For the first time in over a decade, Southern Inland have named a women’s 15-a-side representative team.
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A 22-strong squad has been selected to take on two mixed Canberra teams on Sunday.
All will be vying for a place in the Brumbies Super W side for next season.
Coach Andy Bedford has been working on adapting players with their sevens background to the more traditional format.
“It has been hard transitioning and getting them from a sevens mindset to a 15s mindset,” Bedford said.
“It is totally different and has probably been the biggest challenge.”
Defence has been a real focus in the past four weeks.
Especially not tracking every pass.
“It is a lot tighter game and that expansive footy is no longer,” Bedford said.
“The ruck becomes so much more important and defence around the ruck is huge.
“The girls tend to want to slide and rush wide any time passes are transferred.”
Waratahs are the only club not represented in the squad and there is a sprinkling of 15-a-side experience as well.
Sevens premiers CSU and Wagga City both have six players in the squad while Ag College has four.
However SIRU will be without one of their most experienced players with Brittney Bedford unavailable.
Bedford played in the Super W last season, but didn’t put her hand up due to work commitments.
The Brumbies won one of their four games in the first season of the Super W which was played in March and April.
SIRU Women’s squad
Ally Reid, Elyse Burns (Albury), Ivy Merlehan, Ashley Pike, Biola Dawa, Ellen McIntyre, Sophie Thomson, Georgia Roberts (CSU), Amy Boylan, Jessica Howard, April Sharp, Apryll Green, Kellie Allcorn, Sabre Medhurst (Wagga City), Kaitlyn McKay (Leeton), Kayla Lubke, Monique Toppin (Tumut), Krystelle de Meyer (Griffith), Chantelle Meintjes, Tiffany Furniss, Harriet Ellemann, Zarah Besseling (Ag College)
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