A team of Redcliffe Dolphins’ female rugby league players will get the chance to emulate some pioneers when they begin their campaign in the Queensland Rugby League’s under-19s competition this weekend.
The Dolphins under-19s team will play their first trial this Friday against the Norths Devils at Bribie Island as they prepare for entry to the Harvey Norman Cup under-19s competition.
If they turn to history, the young team has an obvious choice to encourage them – the 1975 Redcliffe Dolphins women’s senior team.
That side won their competition, and now the under-19s team will be the first senior female team in many years to represent the Dolphins.
The coach is former Dolphins’ Queensland Cup player Deon Bird, who had a long professional career in Australia and England.
He said numbers had been encouraging at training, but the team was always looking for more players.
“I am satisfied with how the team is going and has been training but we won’t be turning anyone away,” said Bird.
“It will be good to see how some of the players go in the trial this week.”
Bird has a family link to the team and said that was how he became involved.
“I’ve got three daughters of my own so I have been around female sport a lot and my eldest daughter is part of the team so it made sense to coach,” said Bird.
“When I went back to the Dolphins as their Wellbeing Officer, I realised how much I missed being around the team environment.”
The Dolphins under-19s team will face the Devils at Bribie from 6pm on Friday.