Short and sweet: Swoop’s women’s sport wrap May 9-16 2017

SHORT & SWEET: A champion puts herself back on top. A groundbreaking match for women’s rugby league. And a legend of the netball court honoured.

Tyler Wright chaired up the beach by brother Owen Wright and friend Matt Wilkinson as the 2017 Oi Rio Women's Pro CHAMPION after defeating Johanne Defay of France (AAP Image/World Surf League, Daniel Smorigo)

A CHAMPION puts herself back on top.

A groundbreaking match for women’s rugby league.

And a legend of the netball court is honoured for life.

All this and more in the latest edition of SHORT AND SWEET.

Australians all let us rejoice

AUSSIES are dominating the World Surf League leaderboard after defending world champion Tyler Wright took out the Oi Rio Pro, defeating Frenchwoman Johanne Defay in the final at the weekend.

Wright and Steph Gilmore, who won the season-opener on the Gold Coast, are locked on 29,700 points, while fellow Australian Sally Fitzgibbons is third (28,200) in the world rankings.

Wright had to beat her Margaret River Pro final conqueror Fitzgibbons in the semi-finals and did so with another slashing performance.

Tyler Wright’s Rio win puts her in equal first place on the leaderboard with fellow Aussie Stehpanie Gilmore. Pic: AAP Image/World Surf League, Damien Poullenot

She surfed through every heat to defend her event title and claim her third win in Rio.

“This has been a good week,” Wright added.

“I’ve put in a massive block of work before I came over, making sure that my backhand was where it needed to be. It is cool to be able to focus on performance and what I’ve actually got to do.”

The next event is in Fiji, and is scheduled to start at the end of the month.

City-Country lives on

CITY won the inaugural NSW Women’s City-Country Shield, 20-8 last Sunday at North Sydney Oval.

They held the Country side scoreless for 70 minutes and the game served as an excellent audition for the NSW team to contest the interstate challenge in July.

City five-eight and captainLavina Phillips was named player of the match, while Nakia Davis-Welsh and Country platers Georgina Brooker and Jayme Fressard were standouts.

Lavina Phillips, five-eighth, in action for City in the inaugural women's City-Country match May 14 2017. Pic NSWRL

Phillips limped from the field after a fine 65 minutes but the home side still sparked in attack, when Davis-Welsh threw a perfect pass to winger Kate Mullaly, who crossed for the team’s fourth try and all but sealed the result for City.

Sydney women continue domination

SYDNEY cemented their place in Australian Women’s rugby history, winning the National Women’s XV Rugby Championship for the third year in a row.

Sydney defeated last year’s final opponent ACT 34-0.

It was another dominant event for the NSW side, beating their 2016 result by banking a total of 154 points without conceding a point to their opponents across the three days of competition.

Sydney No. 8 Victoria Latu was named Player of the Tournament for the second consecutive year.

Sydney women's rugby union team celebrate their victory over ACT in the 2017 women's National Rugby XV Championships at Runaway Bay in Queensland. Pic: Sportography / Supplied

Sydney, head coach Rob Baumann praised his team for their hard work and focus throughout their campaign

“I’m so proud of the ladies, they just kept getting better and better and peaked at the right time,” Baumann said.

“Great to get the result, they can only get better I think. With some new faces in the side we should be strong for years to come,”

— Karen Watson

Women’s sport earns a place in history

NETBALL legend Laura Geitz has been commemorated in bronze with a statue of her in full flight unveiled outside Suncorp Stadium last week.

Geitz hasn’t played since the ANZ Championships final last year when the Queensland Firebirds won back-to-back titles with a double-overtime win over the NSW Swifts.

The defender gave birth to her first child a few months ago and is still weighing up her options as to a return before next year’s Commonwealth Games.

Geitz said she was honoured to have the statue of herself revealed, and realises it stands for a lot more than just highlighting her own achievements as an athlete.

Champion netballer Laura Geitz at the unveiling a life-size statue of her at Brisbane Entertainment Centre. Pic Tara Croser.

“Initially I was a little bit embarrassed because I play a team sport and am not an individual athlete,” she said.

“After I had time to think about it represents a hole lot more than just me. It’s family, the Firebirds teammates and the history we have created, the state of Queensland and every little girl who has a dream and wants to achieve it.

“It is a huge honour and a privilege and it represents things much bigger than me and my career. That is what I am most proud about.’’

AFLW’s best dealt a blow

AUSTRALIAN Opals star, Erin Phillips, who was named the MVP of the inaugural AFL Women’s season, has been waived by the WNBA’s Dallas Wings.

Over her seasoned WNBA career, Phillips has won two championships — with the Indiana Fever and Phoenix Mercury, respectively — and was named a co-captain of the Wings in 2016.

Phillips will now enter waivers, allowing another WNBA team to potentially sign her.

With the AFL Commission announcing the AFLW will remain unchanged for its second season, clubs are now starting work on trades to bring their rosters together.

Champions Adelaide are expected to trade out a marquee player in order to keep Phillips with the Crows, who is no longer able to be a rookie.

Phillips in action for Dallas Wings last year.

Eleni Glouftsis to be an AFL first

ELENI Glouftsis will become the first female field umpire in AFL history after being named to officiate in Sunday’s clash between Essendon and West Coast.

It’s an historic moment for the game and Glouftsis said she hoped to encourage both male and females to be involved in umpiring.

“I’m going to make mistakes. Everyone does. I just hope to do the best I can,” she said..

The South Australian umpired in the VFL last season as one of 12 AFL umpire rookies.

She was also named an AFL emergency umpire on 10 occasions and has trained with the senior AFL umpiring group throughout the past two years, and has 33 VFL games to her name.

Glouftsis umpiring Geelong v Essendon at Queen Elizabeth Oval, Bendigo during the JLT Community series. Pic: Michael Klein

Glouftsis was placed in the AFL Female Pathway scholarship program in 2015 after being identified as the most promising female field umpire at state level in the country.

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Originally published as Short and sweet: Swoop’s women’s sport wrap May 9-16 2017