During her youth in Queensland, Nikki Berryman's passion for sport was only matched by her talent.
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The former Gold Coast resident played both rugby league and union in her youth, though she truly shone in the latter.
Selection for the Queensland Reds was proof of her ample potential, and further honours beckoned as she made it clear that she was a prospect to watch before she had even hit adulthood.
Then, however, life took over. Berryman fell pregnant with her twin daughters, Amaia and Ashlyn. Eventually, her dreams of sporting glory fell by the wayside as she discovered the joys of motherhood.
"I kind of went off the bandwagon of not doing sport at all," the 27-year-old said.
"Through my primary and high school years, I was sport through and through. And then after high school, I kind of dropped off and didn't want anything to do with it."
It was not until she moved to Tamworth in 2020, and began playing with the Kootingal-Moonbi Roosters in 2022, that her love of sport began to return.
This, she said, is entirely due to league tag, a discipline in which she had never partaken before arriving in NSW.
"League tag was a very, very different experience, because I come from tackle," Berryman said.
"Then coming here, I met a few girls who played league tag and they told me to come down and play ... I'm very grateful to league tag. It got me into loving sport again."
It did not take long for Berryman's natural athleticism to come to the fore, despite years away from the playing field.
She was selected earlier this year for the Greater Northern Tigers, and subsequently donned a NSW Country jersey during the National Championships at the Gold Coast in March.
And, this Sunday, she will represent Group 4 in the tackle tri-series against sides from Group 19 and Group 21.
"I can't wait, I love tackle so much," Berryman said.
"I've been playing for Pirates to get some tackling under my belt. It's hard when you play league tag and you go straight into the tackle comp.
"I'm trying to retrain my body to get used to the contact."
She comes into the representative games in good form.
On Saturday, Berryman was key for the Roosters as they dominated a determined but outgunned Boggabri Kangaroos outfit in Boggabri 54-0.
It was, Roosters coach Jeff Faint said, a good opportunity to rebound after their nailbiting draw against the formidable Werris Creek Magpies the week prior.
"I was disappointed in how they played last week," Faint said.
"I think they let themselves down in many areas [against the Magpies] ... the Boggy girls didn't make many mistakes, and I think we made three in the first half and five in the second. So considering the [wet and slippery] conditions, it was pretty good."
