![Tomi Gavin says playing her 50th game for Pirates was "very special". Picture by Peter Hardin Tomi Gavin says playing her 50th game for Pirates was "very special". Picture by Peter Hardin](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/ingYyB85ps4jmG9t8mfsHP/65112030-fa24-44fc-bc0f-5d61516456c7.jpg/r0_0_7451_4967_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Behind Tomi Gavin's quietly-spoken nature is a fearless competitor who is as tough as they come.
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Not even a badly-injured hand could prevent the teenager from running out for her 50th club game for Pirates, when she notched the milestone recently. There was no way she was going to miss that.
"It was very special," she reflected of the occasion.
She had no idea until someone let it slip in the week before.
"I thought I still had quite a few months to go until I hit 50," she said.
Starting with the under 14s in 2020, the now 17-year-old said it has been an "amazing" journey so far.
"Pirates have backed me all the way," she said.
"It's kind of like my second family now."
Gavin's coaches over the years have often noted her courage and fearlessness.
It's something she's shown from when she first laced up the boots.
![Gavin in action against Inverell earlier in the season. Gavin in action against Inverell earlier in the season.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/ingYyB85ps4jmG9t8mfsHP/0736dcad-0288-42dc-ad22-6ae6a25c8c92.jpg/r440_90_1113_546_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The only girl in the team in her early junior years - indeed in the whole Tamworth District Junior Rugby Union Club (as it was then) - she would regularly bring down players twice her size.
It's something Pirates supporters have now also become accustomed to seeing.
"We know you will kill it like always," the club wrote in the post acknowledging her 50 games.
Stepping up to the women's side last year, Gavin has quickly become a valuable player for them. She was her team-mates pick as their best for the 2022 season, and also won the Jack Cutcliffe Memorial Shield, which is a whole club award.
She also picked up the leadership award for the 16s girls.
This year just concentrating on the women's, she has found herself taking on a bit more responsibility.
"I've started kicking this season a bit," she said.
Something she did a bit of in the juniors, she stepped back from it last year with the women's side.
But after a few changes over the off-season and a few injuries they needed someone to help Phoebe McLoughlin out with the kicking duties, so Gavin dug the tee out again.
Looking to defend their premiership Pirates are locked in to play finals, it's just a matter of their final position.
The next two weeks will go a long way to determining that.
It will be tough couple of weeks with unbeaten competition leaders Gunnedah this Saturday, and second-placed Narrabri the following.
They lost to both in the first round, but there was only a converted try or less in it.
"Gunnedah and Narrabri are big games for us, so we're trying to put in the extra effort at training to get us back on top," Gavin said.
A big game for the first grade side as well as they jostle with the Red Devils for top spot, there will also be plenty of action off the field with Pirates hosting their Ladies Day.
Supporting Little Wings and Batyr, along with the regular Ladies Day festivities the women's players jerseys will be auctioned off. You can also bid and win your very own Pirates' player for the night.