When Lilly Baker and Tabua Tuinakauvadra were told they would be flying to Queensland to take part in the under 19s National Championships, they couldn't believe it.
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The fierce front rowers are currently in their first season with the Glebe Dirty Reds and will be looking to make the most of their opportunity.
"Footy-wise, it's my first time going to a tournament like this, so it's just about exposure to a different level of competition," Tuinakauvadra said.
"It's helpful that we're playing against girls our own age, it's a bit more comforting."
It was their performances with the Dirty Reds and Western Rams which saw the pair selected to the NSW Country squad.
This is Baker's second year playing tackle footy and wasn't expecting to reach these heights so early.
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"It's a very, very good experience but it's very daunting playing women who are a little bit older and a little bit bigger than you," she said of her stint with Glebe so far.
"I'm hoping to get more experience, play with new people and play with my own age, which is good because they're all freaks who I'm playing with."
The duo travelled up from Orange to Redcliffe on Wednesday ahead of the four-day tournament which begins on Thursday.
The Under 19s competition will be played in 20-minute halves with NSW Country coming up against NSW City, QRL Sapphires, QRL Rubys, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and Northern Territory.
The first three days of the tournament will involve pool matches with finals scheduled for the top six teams on Sunday.
"It might be a downgrade in terms of skill and size, but the girls that we're playing with and the girls we'll be playing against will be a challenge, but a challenge we'll look forward to," Tuinakauvadra added.
"Because this is the pathway for potential NRLW recruits, it's always in the back of your head that you want to look good, but because we're so young, we're just looking forward to having fun."
The NSW Women's Origin coach Kylie Hilder and NSW Women's Under 19s coach Blake Cavallaro will both be attending the tournament.