On a Thursday night at the Daryl Bourke Oval in Moranbah, the local women’s rugby league team are lacing up their boots.
Despite the chill in the air and the fact some of them have just finished a 12-hour shift, the women are gearing up for footy training.
Moranbah is a small town of almost 10,000 people, nestled among dozens of coal mines in the Bowen Basin.
While the economic heart lies under the ground, above the ground lies the beating heart of the community.Â
Like most country towns, the local footy club is part of the town’s spirit and lifeblood.
Gwen and Mah Te Hiko both play for the Moranbah Miners Rugby League women’s side. (ABC Capricornia: Vanessa Jarrett)
When Mah Te Hiko moved to the region last year from New Zealand with her family at the age of 16, it was with the Moranbah Miners Rugby League Club where she found her feet.
“When I first moved here, I started with footy and that’s how I made all my connections, made all my friends,” the now-18-year-old reflected.
Alongside her new-found friends, her mother Gwen Te Hiko also plays.
It has created a unique bond between the mother and daughter.
“Majority of the times, it’s parents watching their kids, but when I play with my mum … I’m watching her and it just makes me so proud, seeing her run on the field alongside me,” Mah said.
“For a moment, I just watch her. That’s it.”
The pair debuted together at the start of the season in May, playing for the A-Grade women’s side.
To top it off, the Moranbah side won the game, toppling the Mackay Souths Sharks by 14 points.
“That was a good day. We won that day as well, so it was really cool,” Gwen said.
“I didn’t play much minutes just because I was a little bit unfit but, as you train, you get fitter and fitter every game.”
Pani Rupapere coaches and plays on the women’s team. (ABC Capricornia: Vanessa Jarrett)
Family time
It is also a family affair for coach Pani Rupapere, a fellow Kiwi, as all members of her family play.
While she throws on a jersey to play in the women’s games, her youngest two children, Bella and Pepe, play in the junior teams and older son Isaiah and husband Shannon lace up for the men’s teams.
“I don’t know what it is about footy that keeps bringing me back,” Pani said.
“I actually used to sneak out when I first met my husband when we were teenagers and watch him play, and that’s something I still enjoy, watching him play.
“We’ve just always done footy, it’s just one thing our family’s always done.”
The Rupapere family on a Saturday football morning: children Isaiah, Pepe and Bella, with parents Shannon and Pani. (Supplied: Moranbah Miners Rugby League Club)
It can make for a busy time in the Rupapere household during footy season, with mid-week training and games spread out across the weekend.
“It is a lot … we basically know we’re [here] every night of the week,” she laughed.
The task of washing the weekly stack of dirty uniforms is delegated to 10-year-old Bella.
“Most times on a Saturday morning, everyone’s looking for their clothes because she hasn’t either put them away or there’s a sock missing from others, but I don’t worry about the clothes,” Pani said, laughing.
As the competition and season come to a close, Pani and the Te Hiko women have their sights set on a fairytale premiership.
Their team is currently undefeated and sitting top of the table.
“Hopefully, [we can] win a grand final together [mother and daughter] … that’ll be the next dream,” Gwen said.
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