Rugby Grand Final report
Grand Final Recap
On Saturday 12 September, the Barraba Rams Women took to the field for the 2026 New England Rugby Union Grand Final, facing a tough Glen Innes Elks side at Bellevue Oval.
The girls ran onto the field through a tunnel of green and white, greeted by an incredible show of support from the Barraba crowd who had travelled across to cheer them on.
Barraba started strongly, with a deep kick from Lily Bradshaw resulting in a Glen Innes knock-on and giving the Rams a scrum just five metres out. Barraba spent the next five minutes hammering away at the try line, but the Elks’ defence remained solid. After several pick-and-goes drew the Glen defenders in, a quick shift out wide found Kiah Newell, who crossed for the first points of the Grand Final. An unsuccessful conversion left Barraba ahead 5–0.
Glen received the restart and quickly spotted space behind the Barraba defensive line. A kick over the top took a favourable bounce for the Elks, allowing their winger to collect the ball and race under the posts to take the lead 7–5.
With three minutes remaining in the opening quarter, much of the play stayed around the middle of the field before Glen received two penalties in quick succession. They worked their way around the Barraba defence and into the in-goal, but a brilliant double tackle from Bradshaw and Newell held the ball up and denied the Elks another try.
The second quarter began with Glen finding a gap following a missed tackle and racing 60 metres to score another converted try, extending their lead to 14–5.
With plenty of work ahead of them, the Rams regrouped and began working their way back down the field. The lineout, usually one of Barraba’s strengths, wasn't quite as clean as usual, while Glen proved extremely quick at the breakdown and earned several penalties for Barraba holding on.
Despite the pressure, the Rams kept Glen pinned inside their 22 and continued to attack. After several attempts at the line, two strong forward carries drew the defence in before the ball was shifted through the backs, allowing Leilani Tevaga to dive over in the corner.
Barraba headed into halftime trailing by just four points, 14–10.
The third quarter saw Barraba come out determined, working their way into Elks territory. After five minutes of pressure, Charlie Norton shifted the ball perfectly to put Emily Kelso through a gap, with Kelso crossing underneath the posts. The conversion put Barraba back in front, 17–14.
Glen continued to look dangerous and worked their way towards the Barraba line, but some outstanding defence from Newell and Norton kept the Elks scoreless throughout the quarter. Norton, who had been a menace at the breakdown all game, produced another great turnover before Barraba tapped the ball and kicked to touch to close out the quarter with the lead.
The final quarter was an incredibly even contest, with both sides displaying some great rugby while also beginning to show the effects of a hard-fought Grand Final.
With just two minutes remaining, Glen began to build momentum through their quick taps and work at the breakdown. Following a controversial missed knock-on, the Elks crossed just to the right of the posts and converted to snatch a 21–17 lead late in the game.
Barraba weren't finished yet.
The restart rolled into touch, giving the Rams one final opportunity through a lineout. A clean take and shift through the backline saw the clock expire, but play continued as Barraba desperately searched for one final score. Glen again showed their strength around the ruck, winning the turnover before tapping and kicking the ball into touch to bring the Grand Final to an end, with the Elks taking the win 21–17.
Unfortunately, the Rams Ladies didn't come home with the trophy, but their 2026 season is one they should be incredibly proud of.
The women finished the regular season as Minor Premiers before progressing through the finals to reach their first-ever Grand Final, making history for the Barraba Rams.
The Grand Final presentations also brought some fantastic individual recognition, with Charlie Norton receiving the John Hipwell Trophy – Women’s Rep Player of the Year, while Amie Middlemiss received the Roundtable Shield Award for Sportsmanship.
A huge congratulations must go to the 18 women who qualified for the finals series and gave everything they had to the green and white throughout the season:
Amie Middlemiss
Emily Kelso
Jemma Johnson
Macey Cabot
Kirra Jordan
Ally Smith
Lily Bradshaw
Leilani Tevaga
Addison Dixon
Kiah Newell
Charlie Norton
Ebony Urquhart
Paige Oliver
Chelsea Elton
Jordyn Snape
Ruby Smith
Piper Cribb
Bella Dipple
Coaches: Ben Freeman & Luke Smith
Manager: Jess Kelso
From Minor Premiers to Grand Finalists, it has been an incredible season and a history-making year for the Barraba Rams Women. Congratulations to every player, coach, manager, volunteer and supporter who has been part of the journey.
Up the Rams!
Presentation Night
There is still one final celebration to come, with Presentation Night this Friday, 18 September.
Tickets can be purchased online through TryBooking https://www.trybooking.com/DOVGG . We hope to see plenty of Rams supporters there as we come together to celebrate what has been an amazing 2026 season for our players.