Glen Innes export Alana Thomas has made a name for herself in rugby union circles across the country.
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But there is no doubt she still holds a soft spot for regional NSW, and in particular her hometown.
Thomas now resides in Melbourne where she coaches the
Rebels Super W team, Melbourne University Rugby Club's women's club side and works for the Victorian Institute of Sport.
Earlier in the week, the Glen Innes Examiner spoke to Thomas about how the coronavirus pandemic has brought her rugby plans to a halt before and how life is in lockdown.
While chatting to Thomas we also brought up the local rugby union season in New England.
While her season may have stopped, Thomas is looking forward to hearing how the Glen Innes Elks and Elkettes sides fare in this year's competition.
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"It is fantastic for a community such as Glen Innes because sport is such a lifeblood of country towns," she said.
"Particularly when you have got hard times like the coronavirus and things like that, from a city perspective, to be able to see country towns get up and draw together to have something to support, I think that is fantastic."
As a former Wallaroo and a current women's rugby coach, Thomas will be paying particular attention to the Elkettes.
"It is fantastic to see that there is going to be a fantastic women's comp matching the men's," she said.
"I am slightly biased, but I think having a women's team is fantastic for the community.
"I am interested to see how they go and definitely point them in the direction of a couple of websites if they are looking for skills."
And if she was to give the Elkettes any advice?
"I would just say to them 'go hard and enjoy it. Enjoy playing with your mates and just keep working hard at training and enjoy the footy on the weekend,'" she said.
Women's rugby in country areas is a particular area Thomas has particular affection for after earning her start in Orange when she moved there for university.
She believes it is an area which should be targeted to grow and promote the game.
"The issue we are having now is we have been pigeon-holed into a category and focused on an area where the growth is out of that area because everyone knows the growth in rugby at the moment is in women and girls," she said.
"We have seen some success and athletes coming out of there and rugby is just cottoning on in terms of the growth in the women's side of things and it is rejuvenating some of these country rugby clubs in NSW."
New England is one of the few country competitions still proceeding in a shortened season format.
In recent years the region has seen a host of women go on to play rugby at a higher level with Warialda's Rhiannon Byers on a development contract with the Australian women's sevens team and Moree's Ash Walker part of Thomas' Melbourne Rebels setup.
Thomas believes there is the possibility for more women from the area to go on to further opportunities in the sport.
"There is definitely a lot of potential there and that is where we have got to tap into those areas," she said.
"Some of these girls are talented enough, they just need an opportunity to perform and get picked up.
"I think that is where NSW Country Rugby is so important for regional NSW, and it is a soft spot for me because it is where I got my opportunity.
"I just wish I wasn't in lockdown I could get up there more often.
"It is definitely a sport that is on the rise and growing and I think when you have great ambassadors like those sevens girls, it is an Olympic sport, and we are one of the leaders in it.
"So there is a big prize there if you really want to give it a go."