They had no proper jerseys, no sponsors and had never played a game of rugby league before.
But last Saturday, the Nabua Broncos women’s rugby league team proved none of those matters.
In just their second match of their debut season, the team claimed their first-ever win, edging the Lami Steelers 4-0 at Bidesi Park in round two of the Fiji National Rugby League Women’s Premiership.
“This is the first time we played rugby league as team,” Emele Uluilakeba, who played an important playmaking role called pivot.
“It’s our first year in the competition and also the first time we formed a women’s team for Nabua Broncos.”
Uluilakeba, who played rugby 7s in high school and college said she joined the new team to stay active and ended up loving the experience.
“I didn’t want to stay idle, that’s why I came to play. It’s really fun, I enjoyed the game.”
The team is made up mostly of young women from the Nabua area, many of whom are playing the sport for the first time.
Even with limited resources, Uluilakeba said their preparation before the match made a difference.
“We did some structures, and it really helped. The result was good,” she said.
They had lost their first game of the season to USP Raiders 49-0, but the win against Lami was a big moment for the team.
“Our goal is to enjoy the game because this is new for most of us,” she said.
The team currently shared the jerseys with the men’s team because they don’t have their own gear.
But Uluilakeba hopes more women give the sport a try.
“It’s not only a guy’s game, but girls can also play too. Nothing is impossible.”
