Girls tackle the Adrian Vowles Cup in competition first

Young women of the west made Adrian Vowles Cup history by playing their own fully-fledged competition for the first time, and there is already appetite for more.

Gatton/Valleys U17 girls - winners of the Adrian Vowles Cup 2020.

THIS year, the Adrian Vowles Cup held its inaugural U17 girls competition, featuring three teams from across the west, from Gatton all the way through to the central west.

Girls from Cunnamulla, Mitchell, Roma and Wallumbilla came together as the Western Ringers for the occasion, while the central west fielded their own team with girls from Blackall, Barcaldine and beyond.

The Ringers finished as runners up of their age group – just behind a formidable Gatton/Toowoomba Valleys side, who took out the first ever girls’ Cup.

Western Ringers v Gatton/Valleys U17 girls grand final. Adrian Vowles Cup 2020.

For team coaches Amy Kramer, Bryce Holdsworth and Dan Nunn, having their girls not only be a part of the trailblazing competition, but then make the grand final was a proud moment.

Kramer told the Western Times her team, led by Tyra Mitchell (Roma State College) and Poppy Collins (Cunnamulla State School), had triumphed over the hundreds of kilometres of distance to come this far.

“These girls have played together in various competitions last year, whether they have been in the same team or against each other, and they are all quite close, which is really nice to see,” she said.

“(In the lead up) we had training at Roma, being the central hub, and the Cunnamulla girls trained at home; but it was good the girls had all met before.”

Girls’ footy has been bolstered by passionate supporters around the region, as well as the young ladies’ determination to play as many games as they can.

NRL regional development officer Bryce Holdsworth has been a champion for the girls’ league around the region, Kramer said.

“Bryce has been pushing girls’ football since he has been out here, and they have made some pretty big steps in the past year; I think it will continue to grow,” she said.

“Our girls were just really excited to have the opportunity to play in the Adrian Vowles Cup because for so long it was just a boys carnival.

“These girls look for any opportunity to play a game; they get together because they love the sport that much, and are even organising a team themselves to nominate for the Kirsten Albeck Memorial 9s, and the Ali Brigginshaw Shield.”

Western Ringers v Gatton/Valleys U17 girls grand final. Adrian Vowles Cup 2020.

Along with the first girls’ competition came the first girls’ Adrian Vowles Dream Team – a mix of the most outstanding players from the whole carnival.

Of the Ringers girls, Quanika Colliss (Cunnamulla) was named on the dream team, along with Tyra Mitchell, Annie Zellers, Antonia Hendry-Ratima (Roma); Mitchell also won the best back award, and Hendry-Ratima was named best and fairest.

Overall, the girls’ competition has been considered a massive success, and those behind the Cup can’t wait to see it grow.

Radnedge pointed out the new competition has started the same way the boys did all those years ago.

“This was our first crack, after our (girls’) development day last year, and it has gone really well,” he said.

“A lot of people thought we might have been disappointed with only three teams, but honestly that is where we started with this whole competition in 2014, so we are not disappointed at all – you just have to look at where we ended up with the boys to know this could grow to be anything.”

Western Ringers v Southern Outback U17 girls. Adrian Vowles Cup 2020.

The competition will surely have scope to grow; not only do this year’s players want to return when they have the chance, but they have already motivated younger girls to push for their own games next year.

13-year-old Kya Zeller came from Highfields to support her older sister Mackenzie.

The Highfields RLFC player told the Times she hopes to play in the cup soon.

“I have played one season of rugby last year, and coming out here too see Mackenzie and the other older girls, they have really inspired me to want to play more,” she said.

“I would love for there to be an under-14s team out here next year, and I think I will be rallying the other girls once I get back home.”

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