Manaia's three girls feeling empowered are Elliott Ross, 8 (left), Kaelyn Dyer, 8, Madison Oosterbroek, 9, with their coach and Parua Bay School teacher, Madeleine Brooks. Photo / John Stone
Manaia's three girls feeling empowered are Elliott Ross, 8 (left), Kaelyn Dyer, 8, Madison Oosterbroek, 9, with their coach and Parua Bay School teacher, Madeleine Brooks. Photo / John Stone
One of Northland's junior rugby coaches believes girls playing rugby at a young age will boost their confidence in a way that no other sport can match.
Madeleine Brooks, a Parua Bay School teacher and Manaia junior rugby coach, turned up on Wednesday with three girls who play alongside boys in her team: Elliott Ross, Kaelyn Dyer and Madison Oosterbroek.
All three girls are in their first season of tackle rugby and according to coach Brooks, they have come on in leaps and bounds.
"It's going really well, it's been great to see their confidence develop and watch them come out of themselves," Brooks said.
"We are working hard on pushing through their nerves and standing their ground, especially when they are tackling the bigger boys, which can quite intimidating but they just get into it."
Marist under-7s Pink Ferns player Jordana Marr (left) and Hora Hora's Harper Johnson embody the joy young girls can get from playing rugby. Photo / John Stone
Brooks, who was raised in England and started playing rugby at university, said she gained a whole new level of confidence and strength from playing rugby, which helped her on the mean streets of London.
"It's about empowerment and the girls being assertive in themselves, feeling that strength, and I know that's what rugby meant for me.
"I grew up in London and when I was walking down the street, I felt confident because I played rugby and that's what I want for the girls, to be able to stand tall and stand proud."
Brooks said she had noticed all three girls had come out of their shells as they entered rugby and learned to tackle. She said Oosterbroek had become one of the team's top try scorers, Ross, an electric speedster and Dyer, a great team player.
"We work a lot on being part of a team, being there for each other and making sure when someone goes down, you're with them and supporting them," she said.
No one can mess with these Mid Western girls on the park. Louise Meumann (left), Keisha Mansell and Shiree Drinnan. Photo / John Stone
Brooks said with more female coaches starting in rugby and more Northland players becoming role models at a senior level, it was a good message to young girls everywhere that they can achieve anything.
"It's nice to see a different type of leadership on the field and I think that's what comes through having more women in rugby," she said.
"You can absolutely take on the world and that's what I want for these girls, it's that belief that they can just go and do it, it's about standing up and saying, 'this is our sport, it's not just a sport for boys'."
