A year that was bookended by significant highs has also contained some serious challenges for Piper Rankmore.

But, in typical fashion, it's only made her more determined.

Rankmore started 2025 by spending a season with the Brumbies women in Canberra . Though she didn't end up in the final squad, she told the Leader in May that she had "learned so much" from the experience.

Around that same time, the inaugural six-week Group 4 women's tackle competition was close to wrapping up.

To see it come to fruition was thrilling for Rankmore, who had long been a vocal advocate for local women's rugby league.

"I was so happy ... I'd been one of the people that was trying to get it up and running for years," she said.

"I'd been a part of the meetings within Group 4 to try and get some sort of

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