COFFS Harbour Comets player Casey Cowgill has been selected to the Canterbury Bulldogs Tarsha Gale Cup squad for 2023.

Her selection to the Canterbury Bulldogs under 19s women’s squad comes on the back of being part of the North Coast Bulldogs team who went undefeated at the recent Lisa Fiaola Cup in Tuggerah.

The Tarsha Gale Cup is an under 19s women’s rugby league tournament and is the main bridge between juniors and the NSWRL Women’s Premiership, and will be held from February to May next year.

The seventeen-year-old was part of the Coffs Harbour Comets premiership winning League Tag team this season, and has also played for Coffs Harbour at both State and National Oztag Championships.

She first started playing rugby league two years ago after playing in school gala days.

Having grown up in Milperra in Canterbury-Bankstown, it has come full circle for the young player to make the Bulldogs squad and to be heading back to live in Sydney, after her family moved to Coffs Harbour in 2017.

“It’s very weird, and I’ll be living with Nan and Pop and I am happy that I will be able to see all my friends and family,” she said.

The fullback described the attributes she would bring to Australia’s top junior women’s rugby league competition.

“Passing skill and knowing when to run, and also my kicking as well.”

“I like getting good metres off the back of a good defensive set.”

Cowgill had ambitions of playing at the highest level.

“NRLW is definitely a goal as the Bulldogs are coming into the competition in 2024,” she said.

“So it’s definitely something to aim for.”

By Aiden BURGESS