MOTHER’S DAY: Maitland Pickers women’s team player Chantal Tanna with her children Warrali, 7, and Kiata, 1.
At rugby league fields across Australia it is normally men running around the middle while women watch from the sidelines.
Women generally play support roles behind the scenes while the men take centre stage and participate in the game itself.
But this Mother’s Day there will be a twist to this traditional tale at Maitland Sportsground.
On Sunday the Maitland Pickers women’s team will be donning the black and white jerseys for a match of their own.
The Pickers, featuring at least half a dozen mothers, will battle it out with Minchinbury in the fifth round of the Sydney Women’s Metropolitan Rugby League competition while the men mind the kids in the grandstand.
“It is a great opportunity to get out there and have a go,” Pickers player Chantal Tanna said.
“Maitland has a great family vibe as a club and there is great family support there so hopefully it will be the same this weekend.”
It is Tanna’s first season of rugby league but there was little escaping the sport for her and her children Warrali, 7, and Kiata, 1.
Tanna’s partner is none other than Pickers first grade coach Ron Griffiths, who took up the role of mentor this season after hanging up the boots as a player at the end of last year.
“This is my first crack at rugby league,” Tanna said.
“It is funny because Ron my partner is the first grade coach and he retired last year but I’m only starting out – 36 is normally when you should be finishing up.”
Ron will be there on Sunday with their children to watch mum play, just a week after seeing son Warrali make his rugby league debut for the East Maitland under 7s.
“He [Warrali] played his first gala day last weekend and he scored his first try so he was cheering,” Tanna said.
“He didn’t take his medal off for two days straight.”
The Pickers women also include mother and daughter pair Tammie and Candice Clay while fellow players Emma Young, Wendy Russell and skipper Bec Young are also mothers.
Tanna said she and her teammates had enjoyed the chance to play rugby league despite the strains it can put on the family.
“It is a big ask,” she said.
“There are some long bus trips and some really long days but the bonding has been great.”
Tanna said it was pleasing to crack their first win of their inaugural season last week, a 38-22 victory against the Auburn warriors at home.
“We have been improving ever since we first got together but the win last week really topped it all off,” she said. “We have been training really hard and trying to make the most of it.”
Kick off for the Pickers women is noon on Mother’s Day. The Pickers will host ladies day at the men’s matches on Saturday.