MILLIE’S FOOTBALL LEAP OF FAITH IS PAYING OFF
SHE has deep family ties to rugby league but Millie Boyle’s move to go her own way has been rewarded with a World Cup call-up before the age of 20.
Boyle’s father David played 117 NRL games for Canberra, her uncle Jason Croker is a Raiders great, and her brother Morgan is a budding rugby league star for the Gold Coast Titans.
She too spent her upbringing playing the 13-a-side code but has switched to rugby union with success, being named in the Wallaroos squad to represent Australia at the sport’s showpiece event in Ireland next month.
“I grew up playing rugby league until I was too old to play with the boys,” she said.
“So I played with the boys until I was 12 and then played any sport through school. Then one of my PE teachers in high school was really passionate about rugby.”
That sparked her to pursue rugby and before long she was regularly making the trek between hometown Bega and Canberra to train and play.
Her hard work paid off last month when she made her Australian debut and played
all three Four Nations matches against Canada, England and hosts New Zealand.
Despite the winless tournament, second-rower Boyle gained valuable experience.
“It’s really good timing coming along playing rugby in the past few years at school and then with the World Cup this year, it is really exciting. Being the youngest in the team I feel very fortunate,” the 19-year-old said.
She refrained from forecasting standout results given Australia’s “pretty tough pool” of Ireland, France and Japan but can’t wait.
Boyle recently moved to the Gold Coast and is living with her brother’s girlfriend.
She headed north after being approached by Bond Uni to play for their team in the upcoming National Sevens University Series.
“I didn’t have anything really keeping me in Canberra and Bond asked me to play in their sevens team and I thought ‘why not?’” she said.
“It’s only going to develop my rugby more.”
Boyle rarely went head-tohead with Morgan in backyard footy as a kid but said his breakout 2017 season has been a source of inspiration.
Australia face Ireland in the World Cup on August 10.