Jorja off to mix it on world rugby stage
Until the tour starts, Miller, a nominee for South Canterbury’s Young Sportsperson of the Year award, faces monthly trips to Whangarei for training.
Miller said she’s probably more excited for the tour than anything.
‘‘We all just meet up there and train for about three hours until we go away at the end of September.
‘‘It was pretty exciting because here I just play 15s and don’t really play much sevens so to be picked for that is really awesome.
‘‘I don’t really know anyone. There’s only two other girls from the South Island going and the rest are all North Island girls,’’ Miller said.
It’s been hard just instead of playing the weeks, she said.
Not eligible for boys’ rugby anymore, she’s been playing for Timaru Girls’ High School.
She said she sustained a sprig to the knee in the first game of the season which got infected. She hopes to be back on the park in the next couple of weeks.
Miller is also hoping to go to watching past few boarding school in Christchurch next year.
‘‘I’m trying to get Mum and Dad to let me go for next year to carry on up there because there’s more opportunities . . . They have an under-16 girls tournament started up there and girls’ club rugby as well which we don’t really have here, it’s just schoolgirls.
‘‘Hopefully if I go up there play for High School Old Boys.’’
Originally playing for Harlequins, Miller said she received a lot of support and coaching from the club.
‘‘They were so good with everything. Now we’ve got a really good rugby coach at Girls’ High.’’
Miller said she will miss out on South Canterbury selection this year as the Hanan Shield tournament clashes with her European tour.
She said she hopes to get recognised by New Zealand Rugby while on tour.
‘‘It’s to get exposure around the world. Eventually I want to play for the Black Ferns. It’s my overall goal really.’’ I’ll