The 2017 Rugby World Cup feels like a long time ago for Wallaroos veteran Trilleen Pomare.
Eight years and 40 caps have passed since her shared Rugby World Cup and Test debut - a 19-17 loss to Ireland - but Pomare, 32, says the contrast between now and then couldn't be more stark.
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“[A] third World Cup is pretty cool, still to be hanging around and in contention to play,” Pomare told reporters on Tuesday evening.
“I think this is the most Test matches that we've had in a lead up to a World Cup - heaps of games, heaps of minutes - so it's exciting to see this is where we've been building to.
“I think that's the biggest shift that we've had; just the professionalism, more game time, more time together as well.
“In comparison to the first World Cup, we were just kind of thrown together a week before the World Cup and then we went off to kind of play and compete. This is where we're at in terms of women's rugby now.
"It's a more professional outfit and we need to keep building that to really be competitive here.”
Pomare's Wallaroos aren't the only ones on the rise.
The 2025 Rugby World Cup is already on track to set a new attendance record for a women’s rugby game at the final, and the total ticket sales surpassing over 375,000.
“I think [it’s] the biggest shift that we've seen, especially being here in England,” Pomare said.
“They love their rugby. You're walking around on the streets and they know what rugby is in comparison to.
“I know New Zealand's a big rugby country, but when we're home, you're competing with so many other sports - AFL, cricket, anything else really, league as well.
"It's just a big mental shift for us, understanding how big it is here.
“[We’re] not getting lost in the moment, there's still room for us to be ourselves and we're halfway across the world and make sure we really enjoy the little moments with each other.”
Despite the challenges of Australia's congested sporting market, 2025 has seen the Wallaroos reach larger audiences than ever with home wins over Wales and the USA following a four-game streak spanning WXV and the Vuvale Bowl.
“I think it's just the consistency,” Pomare reflected.
“We've always known we've had it in us. But having that time together, it's allowed us to build a little bit more consistency, more frequent touch points with each other. There's less time between camps and competition.
“We went Super W, rolled straight into international and we've kind of been connected ever since until now. That's been a huge shift into us being able to perform at this level consistently.”
The Wallaroos will need that consistency to take down an unpredictable Samoa side and hit the ground running when they kick off their World Cup campaign in three days time.
"You can never really take them lightly because they're a physical side. They have big girls there who will just run at you consistently," Pomare noted.
“I think it really means a lot for them to put on their jersey and represent their families and their nation. We're going to expect a real tough physical battle up front.”
The Wallaroos will be boosted by a large group of travelling supporters and families from Australia when they take the field against Samoa at Salford Community Stadium.
There'll be plenty of support, too, for Pomare and her fellow three-time World Cup Wallaroo - Ashley Marsters - as the pair continue raising Australia's all-time cap record (currently held by Marsters on 41).
“We reflect quietly in our own spaces, to be honest,” Pomare said.
“We're not big out-there personalities. She (Marsters) probably is more than me. I think just being here, not taking anything for granted. You never know when you're not going to get selected. As much as it's our third World Cup, we're still competing like it's our first.
“We've got a little family group chat happening, we've got quite a few families coming all the way over to support us.
“That's the coolest thing: rugby's our vehicle, but also our families get to jump on board and travel in support with us.
“As we get to travel around the world, so do our families, and they're a big part of why we do what we do. They're a big part of our support system back home, so it's important that we try and share the same experience with them and give them exposure too.
“They're the ones [who] when we're down and out and we're coming home after training in a good mood, bad mood, and just want dinner and don't want to talk to anyone, they're those people who are in our corner.
“It's cool that they get to experience the highs and the lows with us and get to come over here and support us.”
