Uni-Norths Owls Premier 15s 49 def. Canberra Royals Premier 15s 7
BentSpoke Premier 15s – Round 9
Greenway Enclosed Oval – Saturday, June 21, 2025

The Canberra Royals Women’s Premier 15s side faced a difficult afternoon on Saturday, falling 49-7 to a clinical Uni-Norths Owls outfit at Greenway Oval in what proved to be a challenging encounter against quality opposition.

Despite the result not reflecting their efforts, the Royals showed moments of quality and determination throughout the 70 minutes, with individual performances providing building blocks for future improvement.

The visitors opened the scoring through winger Jane Phelps, who crossed for an excellent try that demonstrated the attacking potential within the squad. Flyhalf Janiana Ravu added the conversion to give the Royals a promising 7-0 lead in the early exchanges.

However, the home side responded with a sustained period of dominance that saw them score eight tries throughout the remainder of the match.

The momentum shifted decisively when fullback Emerina Marsh-Kiro crossed in the 18th minute, successfully converting her own try to give the home side a 12-7 lead they would never relinquish. Marsh-Kiro also added a penalty goal to extend the advantage to 15-7.

The second half saw the Owls pull away with a series of well-constructed tries. Gogala crossed in the 40th minute, though her conversion attempt was unsuccessful. Centre Elodie Galinier added a double with tries in the 50th and 56th minutes, both unconverted by Gogala.

Uni’s Lock powered over in the 53rd minute with Gogala adding the conversion, before substitute Katelyn Hill, who had replaced Jane Garraway in the 65th minute, crossed in the 66th minute with Gogala converting to push the score to 36-7.

Hooker Annabelle Mickelson completed the visible scoring for the home side with a try in the 67th minute, though the conversion was unsuccessful. The Owls added one additional score to complete the 49-7 victory.

The match featured numerous tactical substitutions from both sides, with the Owls making regular changes including Cadyn Morgan-McGregor, Iris Verebalavu, Makira Wright, Holly George, Benita Ese Sale, Izzy Atkinson-Smith, and Katelyn Hill all featuring at various stages.

Head coach Darren Goodwin utilized his bench to give squad members valuable experience in challenging circumstances, with the focus remaining on player development and building combinations for future matches.

Despite the disappointing result, there were positive individual moments throughout. Phelps’ early try showcased her finishing ability, while Ravu’s successful conversion demonstrated her composure under pressure. The forward pack competed strongly at set-piece time despite the challenging scoreboard pressure.

The match provides valuable lessons as the squad continues its development journey, with the coaching staff focusing on building resilience and maintaining structures under pressure as key areas for improvement.

MATCH DETAILS

Try Scorers:
Royals: Jane Phelps
Owls: Benita Ese Sale, Emerina Marsh-Kiro, Madeleine Gogala, Elodie Galinier (2), Meilani Salale, Katelyn Hill, Annabelle Mickelson

Conversions:
Royals: Janiana Ravu (1/1)
Owls: Madeleine Gogala (2/6), Emerina Marsh-Kiro (1/2)

Penalty Goals:
Royals: None
Owls: Emerina Marsh-Kiro (1)

TEAM CHANGES

Canberra Royals Premier 15s:

Coach: Darren Goodwin
Assistant Coach: Justin Vandenbergh

Uni-Norths Owls Premier 15s:

Extensive tactical substitutions throughout the match:
Multiple position changes including Cadyn Morgan-McGregor, Makira Wright, Benita Ese Sale, Izzy Atkinson-Smith, Iris Verebalavu, Holly George, Jane Garraway, Katelyn Hill, Emerina Marsh-Kiro, Liana Taufa’ao