Wallaroos Name Teenage Sensation Waiaria Ellis To Debut Against Black Ferns As World Cup Looms

A big-stepping 17-year-old erstwhile gymnast has been drafted into Australia’s women’s rugby team, arsenic nan Wallaroos dream to extremity a 28-match losing streak against New Zealand arsenic portion of preparations for next month’s World Cup.

Waiaria Ellis – astatine 17 years and 305 days – will go nan 2nd youngest Australian subordinate erstwhile she takes nan section against nan Black Ferns successful Wellington connected Saturday.

The winger has played rugby league, Oztag and touch shot successful her youth, and has established a estimation for speed, agility and ball-playing since debuting for nan Waratahs past twelvemonth arsenic a 16-year-old.

Ellis was selected successful an Australian typical squad successful gymnastics successful 2022. It was nan aforesaid twelvemonth she played her first crippled of 15-a-side rugby union, highlighting her meteoric rise.

“[Wallaroos coach Jo Yapp] said she has a batch of assurance successful maine conscionable to spell retired location and backmost myself,” Ellis said. “I’ve been learning heaps disconnected nan girls, truthful I cognize that they’ve sewage my back, and I’ve sewage theirs.”

The teenager, whose family has Australian and Māori connections, will go nan 2nd youngest debutant aft her Waratahs teammate Caitlyn Halse, who was 63 days younger erstwhile she debuted past year.

Ruby Anderson, 18, besides made her Wallaroos front against nan USA earlier this twelvemonth arsenic Yapp continues to present caller faces into nan squad pinch 1 oculus connected nan 2029 World Cup to beryllium hosted successful Australia.

Ellis often goes by “Baba”, a nickname coined by her parents. “As I started playing sport, my coaches couldn’t really opportunity Waiaria truthful my parents would conscionable beryllium like, ‘yeah, conscionable telephone her Baba,’ and it’s conscionable stuck,” she explained.

Yapp said Ellis has displayed a “real maturity” successful her clip successful Wallaroos camp. “She’s a really breathtaking young subordinate pinch a awesome accomplishment set, truthful she’s very deserving of this opportunity.”

On nan field, Ellis caught nan oculus pinch her show against Samoa’s nationalist squad Manusina for Australia A 2 weeks agone wherever she scored a effort and looked elusive.

After this week’s New Zealand clash, nan Wallaroos person 2 matches astatine location against Wales earlier their first World Cup fixture successful Manchester against Samoa connected 23 August. Their last group crippled is against nan imposing English successful Brighton connected 7 September.

A group of six Australian rugby sevens representatives, including Maddison Levi, aborted plans to play for nan nationalist squad successful nan 15-a-side format this year, but Tia Hinds – who will commencement astatine alert half against New Zealand – and extracurricular centre Charlotte Caslick are committed to nan modulation and stay successful contention for nan World Cup squad.

The Australians are classed sixth successful nan world, but must amended if they are to compete pinch women’s XV juggernauts England and New Zealand. Those teams person won nan past 8 World Cups, while Australia prioritised processing its women’s sevens programme complete nan accepted format.

The Wallaroos mislaid to nan Black Ferns 38-12 successful May, extending their grounds against New Zealand to 28 losses from 28 games. Yapp, who will measurement down arsenic coach aft nan World Cup, said location was still a spread betwixt nan nations.

“We’re conscionable making judge that each clip we play them, we’re improving connected our capacity against them,” she said. “We’re excited to spot really nan girls measurement up connected Saturday.”

Wallaroos: Faliki Pohiva, Tania Naden, Bridie O’Gorman, Kaitlan Leaney, Michaela Leonard, Siokapesi Palu (c), Ashley Marsters, Tabua Tuinakauvadra, Layne Morgan, Tia Hinds, Desiree Miller, Trilleen Pomare, Charlotte Caslick, Waiaria Ellis, Faitala Moleka. Substitutes: Adiana Talakai, Lydia Kavoa, Asoiva (Eva) Karpani, Annabelle Codey, Piper Duck, Emily Chancellor, Samantha Wood, Cecilia Smith.