“We love playing for each other”: Easts Women Eye Grand Final Glory After a Season of Growth

By Angus Hayman

The big dance is already here! and for Easts’ women’s side, it means more than just a shot at silverware. After a season of challenges and reinvention, the team will run out this Saturday at 1:15pm at Concord Oval to face Southern Districts in the Pool B Chikarovski Cup Grand Final. A game that offers both redemption and reward.

“It’s such a special group,” says Ruby Colling, the side’s captain. “We’re feeling really good! Obviously, there are a few nerves, but more than anything, we’re just excited. We love playing with each other and for each other. To have the chance to run out together again in a final is something we’re all really grateful for.”

The build-up to the grand final is laced with excitement, but also a quiet sense of unfinished business. Easts is a club with a strong tradition of excellence in women's rugby, a consistent force at the top of the ladder in years past. So, when this year’s split competition structure landed the side in Pool B, it felt like a step back.

“Honestly, it’s been a challenge,” Colling admits. “We had some really close games against the top teams and felt like we could’ve given them a proper crack if we’d had the chance to play them more than once.”

But rather than dwell on what might have been, Easts used the reshuffle as a rallying point. Since having this wakeup call and resetting their goals the Women’s side has remained undefeated in its charge to the Finale.  

“We’ve leaned into using this season to really build our systems and find our identity as a team,” she says. “We’ve had 16 new players debut in the women’s 15s this year, so it’s taken time to find our rhythm and cohesion. But that process has made us stronger and more connected heading into finals.”

That sense of connection is what keeps players like Martha Harvey, who starred for the Waratahs earlier this year, coming back to Easts.

“It’s the people that bring me back,” Harvey says. “I love playing with my friends, the culture at the club, and of course my little brother is playing here now too. It reminds me of my rugby club back home in Narrabri.”

Despite the disruption of being placed in Pool B mid-season, Harvey says the squad never wavered in its commitment.

“While it was disappointing for the comp to be split, I don’t think it changed our approach. If anything, it made us more determined to make a statement by winning every match from there on out.”

And they certainly have including two nail-biters against this weekend’s grand final opponent, Southern Districts. The sides are incredibly well-matched, with Easts edging out 19–17 and 24–22 victories in earlier clashes.

“Every time we’ve played Souths this season, it’s come down to the wire,” Colling says. “We’ve only just gotten ahead with penalty kicks. They’ve got some speed and play a style that’s quite similar to ours, so we’re expecting another tight, exciting game.”

For Harvey, the close contests have brought out the best in the team.

“I think we’ve shown that we should be in Pool A with the footy we’re playing now,” she says. “But the reality is, we weren’t playing this well at the start of the season, so it’s probably more been a lesson for us as a squad.”

That honesty underscores the team’s transformation — not just in how they play, but how they’ve grown together. The learning curve has been steep, but it's created a benchmark for the future.

“Watch this space for 2026!” Colling says with a smile.

Still, Saturday is what matters now.

“A win would mean so much,” Colling says. “It would be a massive reward for all the hard work and growth we’ve put in this season. The club has shown so much love and support for the women’s team this year, and with so many of the grade boys sitting at the top of their ladders, we’d love to match that success and bring home some silverware.”

For Harvey, it’s about celebrating how far they’ve come and finishing with a bang.

“I’m excited to get out there against a good Souths team, and watch our girls have a crack to end the season on a high, no matter what pool we’re in.”

And now, only one more challenge awaits.

Secure your tickets to the Women's Finals here.