The Jindabyne Rugby Union Club (JRUC) experienced a weekend of mixed outcomes during the latest round of competitions, held at JJ Connors Oval, Saturday May 3, 2025. The Miss Piggies secured a decisive victory against ADFA with a score of 39-17, while the Bushpigs faced a challenging match against the Crookwell Dogs, going down 32-17.
PHOTO: Captain of the Bushpigs Billy Small leads the team out in front of a healthy crowd of Jindabyne faithful.
Despite the setback for the men, the club’s camaraderie and determined spirit shone through. The Bushpigs, invigorated by Coach Liam Seiler’s motivational approach, were determined to “turn up for one another.” The first half showcased a tight contest, but errors led to the Dogs establishing a lead by halftime. The Bushpigs managed to open their scoring late in the second half, with Mitchell Thrum, Troy Tuddenham, and Captain Billy Small contributing trys, turning the match into a more competitive affair, and a near come back.
PHOTO: The Bushpigs were right in the contest and pushed to very end.
Reflecting on the performance, Coach Liam Seiler remarked, “Through the week we have just been training no matter what the weather, even if it’s been raining so we could turn up and switch on.”
Seiler gave the team an inspiring speech in the post match team huddle, emphasising the club’s focus on teamwork, saying with passion, “You all stuck in there right till the end, we gave them a big scare, the effort was there, you turned up for one another and I couldn’t be more proud of every single one of you.”
PHOTO: JRUC Bushpigs Coach – Liam Seiler
Bushpigs’ Blindside Flanker, Taylor Deer, showed optimism, stating, “We are a young team and still coming together, but we are improving every week and we couldn’t ask for any more.”
Deer praised the local support, noting the enthusiastic turnout. “The way we ended each half, is our take away from this match,” Deer added, urging a focus on consistency and finishing attacking efforts in future games.
PHOTO: Taylor Deer – JRUC Bushpigs Blindside Flanker
Bushpigs’ Captain Billy Small also highlighted areas for improvement. “We will definitely work on our ball security and our support play,” he commented, emphasising the need to tighten defensive strategies and have a look at some of the off-loads that went to ground.
Chris Parker, Captain of the victorious Crookwell Dogs, expressed pride in his team’s performance, noting, “It’s pretty big for us to get the win, I don’t think we’ve won in Jindabyne since 2019.”
PHOTO: Chris Parker – Captain of the Crookwell Dogs
Meanwhile, the Miss Piggies celebrated their 39-17 win over ADFA with a standout performance. Vice Captain Eden Klemm dazzled with a hat-trick of tries, while half-back Bernadette Lai also crossed the try line three times.
Captain Montana Hawkins remarked on the first win over ADFA since 2021, “It was our first home game of the season today and we are celebrating our rookies, so we will be welcoming them into our club and it’s all about them today.”
PHOTO: Montana Hawkins – Miss Piggies Captain
Looking ahead, the Miss Piggies will participate in the Women’s 10s Gala Day at the ANU sports fields next week, facing the Canberra Royals at 12:20pm and the Uni North Owls at 2:10pm. The Bushpigs are set to challenge ADFA at Dowsett Rugby Fields at 2:30pm, eager to apply lessons learned from this weekend’s match and deliver a stronger performance.