COMMENT: Experiencing Rugby World Cup in France with Wallaby Travel back in 2023 was a real eye-opener for me.
You hear stories about a Rugby World Cup being a bucket list item along with a Lions Tour, but once you are there in the middle of it, you realise the stories don’t do it justice.
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It’s a non-stop 8-week festival of rugby and the excitement and camaraderie is next level.
That really got me thinking about the possibility of playing in the 2025 World Cup in England and occasionally dreaming about a home World Cup in 2029.
Our Sevens group had really enjoyed watching the Wallaroos in their preparation for and during the last World Cup.
Sharni Smale had played in a few before, but Bienne (‘BB’) was sort of thrown in the deep end, but fitted in seamlessly. I flew to Adelaide to watch her debut and it was a buzz to see her bag a couple of tries against one of the best teams in the world.
For me, it was a collective decision to prioritise Rugby World Cup 2025 over the Sevens World Series this season. Once Rugby Australia’s high-performance team made it clear that the World Cup was being prioritised in 2025, it made it easy for me to pivot my focus in line with theirs.
Tim Walsh and the Sevens management team have been completely supportive of the decision and I think they are quietly excited to see how I go.
Tim and Scott Bowen have been in my corner my whole career since I was a 17 year old and have helped me be the best I can be. I’ve got no doubt they’ll be helping me out, given they’ve played 15s at the highest levels.
I also knew I had to be all in. I had no doubt about my, or for that matter, any of the Sevens girls, ability to transition into the 15-a-side game, but for me it was important to play out the rest of the Super Rugby W season.
I really want to be as best prepared as I can be and put everything into it from here on in to give me the best chance to be selected in the World Cup squad.
Sevens is my second home and second family. We have shared goals and values that we passionately protect. The Wallaroos set up will be no different, so I know how important commitment to the cause is. And there’s respect for the jersey and teammates. I
I’ve always expected my teammates to prepare and play in a way that no one can ever doubt their commitment, whatever the result. I would expect any Wallaroo to hold me to those same standards or higher.
But first, I’m really looking forward to being back playing in Australia in front of an Australian crowd. With Sevens, we only get that opportunity once a year, playing most of the season overseas and often in time zones that aren’t compatible with building a support base.
Playing for Queensland at Ballymore will be special. It’s something I’ve never done. I think the last time I pulled on a Queensland jersey was back in a National 7s Championship in 2013.
I’m hoping this is also a first step in bringing the Sevens and Wallaroos programs closer together.
The Wallaroos program is making great progress and it will be exciting to be part of that progress and growth as we push towards the 2025 and 2029 World Cups (and our very own Matildas moment).
Personally, the timing is right. I’ve been playing Sevens for 12 years and this is an invigorating challenge, a new learning experience with new coaches, new systems and new shape.
I’m aiming to bring something special to the Reds and Wallaroos jersey, but I’m also looking forward bringing the experience gained, back, as a positive influence on the Sevens program. I know the experience will make me a better player in both formats in the future.
I can’t wait to get out there on Sunday to start this journey, which I hope takes me to a Wallaroos debut later this year and a World Cup call-up.
