After their second premiership win, the Jindabyne Miss Piggies team is a force to be reckoned with.

The team attributes their success to starting pre-season training earlier than usual, working on their fitness and really coming together as a team as they focused on that second win.

They hit the ground running, determined to show their skill on the field during each game and remained undefeated throughout the 2026 season.

Up against local rivals, the Cooma Devils Angels back in May, the Miss Piggies had a close call with a tied match 24 to 24 and knew they had a challenge ahead of their grand final match against the same team, but came out on top 31-29.

Miss Piggies’ prop and communications manager, Saskia Dutch, said they knew how hard they were going to have to work against Cooma to get the trophy.

“I was really excited for the grand final game, which is unusual because normally I’m full of nerves, but then as soon as we ran onto the field and seeing all of our supporters there it motivated us and at that first kick off, we kicked into gear,” Dutch said.

“I think we hit the ground running as a team together, we knew what we had to do, and we were determined to walk away with the trophy.

“There were a few moments where the scores were even and that’s when we were super nervous as to how the game was going to play out from there.

“The last six minutes of the game was us purely defending Cooma from the try line and all that hard work eventually paid off on the final whistle.”

The Miss Piggies celebrated another milestone this year as they came together for their 20th anniversary, bringing together former and current players.

Dutch said this year they were fortunate to welcome back two original players, Nicole Raine and Eve McGrath, coming out of retirement to help win the second title.

“All of us girls look up to Raine and McGrath and we take our hats off to them for having the courage to come back out onto the paddock and give it another go,” Dutch said.

Looking back on the season Dutch shared a personal and team highlight of the year.

“I had two things stand out for me this year, getting a try that was set up by Till, as a forward, it’s quite hard to get over the line sometimes, but I chased down the field and she passed it to me and I got the ball over the white line,” Dutch said.

“In one of our last games of the season against Yass, I got to intercept and ran what felt like the whole field, which realistically was probably only from halfway, and I was quite proud of myself.

“I think something that stands out in terms of the whole team was the grand final game, you know, we stuck to it and all of that work finally paid off and we were able to lift that trophy again all together for a second straight year undefeated.”

Club president, Damon Purcell, was impressed by the Miss Piggies winning a second premiership undefeated, describing the moment as impressive and well-deserved.

“It is always difficult to win a grand final, but to win last year and to go through this year undefeated, with essentially a pretty big target on their back, just shows the determination they had as a team,” Purcell said.

“They had some tough games, but they always bounced back, which was probably one of the best things to watch. They also just keep turning up for each other, which is really good in any team sport, they’ve done fantastically well.”

Looking back on the 20th anniversary celebrations and seeing returning players, Purcell said it was an incredibly special moment for the club.

“A lot of these girls have been playing for many, many years for the Jindabyne Rugby Union Club. And for some of them, like McGrath and Raine, they were part of the Miss Piggies 10-15 years ago, but there’s also lots of girls in that team who have come through playing for the piglets. It’s a real full circle moment for the club,” Purcell said.

“We’ve been lucky that we’ve been able to field junior girls’ teams throughout the last couple of years as well. So that’s given our players a good pathway into rugby union.

“We also thank the ACT Junior, OP Union, and Brumbies, and Rugby Australia, because they’re constantly providing us with tools and pathways to get more girls playing.”

Miss Piggies outside back, Tilhaney Grainger, was named the player of the match on the grand final day and said it was an honour, but it reflects the whole team’s performance.

“It’s a really proud moment, especially in a grand final, and one I’ll cherish,” Grainger said.

“There were so many highlights for this season, with players staying for another year, new players joining, and our retired girls coming back for another year. The support the girls give each other on and off the field is a big part of what makes this club special.

“It’s exciting for the future of the club, and obviously winning back-to-back grand finals with this group is something I’ll never forget.”

Miss Piggies scrumhalf, Bernie Lai, attributes their second win to maturity and remaining composed as well to mental resilience.

“We played as a united front, last year we rose to the top as talented individuals coming together to play the game, this season we add another year gelling together and it’s evident in our game. Ranging from precision in the timing of a pass to whole team efforts in a scrum to backline play to score a try,” Lai said.

Highlights for Lai this season included playing rep alongside her team mates and being recognised as a whole backline plus Monty in the front row.

“We all bring our own skills that make us handy individuals, but when you put us together we elevate each other. Together, we are stronger, smarter, adaptive, faster,” Lai said.

“It’s important to participate because we can grow the community of women in sport. In sport, we learn confidence, leadership, communication skills, team work and quite importantly - we learn how to fail, we learn determination, we learn to perform under pressure. That extends off the field and into our life skills.

“Rugby is so much more than just a sport, and I have played other sports like basketball and netball, but none have ever given me a life changing experience and the community that rugby has.”

Lai urges any woman wanting to give rugby a go join the club next season and give it a go. With sights set on a third premiership, Miss Piggies look forward to a hard-earned break before pre-season training starts up again early next year.