National Schoolgirls Final live stream: Hills Sports principal Amanda De Carli opens up on incredible rise

As Hills Sports prepare for the first-ever national schoolgirls final against Brisbane’s Mabel Park on Wednesday, school principal Amanda De Carli reveals the secret behind their incredible rise.

Hills Sports High has gone from not having a girls’ rugby league program, to being one game away from being crowned the best in the nation - all in the space of 12 months.

On the eve of their NRL Schoolgirls Cup national final against Queensland powerhouse Mabel Park State High, Hills Sports principal Amanda De Carli reflected on what has been a rollicking ride to the top.

You can catch all the action LIVE and EXCLUSIVE from 11.30am on Wednesday from Allianz Stadium. Check the full live stream schedule below for details.

The principal, who is only 18 months into her own tenure at the school, made the brave decision to move all in on the girls program, and ultimately the risk has been rewarded.

“The word we got last year was to move forward with a girls’ rugby league program, I thought it was a no brainer,” De Carli said.

“I believe we would’ve gone that way irrespective of the direction we were given. We made the decision very early on that if we were going to do it, we were going to do it right.

“Walking through the playground, I would be asked by the students when would we get girls league program going. I was able to say to them “absolutely we are getting a girls league program”. They were so excited.

Hills Sports players celebrate their big win over Erindale.

“I felt with NRL support for the women’s game and when the public sees women’s rugby league is held in high esteem, (schoolgirls footy) was absolutely the ticket to move forward.

“We draw our students from western Sydney, geographically we are positioned between two major powerhouses of the NRL in the Panthers and Eels. I know a lot of girls play league out here, and if we held trials, the Hills would be able to build a great league program.”

But it wasn’t just the players who would become key to the Hills Sports rise.

While working with the school’s already successful boys program, De Carli knew they needed the right person to be in the driver’s seat of their efforts in the schoolgirls space.

That was where Patricia Raikadroka came in.

An accomplished rugby league player in her own right, having played international league for Fiji and being part of the New Zealand Warriors NRLW squad, Raikdroka joined the school as a PE teacher and took control of the girls program.

“It has been her commitment and dedication to getting the best for her players, and the best out of her players, that has been key to our success,” De Carli said.

Great teamwork has got Hills this far.

“We have a great strength and conditioning team at the school, we look into the nutritional side of sport, we have gym and pool facilities – we made sure the girls had access to all of that. Since arriving at the school, it has been my priority that every student, irrespective of their sport or gender, has access to that holistic program.

“For me, it was a non-negotiable that we gave the girls program that same access.

“We have given the coaches the power to get in the driver’s seat and request what they need. Patricia has never taken a backwards step in that, she has always been forthcoming about what her players need.”

While Raikadroka has been the beating heart of the girls program this season, De Carli was clear that it had taken a village to get to where they are.

The work of Hills Sports High director of sport, Andrew Tetley, to pull all the right strings in the background cannot be understated, nor the support from the school’s sports department and Raikadroka’s assistant Josh Petero.

The incredible rise has not gone unnoticed by the girls in the middle of it.

Hills Sports High co-captain Olivia Vaalele said the players have been floored by the progress.

Mabel Park will be a tough challenge for Hills.

“We came from a really small group, there was only 10 of us two years ago (who were avid league players) and now we have got two whole teams with the younger girls as well,” Vaalele said.

“We have a lot of girls coming through the pathways as well. It is unreal what we have built.”

Whatever the result in the final, De Carli believes the school, and their rivals, Mabel Park for that matter, can be proud to say they were the first schools in a truly national schoolgirls final.

“I am just so excited for the girls, 20 years ago this would have been unheard of,” she said.

“For young student athletes from both states to have this opportunity, it is simply amazing.”