IT MIGHT not have been the ideal result for Central West on Sunday, but captain Mel Waterford said she was proud of his team's performance in the Thompson Cup.
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Played at Tamworth, Central West qualified for the final after a 17-12 win over Central West and a 36-0 victory against Mid North Coast on Saturday.
But it was Hunter that reigned supreme, defeating Central West 13-3 in the grand final, after the Blue Bullettes had a 3-0 lead at the break.
While the defeat hurt, Waterford decided to look at the positives.
"It was a pretty positive weekend overall," she said.
"We played really well across the weekend, it was a hard fought final and they just got us in the end."
Central West was starved of valuable field territory and possession in the second half, but the team was able to restrict Hunter to just one try.
Waterford was pleased that her team was unable to contain Hunter for vast periods of the game.
"They had a lot of ball in that second half and they were very clinical with their scrum," she said.
"Their set pieces were good and they just got that little bit of advantage over us.
"Besides that, I think we were pretty evenly matched across the rest of the game."
"We defended very, very well. It was something that we really wanted to work on across the weekend and I think the girls defended really well across the weekend."
Central West's reign is now officially over in the Thompson Cup, having won the last three additions.
Waterford is confident with the players coming through that the Blue Bullettes can continue to build in the future and regain the cup next year.
"There was a lot of young new girls in the team this year," she said.
"They definitely stood up across the weekend and have improved and I think Central West women's rugby is in a really good position.
"I think those girls will definitely have some fire in the belly and they will come back bigger and stronger next year."
Bathurst Bulldogs had 10 players in the Central West squad: Kate Gullifer, Sarah Colman, Lily McIntosh, Tiana Anderson, Camille Reid, Marita Shoulders, Ebony Fenton, Brydie Comiskey and Paris Campion.
Between the Bulldogs and current Ferguson Cup leaders Dubbo Kangaroos the two clubs take up 19 of the 25 spots in the Central West team.
The likes of current NSW Waratahs player Jacinta Windsor, Bulldogs' 2022 player of the year Daisy Morrissey, the injured Poorsha McPhillamy and NSW Country Corellas talent Teagan Miller weren't available for this year's tournament.
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