Back: Brendon Shean, Indey Sommer, Sophie Ford, Dakota Medley and Tanna-Rain Brooks. Front Row L to R: Phoebe Brown, Josie Brown, Holly Glover and Pippa Jones.
In a triumph that has captivated the Riverina region, the Murrumburrah Public School girls’ rugby sevens team has been crowned champions of the 2025 NSW Primary School Sports Association (PSSA) State Championship, defeating Lennox Head Public School 15-10 in a nail-biting final played under trying circumstances. Just 12 months earlier, the same group of girls from the small Harden-Murrumburrah township – a school with fewer than 100 students – had been knocked out in the opening round.
This year’s victory represents one of the most remarkable turnarounds in recent primary school sport, achieved by a squad that included several Year 5 students and one fearless Year 4 player competing against predominantly older opponents. The final, originally scheduled for Sydney, was relocated at late notice because of heavy rain that waterlogged fields across the city.
Instead of travelling to the Harbour City, Murrumburrah’s girls faced Lennox Head on a neutral ground that still required considerable travel for both teams.
The match was played across a shortened field, a format that often leads to congested, defensive battles, yet the contest produced end-to-end excitement and a scoreline that remained in the balance until the final whistle.
Murrumburrah scored three tries to two, with centre Hannah Brooks crossing twice through powerful straight-running carries that repeatedly punched holes in the Lennox Head defence. The 15-10 result reflected outstanding defensive efforts from both sides rather than a lack of attacking flair.
“It was pretty good defence in both games,” said proud coach Brendon Shean, who also teaches at the school. “It was an exciting game – it wasn’t scrappy at all. A lot of ball was in play. You’d think with a low-scoring game there were a lot of errors, but that wasn’t the case.”
The path to the title was anything but straightforward. Murrumburrah first dominated their local Riverina PSSA zone, accounting for Temora and Young before overcoming Griffith in the regional playoff.
A quarter-final victory over Googong earned them a semi-final berth that was originally meant to be played in Sydney. Torrential overnight rain forced organisers to postpone the Sydney finals and instead stage a one-off semi-final against Orange in Cowra – a move that reduced travel for one team while keeping the competition alive.
Murrumburrah won that match convincingly and advanced to the rescheduled grand final against Lennox Head, a much larger school of almost 500 students located on the far north coast. The Lennox Head team endured significant hardship when the original Sydney finals were called off; many families had already booked non-refundable flights. Fortunately, generous support from the Lennox Head Old Boys network and the local rugby club covered the cost of re-booked travel, ensuring the girls could contest the decider.
For Murrumburrah, the logistical challenges were equally daunting, but the tight-knit community rallied behind the team. Coach Shean, who also guided the school’s under-12 girls rugby league tackle side this year, credits an extraordinary training commitment for the turnaround in fortunes.
“To begin with, it was just lunchtime and recess training,” Shean explained. “As we progressed, we moved into afternoon sessions during class time. Leading into the original Sydney date, we were training three times a week, and once we qualified for the final, it became three or four sessions a week. The school gave me enormous support to put that time in.”
The preparation even included a full trial match against the Murrumburrah Year 6 boys – a game the girls won comfortably, providing a huge confidence boost heading into the championship. Shean believes the squad’s improvement stemmed not just from extra hours on the paddock but from an exceptional attitude to learning.
“The effort and improvement throughout the whole campaign have been huge,” he said. “Most importantly, their attitudes – wanting to learn, grow and keep improving – that’s what got them to the final and ultimately the result.”
Tactically, Murrumburrah surprised many opponents. While traditional rugby sevens is played with width and speed, the relatively small Murrumburrah girls often took the direct route.
“We definitely weren’t typical sideline-to-sideline sevens,” Shean laughed. “With our size, we thought we’d use it to our advantage and play up the guts, then off the back of that. Against bigger teams like Griffith, we had to adapt – crash it a few times, then bring our speed girls into the game. Their adaptability was incredible for primary-aged kids. Often, they worked it out on the field without me having to say anything. That was pretty special.”
Several individuals shone in the final. Ten-year-old Year 4 student Josie Brown produced one of the moments of the match when, just before halftime, she launched into a textbook tackle that drove a Lennox Head attacker over the sideline and prevented a certain try. In the dying minutes, Dakota Medley made two desperate cover tackles to win the turnover ball and pre-serve the lead.
“Hannah Brooks scored two tries with big, strong carries up the middle,” Shean said.
“But honestly, it’s hard to name standouts – I’d like to name them all. They were brilliant as a group.”
The victory caps a golden year on the sporting fields for Murrumburrah Public School, a tiny institution that consistently punches above its weight. While many larger schools boast professional-standard facilities and full-time coaching staff, Murrumburrah’s success was built on grass-roots passion, community support and an old-fashioned country work ethic.
For a school where most of the girls had never even played rugby union before this season, with only one having previously lined up alongside boys and several coming from a junior rugby league background, the state championship represents far more than a trophy. It is proof that size, location and resources are no match for determination, clever coaching and the willingness to learn.
As coach Brendon Shean reflected in the afterglow of victory: “We’ve had a really good year on the sporting field for a small school. This one, though – this one is pretty special.”
The Murrumburrah Public School girls rugby sevens team has not only brought home the state crown; they have written one of the feel-good stories of the 2025 NSW primary school sporting calendar – and reminded everyone that in country Australia, the underdog can still have its day.
– Tully Potts
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