Australian school girls rugby daughters of guns shine on day 2, stars and standouts
Daughters of rugby guns are making their own mark at the Australian schools rugby sevens tournament and looking to challenge for the top honours on Sunday. Day 2 stars, standouts
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She’s less than half the size of her famous dad and making her own way in the sport - at full pelt.
NSW I gun Darci Turinui is just one daughter of a former football gun turning heads at the Australian school girls seven rugby championships at Sunshine Coast stadium.
Morgan Turinui, who played at the same schools tournament back in 2000, was also a sevens player in his early days before playing 20 test for the Wallabies in his heyday.
Darci, who pulled out of the XV’s championships prior to the sevens comp with a shoulder injury, had been one of the standouts at the sevens event which finishes Sunday.
Her goal is to make the U16s Australian merit team named at the conclusion of the event and to use the tournament as a springboard to future success.
That's also the ambitions of Queensland’s Aamira Renouf, niece of rugby league legend Steve Renouf and the daughter of Donald Malone who is widely regarded as one of the most electrifying players to ever grace a Queensland Cup field.
Renouf made the 16s Merit side in 2024 after her stellar performances for the Lloydies.
Both are hoping their teams - NSW I in the under 16s and Queensland I in the under 18s competition will be vying for the tournament honours on Sunday.
“We obviously want to win and there’s a merit team for Australia being selected and that’s a big goal,’’ Turinui, 15, said.
“I do like my sevens, there’s more space to run than 15s.’’
Turinui said she was hopeful of facing Queensland in the finale.
“It’s always a thing with them, in State of Origin league and in rugby,’’ she said.
“It’s pretty fierce. We always want to beat them.’’
Renouf, who is also cousin to Brisbane Broncos outside back Selwyn Cobbo and former cross code star Will Chambers, said the opening days of the tournament had been enjoyable.
“It’s hard to pick which is better between Lloydies and Queensland because they play different styles but I’ve enjoyed the opening days and it’s cool experiencing the tournament again,” the Caloundra SHS student and Sunshine Coast Falcons player said.
Renouf injured her ankle in the first half of her day one match but has bounced back in stellar form.
“It’s been a good start, our aim is to make it to the final and take home the gold but we know it will be tough,” she said.
“I’m excited to play on the stadium field again, there’s more space for me to try and show off my speed and have the crowd cheer both teams on.”
NSW I snagged a 22-19 win over QLD Maroon in their first meeting of the tournament with NSW I captain Coco Marsters
“This whole tournament has been leading up to us meeting them as we know they are ‘big dogs’ of this arena,” she said.
“We were really proud that we stayed in the grind and had to fight them out of it by winning those little tackles, staying composed and toughing it out in those crucial moments.
“We still have areas we can improve on but we’ll take plenty of confidence from that win as we head into tomorrow's finals.”
UNDER 18’S STARS AND STANDOUTS: DAY 2
#Zoe Quigley was a standout for AVT in their win over Lloydies with three tries.
#Chloe Sivewright scored two ties and made a conversion for NSW I in their big 24-0 win over NSW II.
#Queensland II’s Madison Pomerenke had a good one against WA with a pair of tries and two conversions.
#Havana Cook scored two for ACT in their close battle with NT.
#Queensaland White shared the scoring in the 26-12 win over Combined Eastern with Claudia #Woodhead, Ella Byrnes, Catie Leask and Meg Fortune all going over.
#Chloe Sivewright stood out again for NSW I in their 29-7 win over WA with three tries.
#Queensland Maroon had five different scorers in their 29-0 win over NSW II.
#Lloydies had six different scorers in their 38-0 win over NT with Sophia Wright making four conversions.
#Sivewright scored again in NSW I’s 22-19 win over Queensland Maroon - her sixth of the day.
# WA’s Kylah-Rey Tuheke Kupa scored two tries of her own but so did NSW II’s Luca Stewart in their 17-15 win.
# Queensland White’s Rosa-Millan Lefono crossed for a double in their 24-19 victory over Lloydies.
# Combined Eastern’s Emily Jackwitz scored two tries in their 17-5 win over ACT.
UNDER 16S STARS AND STANDOUTS: DAY 2
# Natalia Starzynski crossed for a double in QLD Maroons 31-0 victory over Queensland white.
# NSW I try scoring duo Darci Turinui and Cobi Ryan-Last kept their form rolling with two tries each in their 36-7 victory over NSW II.
# Natalia Starzynski added another two tries to her tally in Queensland Maroons 38-0 victory over NT.
# NSW II shared the try scoring honours in their 48-0 victory over Victoria with Ginger Siasat, Jessica Boreham-Cole, Skye Melrose, Bondi Werner, Silia Tuitufu, Rhylie Walker all scoring once and Jade Dominis crossing for two.
# It was one way traffic for NSW I in their 59-0 victory over Victoria with Darci Turinui and Evie Perry both scoring three tries with Poppi Flanders crossing for a double.
# Izzy Slater crossed for two tries against Queensland Maroon but it wasn’t enough in their 24-10 defeat.
# Lloydies Tah’Lucy Querro scored two and Queensland White’s Charlotte Lawry also snagged two in the Lloydies 19-12 win.
# Ginger Siasat scored another three of her own as her teammate Jessica Boreham-Cole crossed for two in their 36-5 victory over NT.
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