David Polkinghorne August 11, 2012
Canberra Darters goal shooter/goal attack Jasmine Keene. Photo: Stuart Walmsley
Shockwaves went through the sporting world in May when a couple of New Zealanders' lineout impersonation brought rugby union and netball together as unlikely bedfellows.
It also sparked a talking point that brought one Canberra couple's sporting worlds together.
ACT Brumbies back-rower Peter Kimlin saw the picture and brought it up with girlfriend, Jasmine Keene, a shooter with the Canberra Darters in the Australian Netball League.
''I saw it through social media first … and then later that night when he got back from training he was like, 'have you checked out the paper'? He showed me the photos and we just thought it was pretty cool,'' Keene said.
They've been together since Keene moved from Perth to join the AIS and have remained together while she had stints with Trans-Tasman teams West Coast Fever and Adelaide Thunderbirds.
She returned to the Darters in 2011 so they could be together.
While the ANL is a development league for the Trans-Tasman Championship, for Keene it's the perfect opportunity to play netball at a high level and live in the same city as Kimlin.
It also means there's a high chance there'll be a Brumby in the crowd when Keene's on court.
''[I watch her play] as much as can, I'm pretty busy myself with rugby and training,'' Kimlin said.
''Obviously during the [Super Rugby] season it's pretty hard to go to her games, but I try to go to as many as I can and watch how Jasmine's going.''
The Darters view this weekend's games against the NSW Blues and the Tassie Spirit in Hobart as winnable, despite losing their opening two matches against ANL powerhouses NSW Waratahs and Western Sting.
Both of this weekend's opponents finished near the Darters on last year's ladder and Keene believes it is the perfect opportunity to get their first two wins on the board.
''They're both very winnable for us, so if we can string together four quarters similar to our first three quarters against the NSW Waratahs [we'll do well],'' she said. ''We were only down by five going into the last term, so that's a pretty good result considering they won last year and flogged the whole competition.''
The Darters take on the NSW Blues this afternoon at 4pm and the Tassie Spirit tomorrow at noon.