Rippa start to girls’ rugby in Central-Lakes

Battling for the ball in the first  Central Otago girls’ junior rugby  competition game at Molyneux Park in Alexandra yesterday are (from left) Florence Nelson (12), of the Wakatipu team, and Abby Fookes (11), Grace Kunath(10, back), Primrose Johnson (12),  Lucy Chisolm (12, back), and Sammy Fookes (12), all of the Arrowtown Roosters.

In wet conditions,  the first girls-only junior rugby competition began yesterday with 10 teams and about 90 girls from school years 3-8 from the Central Otago and Queenstown-Lakes districts.

Central Otago Junior Rugby chairman Jim Moffitt said the competition began because of the "surge in nationwide interest" in the Black Ferns and women’s rugby.

The girls would play rippa rugby in this competition and Mr Moffitt hoped the tackle game would be introduced next year.

Some girls already played school rugby.