SCU girls are back

READY TO GO: The SCU women’s rugby team for the Byron Bay Sevens this weekend.

IT”S been six years since Southern Cross University fielded a women’s rugby team in the Byron Bay Sevens, but they’re making a comeback.
The girls will join two men’s X-Rats teams in a big weekend for the Southern Cross University club.
All of the girls in the SCU team have extensive Touch football backgrounds, with Candy Boggs and Talia Rutherford former Touch representative players.
Halfback Kristy Jones is the most experienced rugby player and will look to lead her teammates around the ground.
The team is made up of students from the university, with Southern Cross Gold Rats first-grade coach John Jenkins at the helm.
 Professor Jenkins is head of the School of Tourism and the rugby club is excited that a coach of his credentials is involved in the revival of the women’s rugby team at SCU.
His assistant is first- grade five-eighth and former Gold Rats second grade coach James Jeffress.
“The girls have been training well over the past few months and they will be a competitive force throughout the weekend,” Jeffress said.
“Their progress both as individuals and as a team has been outstanding.”
The SCU girls will start their campaign at 10.40am today against Coffs Harbour, with other teams in their pool including the fancied Papua New Guinea Defence Force team and the University of Queensland.
The Sevens will be played at the Byron Bay Recreation Grounds from 9am to 5pm today and tomorrow, with the finals tomorrow starting at 1pm.