Peta Cox's softly spoken nature seems at odds with the imposing presence she is on the field.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Last month acknowledged as the Central North best and fairest, at Kootingal on Saturday, the former Brumbies Super W player tried her hand at rugby league for the first time.
She took to it well, producing the type of barnstorming runs that made her such a force for Narrabri.
The code she was probably more exposed to growing up - her dad was "always a league boy" - the opportunity to play league simply wasn't there. And by the time it was, she had discovered rugby and was forging a path to the Super W.
Cox was part of the Brumbies side in the competition's inaugural season in 2018.
It's a time she reflects on fondly.
"It was an awesome experience. I loved it," she said.
She was roped into having a run in Saturday's third round of the Greater Northern Tigers' ladies tackle competition by a couple of her Blue Boars team-mates.
Not that she took a lot of convincing.
"I have a bit of a bendy arm," she joked.
She confessed to struggling a bit early on to curb her rugby instincts - there were a few times she wanted to go in for the steal - but she found her way.
"It was a lot different to what I'm used to but I had a lot of fun," Cox said.
Originally from Jindabyne, she initially moved to Narrabri for a work placement for her primary teaching degree.
She was at the time living in Canberra but wanted to go "somewhere different". Former Brumbies team-mate Kate Brown had moved up to Narrabri and offered her a place to stay.
Resonating with the country town vibe, when Cox was offered a permanent job at Narrabri Public, when she finished, she jumped at the chance and moved back up last year.
Teaching Year 2, she loves it.
The 29-year-old's inherent passion for teaching led her to this season, along with Brown, stepping up to help coach the Blue Boars women's side, which she thoroughly enjoyed.
![Cox won the Rhiannon Byers Cup as the best and fairest for the Central North women's competition. She's pictured with best under-21s player Erika Maslen. Picture Sarah Stewart Cox won the Rhiannon Byers Cup as the best and fairest for the Central North women's competition. She's pictured with best under-21s player Erika Maslen. Picture Sarah Stewart](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/ingYyB85ps4jmG9t8mfsHP/3dd77a1a-0fd7-442e-8fda-aeaf4b21d3f7.jpg/r0_0_1024_682_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"I really have a love for teaching skills; I was a development officer in Canberra as well," Cox said.
"I loved coaching the girls and they're a really good bunch."
It was a great season for the Blue Boars, making the grand final for the first time.
"We were super happy with how we went," she said.
"We were very unlucky in that last game, but someone had to lose and it was a close game, a good game."
Cox was a big part of their success and awarded the Rhiannon Byers Cup.
"I didn't expect anything like that," she said of the best and fairest
"I just showed up to play for the girls and get around the girls and teach them a few things."
Numbers on Saturday were down from the first round at Werris Creek. There was just enough for two teams so there was only the one game played.
The competition is set to continue this coming Saturday at Scully Park.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark northerndailyleader.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News