Her coach, Carly Lawton, said she wanted Darsha at last year's tournament but couldn't get a dispensation.
From the last kick of the 2016 games, Lawton started applying for Darsha to be able to play this year.
"She was year seven last year. I tried to get her to play then and it was just a straight no (from AIMS) because it had never happened before," Lawton said.
The effort to get Darsha into the boys’ team went right to the top, with Canterbury and New Zealand Football backing the move.
"We said if we want our best team on the field, then this girl is one of them."
Darsha’s influence during the games was certainly worth the effort, as the team won all but one of their pool games, including an 8-0 win over Levin.
"She’s been playing so hard, she’s played every game for 12 games in five days," Lawton said.
She hoped that more talented girls, like Darsha, would be able to play in the boys' grade when the circumstances were right.
Cobham placed 15th in the AIMS games, finishing with a 2-0 win over Heaton Intermediate.