The NSW Rugby Union New England North West development officer and referee has watched the sport evolve, and is thrilled to see its “tremendous” growth in the region, particularly for women. 

“The thing that I love is that the girls walk off the field and they’ve got a big smile on their face and they’re just part of it,” she said.

“I see it on a local level all the way through to national level in Adelaide, walking out of cabins of a morning and here’s all of the Queensland Reds – not just the men, but the women too – all doing their morning yoga session together. They’re treated as one team.”

With national rugby sevens starting in August, providing a stepping stone to the Australian squad and world circuit, Little said there were many opportunities for young women taking up the sport. 

She said it was a far cry from her University of New England days, when she first picked up rugby. 

“I think when I was at university it was almost a bit of a joke,” she admitted.

“The girls that played, and those of us that were athletic and wanted to play, there wasn’t really an avenue for us to play, to be honest, unless we went to Sydney.”

Despite the restrictions, Little’s love of the game continued, and she was encouraged to take up refereeing after finishing her studies. 

“Rugby’s not just a men’s sport, it’s a sport for everyone, and that means that anybody that’s good enough to officiate can officiate irrespective of whether they’re male or female,” she said. She said refereeing was a way to remain involved in the sport, keep fit and stay challenged while also providing a community service.

“It was a great way of giving back to sport,” she said.

Taking a break while she started her own family, Little was pleased to return to rugby in recent years.

“At rugby competitions with the girls, I find it’s such a great community atmosphere, and the girls are all very supportive and encouraging to everyone, and I think it’s very positive for women,” she said.

She said there were some strong prospects in the region. “We’ve already got (Warialda’s) Tiarna Malloy who’s playing with the national squad now, and we’ve got Rhiannon Byers,” she said. “We’ve got some really talented girls in the under 18s space coming through.”