When Rikka Lamb-Lane ran on to the ANZ Stadium turf on Friday night to make her debut for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, her hometown of Goodooga wasn’t far from her mind.
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Lamb-Lane has enjoyed a rapid rise, going from a leading league tag to player who had played one tackle match for the Western Rams to the starting winger for one of the proudest sporting clubs in Australia in less than six months.
The former Dubbo CYMS star enjoyed a strong showing on Friday night and helped the Rabbitohs score a convincing 46-8 NSW Women’s Premiership win over the Canterbury Bulldogs.
But there’s much more to the game for Lamb-Lane than the result and what happens on the field.
She wants to show people from her small community, and many other regional centres, that reaching the top is a real possibility.
“I have a younger sibling and she’s a fan of rugby league and she has probably played more than me and is tougher too,” Lamb-Lane laughed.
“But she looks up to me and says she can’t wait to play with me. She’s 15 so hopefully in the next few years that can happen.
“Other younger cousins as well, they say they can’t wait to play rugby league so it’s good young girls look up to me and I can be a role model.”
It’s not just young girls either.
Since being with the Rabbitohs, Lamb-Lane has been sending training gear to Goodooga, a community of roughly 250 people north of Lightning Ridge, so a small and committed group of young boys get every chance to achieve their goals.
It’s good young girls look up to me and I can be a role model.
- Rikka Lamb-Lane
“It helps to keep them on the right track and inspires them to chase their dreams. And a lot of them dream of playing NRL or rugby league at a high level,” she said.
The huge amount of family, friends and supporters who did get to see Lamb-Lane play on Friday night weren’t disappointed at all.
She was pleased with her performance and rightly so. Lamb-Lane enjoyed a solid outing in attack and was particularly strong in defence, playing her part in keeping the Bulldogs to just two tries.
“I never tried to think about how big the game was,” she said of her debut.
“The coach said before the game no matter how big the stadium or crowd, just stay focused and that’s something I did.
“But I’ve seen photos and things (after the game) and it is an amazing feeling to have had the opportunity to play at ANZ Stadium.”
The game was “different” to anything else Lamb-Lane had experienced with a number of Jillaroos in her South Sydney side making the standard of training and matches at the highest level.
But she, and Rabbitohs coach Daniel Allende, are adamant they must continue to improve as a game with the powerful Cronulla Sharks this weekend.
The Sharks won 102-0 on the weekend and, along with Souths, are smarting after missing out on a spot in the inaugural NRL women’s competition.
“Obviously both teams want to be in the NRL at the end of the year so I guess we’ve both got a point to prove and say we deserve to be there,” Lamb-Lane said.
Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
