She might be a relative rugby novice but Piper Rankmore is already catching selectors’ eyes.
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Playing in her first-ever rugby tournament on the Central Coast on the weekend, the talented teenager was not only selected in the NSW Country under-17s girls squad to play City in Tamworth in August, but named the best back at the Country Championships for her age division.
“That’s a huge achievement considering it was her first weekend of rugby,” Central North under-17s coach Andrew Bowden said.
Rankmore scored seven tries as the Kookaburras finished fourth, and impressed Bowden with her defence and hard running.
“She basically got us on the front foot the game we won,” he said.
Also a talented soccer player, the Gunnedah High student went straight from the Central Coast to Berkeley, where she is playing for North West at the state carnival.
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Rankmore wasn’t the only Gunnedah player to shine with Eliza O’Donnell picking up the players’ player award for the victorious Central North under-15s team.
Starting the tournament with a 22-5 win over Hunter, they went on to beat Illawarra 24-10, Central Coast 29-nil and Central West 39-5.
Dakota Durrant, Elsie Hunt and Elly Bryiell were also part of the under-17s side.