Sue Barry-Cotter is Warringah Rugby Club's first female President

When they were handing out doses of enthusiasm, Daz lined-up twice. So when the then president of the Narrabeen Tigers rugby union club approached Sue Barry-Cotter one Saturday morning at Warriewood Shopping Centre, she stood no chance.

"Daz was in our ear talking the Tigers up and the club was close to home so we, and our close friends, signed up our eldest sons at age five to play," she said.

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"I grew up with two younger brothers so have always been on the sideline of a rugby pitch and when I had my two sons, it was a natural progression for them to also play."

Little did she know at the time, but Sue's shopping centre intervention led to a 15-plus year involvement in rugby union at the northern end of the peninsula. Along with rugby-loving husband Mark, she managed and coached junior teams from the under-8s all the way through to the colts (under-21).

Her background as a lawyer made her the ideal candidate to join the Tigers committee and liaise with council over lease arrangements and ensure proper governance was followed. She eventually became club president before taking on the same role with the Warringah Juniors, which led to an association with the Rats at senior level.

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You can probably now guess where this is going. When Warringah needed someone to take on the president's job in 2022, there was one stand-out candidate. After nearly six decades as a male-dominated role, Sue became the club's first female president.

The 57-year-old is the only woman in the four main football codes on the northern beaches - rugby, rugby league, Australian rules and football - to hold the top job and the sole female president in the Shute Shield.

"It is a great honour for me to be the first female president of Warringah," Sue said.

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"I have received wonderful support from the board, coaching staff, players and sponsors since I took on the role.

"The club has always been supportive of women in rugby. I've been on the board for six years and currently we have seven directors, three of whom are women, and our women's rugby team has been strong over the years and a big part of our club.

"Rugby was for many years a male dominated sport but that is slowly changing. I see a very promising future for the Rats and I look forward to being part of that journey."