With the Australian women's rugby sevens team recently winning the World Cup to complete a triple crown, more and more girls are being inspired to play rugby including Mackay year 11 student Cierra Lewer.
Cierra was one of four Mackay girls to travel to the Gold Coast earlier in September to represent Central Queensland in the Queensland Rugby Union Girls State Championships.
Cierra and fellow Mackay player Anna Crossan played alongside players from Rockhampton, Whitsundays and Emerald in the U17 Central Queensland squad while Montana Hodgkinson and Ella Duncan played in the U15 squad.
“The first day that we were there, it was raining and windy and muddy and disgusting,” said Cierra.
“The second day was much nicer, it was dry and sunny, perfect rugby weather.
“I could see, just over the day, how we improved.”
Central Queensland played against teams from Brisbane, Gold Coast, far north Queensland and Townsville and Cierra said the competition was a good learning experience.
“Going down, we knew there was going to be a difference in the game,” she said.
“Up here, we have a bit more of a social element.
“We haven’t really dived into the technical side of rugby.
“It was definitely a learning curve.”
Cierra said she has come out of the weekend inspired to develop her rugby, especially after meeting idols Maddison and Tegan Levi.
“They came into the locker room, Maddison and Teagan did, and they spoke to us, and we asked them questions and that definitely sparked my interest in going further in the game,” she said.
“I just want to see how far I can get.”
Cierra first got into rugby four years ago through come-and-try sessions.
“It wasn’t really a big thing four years ago,” she said.
“I think there was probably four or five of us … but it’s expanded massively.”
Four years later, Cierra plays U17s rugby as well as playing in the open women’s team that took out the inaugural title a couple of weekends ago.
She also assists in coaching the come-and-try sessions that first got her into the sport.
“When I first started rugby, you didn’t really have that encouragement from everyone but now everyone wants you to get in there and give it a go,” she said.
Cierra coached the sessions alongside Mackay Christian College Sports Coordinator Sheril Buchanan for girls aged 10 to 13 for the last four weeks of the school term.
“It’s good for the young girls to see a young person who’s come through the same program just a couple years down the track,” said Sheril.
“That’s what you want in sport, you want girls to grow in confidence, you want girls to be encouraged and you want girls to enjoy life and the social and fitness aspect.”
