The newest team in South Otago started the season with a bang.
The Big River Country women’s team started in the Dunedin metropolitan women’s grade last weekend, and began with a mighty win, 36-33 over the Pirates Wahine side at Opoho.
It was a huge team effort from the side and all contributed.
To get a win over the Pirates side was quite an achievement as Pirates has been one of the better teams in the Dunedin women’s club competition in the past few years.
The idea of getting a women’s team from South Otago has been floating around for a while but Otago Spirit captain Tegan Hollows finally got something concrete this year.
Spirit team-mate Isla Pringle, who also hails from South Otago, is back working in the area and the pair decided to try to get the team going.
They had good support from the community and now have a list of about 30 players.
Hollows said the sport had always been popular with girls at high school but with no team to play for most had given up after leaving school.
But some of them have lined up for the new team. Players may have to miss games because of work commitments but hopefully there would be more than enough to field a team.
The side has been playing in the southern region Topp Cup strip of red and blue, as Hollows said they did not want to pay for a strip until there was certainty around the team playing.
A strip for next year has been ordered this week.
The side is coached by Tony Pringle.
Hollows can play in the front row but started at No 8 last week.
The side has its first home game this week when it takes on Green Island at Balclutha at 12.45pm tomorrow.
The women’s competition consists of two rounds among the six teams, followed by a semifinal and final.
In the men’s southern region competition this week, West Taieri will host Clinton tonight in Outram and the competition front-runners should bag a comfortable win.
Tomorrow, Clutha will host Toko and Heriot takes on Crescent, which should be close. Crescent has had a loss while Heriot is unbeaten and there will be little in it.
Roxburgh hosts Owaka. The two sides have yet to bag a win between them, so there is plenty of play for.
Clutha Valley has the bye.
