Wallaroos backrower Piper Duck has reflected on her difficult journey back to the national set-up ahead of the opening Test of 2024 against Canada in Sydney.
Over 12 months ago, Duck was named captain of the side, the youngest in Wallaroos history, to signal the new era of the squad after the 2022 Rugby World Cup
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However, a pair of serious injuries dashed those hopes, leaving Duck to work her way back into the starting side to face the Canadiens on Saturday at Allianz Stadium.
“It means everything. The last 12 months has been really difficult," she told reporters.
“It’s been about 18 months since I’ve pulled on the Australian jersey in the World Cup in 2022 so it was extremely special to me to have the privilege and honour to pull on that jersey again.
“It’s always such an honour to play for your country, to play for the people within your country and the girls that didn’t make the squad this time around.
“I don’t take that lightly and I’m incredibly honoured.”
Duck was originally scheduled to come back for last year's Pacific Four series before a freak accident at lineout time led to the number eight needing an ankle reconstruction.
She watched on from the sidelines as the Wallaroos claimed major scalp after major scalp, only spurring on the Waratahs skipper to get back into the set-up.
“The girls had an exceptional year last year and I’m so incredibly proud of them," Duck admits.
"Getting to watch them from the sidelines and getting a new perspective of what it means to be a Wallaroo and represent your country, the value I hold on playing with the girls around me and the community of Rugby I definitely learned a lot from it definitely fuelled the fire to get back on that paddock.
“It’s such an honour and privilege and it’s why the way I train to hopefully have the ability to pull on the jersey.”
The fourth-ranked Canada is the perfect barometer of where the Wallaroos sit as they look to join the upper echelon of the World Rankings.
“I think we are incredible athletes and with the mechanisms being put in place, we are constantly building and whilst we aren’t a top four team yet, I believe by the time we hit the World Cup, I believe in the quality of the girls and I think that is achievable," Duck added.
“We’ve just got to stick to our processes stick to what we have in place and the trust in one another that we’re building. I think it’ll be really exciting to see (the growth) over the next few campaigns to see where the Wallaroos are heading.
