Today was a landmark event for Gosford Rugby Club, with all women’s and girls' teams—U14, U16, U18, and Women—playing at home with over 130 players taking to the pitch.

Following their successful first-round national cup win, the U16 Girls shifted their focus to the opening game of the Bucks Invitational League and Buckingham came prepared for a fierce contest.

Buckingham opened with strong pressure, controlling possession and forcing a penalty just three minutes in. However, Gosford responded with a powerful counter-ruck to regain the ball, quickly moving it down the line to Monica, who found space to accelerate and score the game’s first try within five minutes. Immy added the conversion, taking the score to 7-0.

Buckingham pressed hard from the restart, forcing a Gosford knock-on and a penalty. Their #13 and #14 linked up well, moving the ball efficiently until Immy made a vital tackle to halt the attack. Buckingham’s momentum continued until a loose pass turned possession over to Gosford. A strong defensive scrum at Buckingham’s 22-meter line allowed Gosford to dominate and reclaim the ball, rapidly passing it from Monica to Immy and finally to Eve, who stormed down the wing to score the second try at the 10-minute mark. Another conversion by Immy extended Gosford’s lead to 14-0.

Momentum firmly on their side, Gosford showcased fluid offloading and ball-handling, with Sophie powering down the touchline for her first try just three minutes later. Immy’s reliable kicking added another two points, making it 21-0.

The tries kept coming, with Lilly making a decisive break, supported by Sophie. The ball reached Izzy, who sprinted through to add another try. Immy’s fourth conversion widened the lead to 28-0 after only 15 minutes.

Despite the growing score line, Buckingham remained undeterred and continued to battle with impressive rucking, retaining possession and mounting their longest sustained attack of the match. Gosford’s defence held firm, and when they won back possession, Monica sidestepped her way past multiple defenders to score again, with Immy making it 35-0 after 20 minutes.

Buckingham restarted with determination, advancing to gain possession deep in Gosford’s half. But Gosford’s defence stood resilient, winning the ball back and swiftly moving it to Monica, who sped down the left wing to score under the posts, giving Immy an easy final conversion. This last try brought the game to a close, with Gosford victorious and the score standing at 42-0 after just 26 minutes.

A great result with some fantastic support play across the entire team. A special shout out to Elena and Ellie on their first ever game of Rugby and Evie who played their first game for Gosford and and Lucie who played her second game.

Final Score: Gosford U16 Girls 42 - Buckingham 0

Tries:
Eve x 1
Izzy x 1
Sophie x 1
Monica x 3

Conversions:
Immy x 6

More amazing photos by Steve Karpa are available here