More women are playing footy, but where are they all coming from?

While SIRU's expansion proved too soon for Leeton, the competition welcomed back Albury-Wodonga this year.

Now in round eight, feedback from clubs on the expansion has been positive.

But as more players take the field, more are needed to fill teams.

First year player Katie Wallace took a while to come around to the idea of playing, but has no regrets.

Meeting Reddies players through her work at a local pub, Wallace said she initially "chickened out" of playing.

It wasn't the contact that scared her though, but the idea of taking up something new as an adult.

Playing soccer since she was five, the idea of joining a new club at 34 was daunting.

"Because I played at such a high level in soccer, and had learnt it from such a young age, I was scared to do something new," Wallace said.

"The contact didn't bother me, I played AFL through high school, I actually love a bit of contact which is why I wanted to play union.

"Looking at the sport I was really nervous about being the new person at an older age as well, but now I couldn't imagine going anywhere else but Reddies, they were just so welcoming from the beginning."

For Reddies' Shallan Wright and Cloey Petersen, rugby union has been part of their lives well before they started playing in the senior competition.

Wright came to Reddies having played in the local junior competition and said it's been exciting to step up into a senior competition.

Watching as more girls and women join the sport, she'd like to see it continue to grow.

"I played juniors ever since the competition started in 2021 and just went on from there," Wright said.

"It's so exciting, I just love the atmosphere that rugby brings, it's so good."

Wright chose the club as it was where some of her junior coaches played.

She's not disappointed in her decision.

For Peterson, the connection to Reddies was closer to home.

Watching her husband play for years she said it was her turn to take the field.

"It was very daunting, scary I would say but once you've had your first tackle, it's not so bad after that," Petersen said.

"[In the first game] I forgot everything I ever learnt, I think my mind just went blank, it was like just catch the ball and run with it.

"I think I was too scared to think about anything else for the first time, but playing makes it make sense too."

Best friends Ella Carracher and Jamilla Hill took up the sport for the first time this year.

Social connections was the biggest pull for the pair, who felt playing a team sport was one of the easiest ways to meet people.

The university students are not from Wagga and Carracher said school-based clubs have been a lifeline since moving to Wagga.

"I've never played rugby before, I played hockey last year, but in terms of the social side of it the club at uni is very social," Carracher said.

"I wanted to make new friends and I've actually ended up really loving the sport."

Originally from Adelaide, sport has helped Carracher not only find friends, but develop an important support system locally.

"It's been so good to have such a good support system here, especially when my whole family is in another state, the rugby girls are awesome, everyone gets around each other, everyone is so nice and welcoming," she said.

In a true case of learn as you go, actually playing games has helped everything click after training sessions.

Whether she's fully across what is happening yet or not though, Carracher has fallen in love with the game.

"I was running around like a headless chook for the first couple of games but I really enjoy it now," she said.

Chloe Cheeseman needed somewhere to let off some steam, and rugby has proved to be the antidote.

Not only helping with her mental health, the social benefits of having a built in friendship network has been phenomenal.

"I though it'd be something good to do, I have a lot of anger issues and I feel like getting out there doing and doing sport again would be really good for myself," Cheeseman said.

"I really want to get into the more fit side of life and I thought playing sport would be a good way to do that.

"I thought it wouldn't be as rough, it is definitely rough, I love it though and the girls are amazing"

For mother Ebony Weekes, she needed time away for herself and when friend Petersen said she was playing, decided to tag along.

"I've got some aggressiveness to get out and footy is the best thing for me," Weekes said.

While several of the women had previously played leaguetag or grew up watching rugby league, there was one thing they all agreed on.

Rugby union has their hearts.

"A lot of girls are choosing league, and I wanted to play league as well, but now that I've played union, league seems kind of boring," Weekes said.

"Union stole my heart," Wallace said.

"When you break it down, union is a lot more fascinating than league, you'll never get me back to in league."