The Cowra Blues Senior Women’s side have broken through for their first win of the season in emphatic fashion, defeating the Parkes Panthers 60–8 during a highly emotional and celebratory Reunion & Indigenous Round at Cowra.

The victory capped off a huge weekend for the club, which brought together past and present players to celebrate 45 years of the Blues, alongside tributes to premiership-winning sides from 1986, 2006, and 2016, and the announcement of the Women’s Team of the Decade and Men’s Team of the Quarter-Century.

“It was really good, like… been working a lot of things started the year, and put it all together in one game,” coach Chris Day said.

“Really rewarding for the girls.”

The result was particularly significant given it marked the Blues’ first win of the season, ending a challenging run of early results.

From the opening whistle, Cowra looked in control, building scoreboard pressure early before extending their dominance as the match progressed.

A key factor in the performance, according to Day, was the return of several familiar faces and the ability to finally execute what the team had been building towards at training.

“We had a couple of girls back in town, and probably two played just a one-off game for us,” he said.

“But I think it was just… we just sort of put together everything we’ve been working on.”

That combination of structure and cohesion was evident across the park, with the Blues particularly strong in both attack and defence.

“Our ball movement was really good,” Day said.

“We actually hit the scoreboard really well, and then we kept that defensive pressure that we sort of pride ourselves on over the years.”

While the final scoreline reflected a dominant performance, the game itself was more competitive in the opening stages, with Parkes staying within reach early on.

“This game was pretty tight at half time,” Day said.

However, Cowra shifted gears after the break, producing a decisive third quarter that ultimately broke the contest open.

“We just sort of got on a pretty good roll in the third quarter, which is sort of where we broke the back of the game,” he said.

That surge was complemented by strong rotation and squad depth, allowing the Blues to maintain intensity across the full 80 minutes.

“Just pleasing to see us running out the game as well… so we had a bit of adventure to rotate through,” Day said.

The occasion itself added another layer of motivation for the playing group, with a large home crowd and reunion celebrations creating a special atmosphere around the club.

“It’s good to have a pretty good crowd out there,” Day said.

“Good to see everyone again.”

The emotional weight of the weekend appeared to fuel the team’s performance, with players eager to deliver a strong result in front of past club greats and returning supporters.

“The girls wanted to put on a pretty big performance,” Day said.

“When they seen the guys get sort of just done at the end, they sort of wanted to put on a good show and get a win up.”

Among the standout contributors was vice captain Simone Hyland, whose consistency and leadership continued to shine through in what has been a strong start to her season.

“Vice Captain Simone Hyland… she’s been killing it the last few weeks,” Day said.

“She’s really standing up and leading this side.”

Despite Parkes being in only their first year, Day acknowledged their competitiveness, noting that Cowra still had to earn their win through sustained effort and intensity after halftime.

“They’re still pretty competitive,” he said.

“But I think the girls just came out after half time and really put in… we got on top of it.”

Looking ahead, the win is expected to provide a major confidence boost as the Blues prepare for a tough away clash against Orange.

“Yeah, I think it has,” Day said when asked if the result would fuel momentum.

“If we can go over there full of confidence and give it a red hot crack.”