The Canowindra Tigers’ League Tag finals campaign has come to an end after the side was defeated 18-14 by Eugowra Eagles in a tense Woodbridge Cup semi final at Cargo Oval on Saturday, 15 August.

The Tigers fought hard throughout the contest, with the match remaining within reach right up until the final stages as both sides battled through a tight and physical encounter.

Canowindra made a strong start to the semi final, applying plenty of defensive pressure and creating opportunities through its attacking play.

Laura Price and Teagan Hunter were among the Tigers’ key contributors early, with Price making several dangerous runs and the side repeatedly testing Eugowra’s defensive line.

The Tigers’ pressure eventually paid off in the fourth minute when Adison Newcombe found a gap close to the line and raced through to score.

The conversion attempt from Lily Bannan went across the face of the posts, leaving Canowindra with an early 4-0 advantage

Eugowra responded with strong defensive pressure of its own, repeatedly forcing the Tigers to work hard for every metre.

The Eagles were also able to create opportunities with their kicking game, using the wet conditions and attacking field position to put pressure on Canowindra.

The match remained locked at 4-4 after 18 minutes, with both sides continuing to trade attacking opportunities.

Canowindra had several chances to regain the lead, including a number of breaks and attacking sets inside Eugowra territory, but the Eagles’ defence held firm.

The Tigers continued to move the ball around the field and looked dangerous on the edges, with Price, Hunter and Bannan all involved in creating attacking opportunities.

Eugowra eventually found a way through the Canowindra defence, scoring out wide to take an 8-4 lead with only a few minutes remaining in the first half.

The Tigers responded almost immediately after the break, with Newcombe crossing for her second try of the match.

The successful conversion brought the scores level at 10-10 and gave Canowindra renewed momentum.

The Tigers continued to attack, working the ball through the middle before spreading it towards the edges and looking for opportunities to exploit the Eugowra defence.

Canowindra then moved ahead again, taking a 14-12 advantage with around 12 minutes remaining.

With the match entering its final stages, both teams lifted their defensive intensity.

The Eagles refused to let the Tigers pull away and continued to pressure the Canowindra line.

Eugowra eventually hit back to level the scores at 14-14, setting up a tense finish with the semi final seemingly destined to go down to the final moments.

With approximately four minutes remaining, Eugowra was awarded a penalty and successfully converted the opportunity to take a 15-14 lead.

The Tigers continued to search for a response, but the Eagles were able to maintain their advantage and eventually added another try to seal the 18-14 victory.

Canowindra finished the match with three tries, with Newcombe scoring twice and Laura Price also crossing the line.

The Tigers converted one of their three attempts, while Eugowra was unable to convert any of its four tries but added the crucial penalty goal that helped decide the contest.

The result brought an end to what had been a strong finals campaign for the Canowindra Tigresses, who had earned their place in the semi final after defeating Cargo Heelers 13-6 in the opening week of the finals.

The Tigers had entered the semi final knowing Eugowra would provide a significant challenge, having previously faced the Eagles in Round 7.

That earlier meeting also went Eugowra’s way, with the Eagles recording a 24-8 victory.

Despite the two losses to Eugowra during the season, Canowindra pushed the Eagles all the way in the semi final and remained within striking distance until the final minutes.

The narrow four point defeat will bring the Tigers’ 2026 League Tag season to a close, but the side can take plenty of positives from its finals run and the competitiveness it showed throughout the campaign.

For Eugowra, the 18-14 victory keeps its premiership hopes alive as the Eagles progress further into the Woodbridge Cup League Tag finals series.

For Canowindra, attention will now turn towards reflecting on a season that saw the Tigers reach the finals and compete strongly against some of the competition’s best sides.