Rugby star set for her NRLW debut
RUGBY LEAGUE: It’s been more than a decade since Australian women’s rugby star Shenae Ciesiolka last took to a rugby league field.
The Toowoomba winger is now preparing to don one of the most famous jerseys in Australian sport after being chosen to make her NRLW debut today for the Brisbane Broncos.
Having been a squad member of the Australian Rugby 7s side since 2015, a Youth Olympics gold medallist in the sport and Australian touch representative, the former Glennie School student brings a wealth of experience at the elite level.
She now hopes to translate that to the rugby league world after being given the green light to make her debut against the St George Illawarra Dragons.
“I’m really excited and looking forward to it,” Ciesiolka said.
“I’m also a little nervous. I haven’t played rugby league since I was 12, so it’s still quite new to me.
“I’ve always wanted to give it a try since the NRLW started, and this was an amazing opportunity to give it a go.
“You always have a sense of pride when you put a jersey on at a high level.”
With the international sevens season shut down due to COVID, the Broncos had their sights set on adding the speedster to their ranks.
“Nothing is really happening with 7s at the moment, with the main AON competition and local competitions cancelled,” she said.
“I got a call from the coach (Kelvin Wright) and I couldn’t knock the opportunity back.
“He may have possibly seen me play touch or sevens, but it was exciting to get that phone call and was a confidence boost for me.
“I’ve had a few messages of support (from home). My family has always supported me growing up and everyone is excited.”
Plying her trade in the outside backs, Ciesiolka said she is expecting a high standard of play
“I’ll probably come onto the wing, potentially at the back end of halves to try and use my footwork and speed with some tired forwards around,” she said.
“The standard is very high. Just training and learning the game, there’s new terminology and skills that are quite transferable, so I’m trying to take on board everything I can to better understand the game.”
The Broncos will take on Steph Hancock at the Dragons at 2pm today (AEST) live and in HD on Fox League.