Mahalia Murphy’s rugby journey started with a water bottle, a pair of athletics spikes and a mother who couldn’t help but dig her heels in.
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She’s now a Wallaroo and a star for the all-conquering Australian Rugby Sevens women’s side.
That meteoric rugby journey took a little detour on Wednesday when Murphy traveled to Forbes to lend a hand at the Waratahs Rugby Clinic at Grinsted Oval, one over 130 kids, including 30 young girls, took part in during the school holidays.
After her unique introduction to the sport, the 24-year-old Doonside product couldn’t help but marvel at the opportunity the game’s next generation currently has.
Particularly those kids from the bush.
“Growing up I was the water girl for my sister’s team, she was a bit older than me and played rugby but I was into sprinting, I had no idea how to play,” Murphy said.
“But one week a couple of the girls didn’t turn up and I was asked if I’d jump on the wing.
“Mum was like ‘no way, she’s a sprinter, she’s not going out there and playing rugby’. It took a lot of convincing for my mum to say yes but she did in the end.
There’s some great opportunities in the sport and more pathways there now than ever before.
- Mahalia Murphy
“After that one game, I got the feel of that team-sport environment, the atmosphere and just meeting new people and that’s what spiked my interest in rugby.
“I signed on with the club and never looked back.”
Murphy has family in Walgett and given her familiarity with the central west zone she wasn’t surprised to see the level of talent on show during the clinic.
“I’ve been strolling around to different age groups, there’s a lot of girls here, and some I’ve seen before, and it’s good to see them in the sport of rugby,” she said.
“It’s about getting the kids engaged, and making the sport fun. There’s some great opportunities in the sport and more pathways there now than ever before.
“If we can give them the basic skills, then the rest is there for them to grab and run with themselves.”
Current Wallaroos forwards coach Matt Tink was also on deck to help at the clinic, while junior Australian seven squad Jakaya Whitfield and Lillian Mason-Spice were also at Forbes.