Tuinakauvadra, Jacky Lyden, Sarah Archer and stalwart Amanda Ferguson have been named in the women’s squad.
Their clubmates Sam Greatbatch, Tom Green and Lachie Harris will also line up under the guidance of Blue Bulls coach Dean Oxley, with Orange City’s Josh Tremain, Nick Fisher and Hayden Leopold also making the squad.
The tour will take place in March, when the squad heads to play several grade games and also have an insight into Super Rugby side Canterbury Crusaders.
The squad is also set to watch the New Zealand side train and have the chance to be put through their paces by Crusaders coaches.
Ferguson has been named in the squad to pull on a representative jumper for the first time in six years, and she said she’s full of excitement for the trip.
“It’s really exciting … all the girls are really excited, a lot of them are only just getting into rugby union,” she said.
The naming of the squad keeps the buzz around the women’s game going after the women’s sevens competition wrapped up two weeks ago, where Ferguson’s Emus claimed the league’s first title.
That competition brought an influx of new talent to the game – with some of those, such as Emus’ Lyden and Tuinakauvadra, named in the touring squad.
Ferguson said having something like this to aim for would bring more people into the sport, and improve the standard of competition.
I think having this opportunity is a great chance to grow the game and get it expanding.
- Orange Emus' Amanda Ferguson
“I think having this opportunity is a great chance to grow the game and get it expanding, especially with the aim to get back to 15-a-side,” she said.
The squad of 25 will have the chance to mix with the best in the business at Canterbury and every member will bring something back for their respective clubs to implement.
However, Ferguson said learning from each other and from the men travelling was also something she – and other players – were looking forward to.
The group contains players from West Wyalong – including try-scoring jet Sharnah Stevens – all the way to Mudgee’s Rita Palm and Helen Limn, and getting to know players covering a massive geographic area was part of the appeal for Ferguson.
Ferguson said the final trials over the weekend were well attended.
“It’ll be really good preparation for the country championships in July,” she said.
The side will be coached by Mudgee’s Greg Hortam, while former Emus skipper Davina Wright will be the team manager after retiring this year.
Each of the two squads’ two games are still yet to be determined.
The trip is planned to be run every second year.
SQUADS:
Men: Charlie French (Forbes Platypi), Josh Tremain (Orange City), Matt Fuller (Temora), George Hancock (Narromine Gorillas), Shahid Khalfan (Harden Devils), Harry Webber (Bathurst Bulldogs), Joe Nash (Parkes Boars), Lachie Harris (Orange Emus), Isaac White (Molong Magpies), Alex Saint (Mudgee Wombats), Filisone Pauta (Geurie Goats), Hayden Leopold (Orange City), Tom Green (Orange Emus), Ben Lennehan (Harden Devils), Will Oldham (Bathurst Bulldogs), George Quigley (Trangie), Jarrod Hall (Forbes Platypi), Peter Fitzsimmons (Bathurst Bulldogs) Alex Weal (Bathurst Bulldogs), Joe Dakutoga (Cowra Eagles), Joel Harper (Bathurst Bulldogs), Hamish Kaveney (Young Yabbies), Justin Mobbs (Bathurst Bulldogs), Moavuka Kavauka (Guerie), David Jessiman (Mudgee Wombats), Matt Randall (Grenfell), Shaun McHugh (Dubbo Roos), Ben Ryan (Parkes Boars), Sam Greatbatch (Orange Emus), Harry Peacock (Bathurst Bulldogs), Nick Fisher (Orange City), Josh Peffer (Molong Magpies), Tom Kent (Young Yabbies), Adam Miles (Bathurst Bulldogs), Mahe Fangupo (Forbes Platypi).
Women: Amanda Ferguson (Emus), Amie Fazekas (Temora), Claire Woolmington (CSU), Courtney Auld (Bulldogs), Edwina Ulberg (Bulldogs), Emily McDonald (Emus), Helen Limn (Mudgee), Jacky Lyden (Emus), Kenesha Stevens (West Wyalong), Kathryn Gullifer (Bulldogs), Kimberley Fyfe, Krystal Fyfe (West Wyalong), Lillyann Mason-Spice (Cowra), Louise McCabe (West Wyalong), Mandy Scott (Bulldogs), Melissa Waterford (Bulldogs), Milika Tuinakauvadra (Emus), Nicole Jordan (Temora), Nicole Schnieder (Bulldogs), Rita Palm (Mudgee), Roxanne Dougal (Temora), Sabre Medhurst (Cootamundra), Sarah Archer (Emus), Sharnah Stevens (West Wyalong), Teagan Miller (Bulldogs).
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