Double grand final delight as Frenchville Pioneers get the job done for Jess Allen

Women’s captain Ta’ Steere: ‘We video-called her with the trophy when we’d won and she was crying. She was so excited.’

Frenchville Pioneers scored a premiership double on Saturday – and much-loved club member Jess Allen got to watch the grand achievement from her hospital bed in Brisbane.

Best friend and women’s 7s vice-captain Amber Shephard organised for the Rugby Capricornia grand final day in Rockhampton to be livestreamed to Jess’s phone.

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Her teammates were regularly Facetiming her as they marched unbeaten to Saturday’s grand final, which they went on to win 15-10 against Brothers.

Frenchville’s A-grade men completed the double when they downed minor premiers Dawson Valley Drovers 22-17.

Jess, 21, remains in Prince Charles Hospital after her heart stopped while she was running water for the A-grade men’s team in their semi-final in Gladstone last weekend.

Bystanders revived her on the sideline, and she was taken to Gladstone Hospital before being airlifted to Brisbane in an induced coma.

The young mum is out of intensive care and making good progress, news warmly received by everyone in the rugby community and especially her Frenchville family.

The Frenchville teams vowed to win for Jess – and they delivered in spectacular fashion.

The women’s team won their two pool games, reigned supreme in the semi against Gladstone and then claimed the season’s ultimate prize with their five-point win over Brothers in the decider.

Rebekah Asse scored two tries and captain Ta’ Steere ran in the winner in the shadow of full-time.

The duo was thrilled with the result, and overjoyed they could get the win for Jess, an integral part of the team which was playing its first season.

“It feels bloody amazing,” Ta’ said. “Having a fresh team, a couple of our girls didn’t know how to play, but we all just came together, helped and worked as a team and got behind each other.

“It was so good just to get it over Brothers by five points and win our first grand final.

“We Facetimed Jess after games; we’d have little meetings and discuss how we did, what we thought we could have done better and what we smashed.

“She was there for all that and then we video-called her with the trophy when we’d won and she was crying. She was so excited and we were saying ‘settle down, you need to rest’.

Frenchville Pioneers beat Rockhampton Brothers in the Rugby Capricornia women’s 7s grand final on Saturday.

“I actually heard that she tried to get a day pass to come up here for the day.”

Players from the five women’s teams - Brothers, Biloela, Colts, Gladstone and Frenchville - all came together to send a collective message of support to Jess.

It was a memorable win for Rebekah, who was playing her first season of rugby.

“I’ve never played union before. I only came in quarter of the way through and I was really scared to play… so to win a grand final is just amazing.

“I’ve had a great season with the girls.”

Rebekah was at the game when Jess collapsed and said it had been an emotional week.

She set up a gofundme page for Jess and her one-year-old daughter which has raised almost $12,000.