NSW Country Rugby Union

                      Corellas Fourth at Nationals

 The NSW Country Corellas have finished fourth at the Womens Nationals Championships which were recently conducted in Brisbane.

With fourteen new faces in the squad the team was always going to be up against it, especially being seeded in Division One with heavyweights ACT, Queensland and Sydney.

The retirement and unavailability of several long serving players, which included Wallaroos Tobie McGann, Kylie Pennell, Alana Thomas and Rebecca Trethowan, had left the team light on experience.

Whilst not winning a match the team came close to causing two major upsets by taking both the ACT and Sydney to the line in what were the standout matches of the championships.

The performance of the team was even more outstanding as established players Angela Hipwell (Flanker), Megan Shanahan (No 8) and Margaret Watson (Hooker) all suffered injuries which ruled them out for the latter half of the tournament.

The young brigade of Dayle Clampitt (Flanker), Lauren Dennis (Wing), Lauren Diduszko (Centre), Vanessa Foliaki (5/8), Kimberley Fyfe (Prop), Emma Gillogly (Wing), Sarah Riordan (Centre) and Ali Simon (Lock) all rose to the challenge.

The Australian Rugby Union recently announced a Sevens Training Squad which will attend a series of training camps over the latter part of the season from which the Australian Sevens Team will be selected for the 2012 International Program.

Five NSW Country Corella players have been selected in the squad:

•    Lauren Dennis – Newcastle
•    Vanessa Foliaki - Orange
•    Emma Gillogly – Armidale
•    Sarah Riordan - Newcastle
•    Megan Shanahan – Dubbo