MANNING River Ratz experienced the ultimate grief when their men went down to the Wallamba Bulls at Nabiac's Sports ground on Saturday, but coach Bronson Rangi's 10-a-side women's team waved their Taree club colours magnificently in the early game, winning the grand final 34-7.
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The game began ominously for the Ratz when Gloucester's Hannah Forest pierced the Ratz' defence in a glorious display of speed, step and swerve for a 90-metre try in only the fifth minute.
Temporary grand final joy was one thing, triumph yet another. Six tries later, all by the Ratz women, wiped Gloucester's smiles from faces as their Taree rivals provided an exhibition of rugby skills and teamwork to delight any follower of the code, both in attack and defence.
It was a tough run-in to the grand final for the Gloucester Cockies with their coach, Chris Marchant, seriously ill for three weeks. When he remains sidelined for so long, Marchant is in a bad way.
"The ladies have been magnificent this year. They will be back, I promise you," Marchant said as the Cockies watched their rivals parade with the shield. "Our day will come."
Lucy Green's representative honours keep mounting, national among them, and she was splendid again when it mattered on Saturday.
But Lucy was aided nobly by her whole team, especially Khiarna Poini, Natalie Watson, Natalie Griffiths, Keely Holden, Jemma Ridgeway, and Nakita Paulson-Cosstick.
