Talesha Quinn will line up for her first ever Rugby League World Cup this November, and to say she's excited would be an understatement.
The prospect of lining up in the green and gold of the Jillaroos is something that still stops Quinn dead in her tracks.
“I always get goose bumps when I think about it!” said Quinn
For the tearaway backrower, the journey has certainly had it’s ups and downs. Between moving location with her job in the Army to getting back onto the Rugby League field once more, Quinn is now where she wants to be.
“It’s crazy. To come from where I did last year up in Townsville, I wasn’t even playing any footy to then getting posted down here within three weeks, making New South Wales and getting a run on spot and then to actually make the Australian side; it’s been insane.
“It’s been a pretty crazy year for me.”
With all Pool and Semi Final matches of the Rugby League Women’s World Cup to be played at Southern Cross Group Stadium, Quinn says it’s exciting to be able to run out in front of a “home crowd” when the games come around.
“It’s so good that all of the games are being played at Southern Cross Group Stadium, it’s my home ground so having played there many times before, it won’t be any new territory.”
As a female Rugby League player in 2017, Quinn is part of a group of young women, breaking through to the general public to really place Women’s Rugby League on the map.
Still working a full-time job with the Army, Quinn says that they are extremely supportive of her ambitions to play Rugby League at the highest level and work with her to make this a possibility.
“The Army are really supportive of me playing Rugby League.
“I’m under the Elite Sports Program at the moment so I get to do all of my training sessions, go to all of my events which is great.”
Catch Talesha, her Jillaroos teammates and the rest of the Rugby League Women’s World Cup in action at Southern Cross Group between November 16-26.
