KYLIE Hilder has been named in the NSW women’s rugby league squad to play Queensland on Sunday, July 23, at WIN Stadium in Wollongong.
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This will be before the St George-Illawarra/Manly Warringah NRL fixture and is expected to be televised on Fox Sports rugby league channel.
Forty-one-year-old Hilder was co-captain of the NSW Country side for the inaugural clash against City at North Sydney Oval on Sunday.
At this stage she isn’t sure what position she’ll be considered for with NSW. She was halfback for the Country team.
Meanwhile it’s back to league tag for representative rugby league players Hilder, Holli Wheeler and Simone Smith on Saturday when they team-up for North Coast in the Country Championship match against Newcastle at Cessnock on Saturday.
Wheeler from Old Bar and Hilder played with Country against City. The previous week Smith was a member of the Australian Jillaroos team that beat New Zealand in the test match in Canberra.
City won the game 20-8 after leading 8-0 at the break.
Wheeler came on as a replacement backrower in the game and played soundly.
Hilder said Country performed strongly against their more experienced opposition, particularly in the first half.
“We copped a few injuries in the second half and they scored off our mistakes,’’ she said.
“But we were competitive.’’
Hilder added the Country Rugby League chairman John Anderson, CEO Terry Quinn and senior official Bert Lowry attended the match and have insisted it’ll become an annual fixture. All were impressed with the standard of the game and have promised to pour more resources into the Country team.
“It was a good experience, particularly for the younger players, to go up to the next level,’’ Hilder said.
Saturday will be busy for the representative trio. After the league tag game they’ll play rugby league for Hunter Stars in the NSW women’s competition against Berkeley Vale in Newcastle.
“It works in well – we play league tag at 11am and then league at 4pm,’’ Hilder said.
The North Coast league tag side was announced at the conclusion of the Group Three/Group Two match at Sawtell last month. Group Three won the match.
Hilder, Smith and Wheeler all missed the game because of rugby league commitments. Group Three, playing at East Coast Dolphins, won the Country league tag championship last year, when Hilder was the captain.
Scott Jacklin from Taree will coach the North Coast side. He was in charge of the East Cost team last year.
