By Tammy Fetcher & Erick Elefante
With a surprise visit from Philippine Women’s National Football Team “Filipinas”, international players Eva Madarang, Carleigh Frilles, Anicka Castañeda and Malea Cesar, playing for local Football clubs in Australia, prepare for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Inspired by their fellow Pinay athletes, the Philippine Sampaguitas won their first Women’s Rugby League International against Greece at Lidcombe Oval on the 28th January.
The Sampaguitas team boasts an array of football skills, with players coming from backgrounds in rugby union, touch football, oztag, soccer and rugby league. Many of the Greek women went into the International Test match playing their first game of Rugby League. The Sampaguitas proved too good for Greece, running out 38-0 winners.
Even with their inexperience, Greece started well and had a better field position, but the defensive efforts from the Sampaguitas kept Greece from putting any points on the board.
The match was divided into quarters to cater for the International being played in a 31-degree heat wave. With Greece starting strong, it was not until close to the end of the first quarter that the Sampaguitas opened their scoring in the 12th minute when Jacky Lyden was able to crash over to score under the posts, making history becoming the Sampaguitas’ first International try scorer.
The Sampaguitas experience started to show in the second quarter with half-back Natalia Webb using her speed and a step to break the Greek defence and score. Janine Jamieson added her second goal to make it 12-0.
Sampaguitas’ dominance continued with winger Stefanie Thomas crossing over in the corner. It was followed by another try near the half-time break with Tynia Wells running down the sideline to dive over in the corner extending the Sampaguitas lead to 20-0 at the break.
As with the start of the International, Greece started the second half strongly, with Ebony Tsoukas coming close to scoring. But like in the first half, it was the Sampaguitas that scored first in the 51st minute when Cassandra Koch ran straight through their defensive line to score her first try of the match.
The Sampaguitas’ dominance continued and finished up with three more tries – Webb in the 60th minute, Pia Galon (69th minute) and Takiah Buchanan in the 73rd minute when Greece let the ball bounce in the in-goal, showing how tired they were in defence from the relentless Philippines onslaught.
“Big thanks to Greek Rugby League Australia for hosting us. They were the bigger and more physical side, but the cliche line would be defence wins games. Our girls dug deep and worked hard for each other, and it showed on the scoreboard”, said Philippines coach Jake Kamire.
