How Keira Rangi smashed down the door leading to history making selection in a Qld league team

It is an era when female rugby league players have broken down the barrier, but for Keira Rangi, she has smashed down the door leading to history making selection in a Queensland team.

It is an era when female rugby league players have broken down the barrier, but for Keira Rangi, she has smashed down the door leading to history making selection in a Queensland team.

Rangi, who attends Aspley East State School, this week was named the Quest Community Newspapers Northside Chronicle Local Sports Star Inspiration award winner at a gala function held at the Queensland Cricketer’s Club.

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Rangi had an enormous year after becoming the first girl to make the Queensland under 12 boys team.

Rangi said she loved playing league because it “encouraged other girls to play contact sport and brought more recognition to the northside and girls in the sport’’.

Keira Rangi playing for Met North. (Photo/Steve Holland)

She said her club coach at Aspley RLFC, her weights coach at Cougars (Myles Wydall), her school coach and parents had supported her on her journey.

Rangi earned selection after being an unstoppable force at the recent state championships in August.

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Rangi said she loved the sport most for making friends, but love tackling, scoring tries and training which made her healthy,

Rangi said her biggest challenge in the code had been “convincing my family that girls can play against boys’’.

Keira Rangi training for the under 12 Queensland side. PIC: Peter Wallis

Not that she did not have plenty of practice confronting boys in football. Her cousins saw to that.

Indeed she attributes her male cousins’ decision to include her in rugby league games before she joined a club as the reason for her being advanced in the sport.

She also said her supportive parents and school HPE teacher had helped her along.

The youngster, who nominated Asi Mafi as her hero, said he aim was to play in the NRLW and represent Australia.