Sally Sitou (Reid, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is a saying at Briars rugby club: 'Once a Briar, always a Briar.' I saw the truth of that when I joined them for their 100th anniversary, when 250 members and supporters came together to support this wonderful milestone. Some were still playing. Some had long since hung up their boots. What they all had in common was that they were Briars through and through.

Since the club started in 1923 they've gone from strength to strength, winning 18 premierships. A more recent addition to the Briars family is their women's rugby team. From the genesis of an idea five years ago, they now have two senior women's teams, and they play with heart, having recently experienced international success by winning the Plate Final at the Borneo 7s in Malaysia.

I got to meet Taylah Watson. Despite only picking up the game a little over a year ago, she's a future female rugby star and may be playing for Australia in the not-too-distant future. She attributes her love of the game to Briars Women's president David Lannan, coach Trent Eagle and all the wonderful women she plays with. That is what is so great about Briars Rugby Club. It's more than a sporting group; it's a family. I wish them a very happy 100th anniversary.