GLOUCESTER players are strongly represented in the Lower North Coast women's rugby union team to meet Mid North Coast in the representative fixture at Port Macquarie this Saturday.
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The table topping Ratz has nine players in the 24 strong squad. Reigning premiers, Gloucester, provide six.
All five LNC sides have players in the squad. This includes Eileen Tupou-Faluao and Bianca Rugari from the Old Bar Clams. The Clams are fielding a women's side this year for the first time in a number of seasons
The team will be coached by Chris Marchment from Gloucester. He steered the Cockies to last season's LNC premiership.
While both the Lower North Coast and Mid North Coast women's competitions play 10s rugby, Saturday's game will be the traditional 15-a-side.
The squad is: Jessikah Bridges (Manning Ratz), Paige Brown (Gloucester), Sheridan Clarke (Ratz), Eileen Tupou-Faluao (Old Bar Clams), Talisha Goolagong (Ratz), Natika Griffiths (Ratz), Keely Holden (Ratz), Anika Hudson (Wallamba), Connie Kerry (Gloucester), Lucy McBride (Wallamba), Jess Maher (Ratz), Charlotte Maslen (Gloucester), Lisa Nicholson (Wallamba), Samantha Porter (Wauchope Thunder), Kitiara Porter (Wauchope), Kelly Rees (Gloucester), Danielle Ridgeway (Ratz), Paris Rock (Wauchope), Bianca Rugari (Old Bar), Amy Shultz (Gloucester), Natalie Towle (Wauchope), Tabitha Wares (Ratz), Natalie Watson (Ratz), Hannah Yates (Gloucester).
The game will be played at Stuart Park, Port Macquarie, kicking off at 1.45.
Selectors will use the match as a guide to naming the Mid North Coast side for the upcoming Country Championships.
The southern/northern men's game has been resurrected this year. It is understood it hasn't been played since around 2005.
However, this is the first for representative women's rugby in the zone.
MNC president Steve Rees said the matches will now be an annual event on the zone's calendar. The 2025 fixtures will be played at a southern venue.
Meanwhile, Gloucester demolished a short staffed Old Bar Clams 54-0 in the Lower North Coast clash played at Tuncurry.