![Last month's NSW Country Championships were another step for Rhiannan Adamson in her rugby journey. Picture by Samantha Newsam Last month's NSW Country Championships were another step for Rhiannan Adamson in her rugby journey. Picture by Samantha Newsam](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/ingYyB85ps4jmG9t8mfsHP/6107a70e-05b4-4f24-88d5-e30a59696678.JPG/r134_269_4023_2894_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Inscribed on the inside of Rhiannan Adamson's left arm are the words "life is tough my darling, but so are you".
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It's something her mum used to say to her when she was younger and has "kind of stuck" with her.
And something the teenager has continually shown, in her life, and various sporting endeavours.
Joking that her mum put her into sport at an early age to try and run a bit of the energy out of her, it's been a big part of her life pretty much since the time she could walk.
Netball was for a long time her predominant sport, but recently footy has taken over.
The 17-year-old plays both league tag for the Gunnedah Bulldogs and union for the Red Devils.
It's her second year of union after following older brother, Lachie, into the sport.
"He loves his footy and I was like if you're going gonna play, I'm gonna play," she recalled.
![Adamson showed plenty of toe to win the footrace as part of the Ladies Day festivities earlier in the year. Adamson showed plenty of toe to win the footrace as part of the Ladies Day festivities earlier in the year.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/ingYyB85ps4jmG9t8mfsHP/3d08c391-7c16-4752-a186-ad1799df8eaa.jpg/r0_0_484_677_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The rugby roots stretch back a couple of generations with her 'pop', Bob Adamson, also playing back in the day, albeit for Pirates.
Last month, she had the opportunity to dip her toe into the representative waters, suiting up for the Kookaburras women's side at the NSW Country Championships.
The baby of the side and her first time pulling on zone colours, Adamson was unfazed by the occasion and even bagged a try in her first game.
"I kind of came in at the last minute," she said.
"They needed players and I was like I'll put my hand up, I'll have a crack, and I loved it."
Speaking to her, you get the sense that she is someone not afraid to give anything a go.
She comes across as effervescent, and ready to embrace whatever life throws at her.
Asked to describe herself, Adamson said with a laugh one of her colleagues told her she was like a labrador on steroids: "because I'm always moving".
"I reckon if mum could, she'd say smart arse," she added.
She went for "people person".
"I always jump in and like to start conversations."
That social aspect is one of the things she most loves about playing sport.
For her it's about having fun and socialising.
That said, Adamson says she wouldn't be where she is today without sport.
Or Lachie.
Two years her senior, when they were younger she said they used to fight a lot.
But, as they have gotten older they have grown to become each others biggest supporters.
"He always hypes me up, which is good, and I do the same for him," she said.
"It's quite a special bond we have."
She hasn't been as regular a starter for the Red Devils this season, leaning towards the Bulldogs if both games fall on a Saturday.