SI selection for talented players

St Peter's College rugby players Melissa Fairbairn (left) and Sarah Williams (both 17) are Southland under-18 representatives and they have also been selected in the South Island secondary schools girls' rugby team.

Melissa Fairbairn (17) and Sarah Williams (17) are climbing up the ranks in representative rugby, with both players selected for the Southland under-18 girls' rugby team and the South Island secondary schools girls' rugby team.

This is the second year in a row Sarah has made the South Island paper team, while Melissa was last named in the team in 2006, and said she was pleased to feature on the list again this year.

The talented pair have had a stellar season of rugby, playing for the St Peter's College team, the Mataura women's rugby team, the Southland under-18 girls' team, and the South Island secondary schools girls' team.

"Playing for Mataura as a club team made our games so much more of a higher level. It has just improved our game heaps," Sarah said.

Sarah played lock, while Melissa had a change of position from halfback to first five this season.

"I'm normally halfback, but there were . . . four halfbacks and we [Southland] didn't really have a first five that could kick," Melissa said.

Melissa took up the challenge and earned her place in the South Island secondary schools girls' team, while Sarah cemented her position as lock.

Melissa and Sarah said they had taken up rugby when they started high school, deciding it was the sport they would dedicate themselves to, hoping one day to master their rugby positions as their favourite players, All Blacks Ali Williams and Jimmy Cowan, had.