Harden rugby prodigy Grace Kemp made her starting debut for the Wallaroos in Christchurch on Saturday in what was a disappointing result overall for Australia.
The Wallaroos went down 52-5 in a match were they were completely outclassed by their New Zealand opposition.
Despite making her international Wallaroos debut against Canada on June 18 coming off the bench in New Zealand, Kemp made her starting debut last Saturday in a moment she will forever cherish.
21-year-old Kemp played for the She-Devils before leaving Harden and sent the She-Devils team a video alongside her Wallaroos team mates wishing them good luck before claiming the Oils Cup trophy on Saturday.
Although the She-Devils found success in their game, the Wallaroos, unfortunately, did not despite the outstanding effort from our girls.
The Black Ferns were relentless, dominating the scrums and maintaining complete control of the ball as they dictated the pace of the match. Eight tries were scored by New Zealand to cement the 21st consecutive win against the Wallaroos.
Just when it seemed like it was going to be a 52-0 blowout, a pass from Emily Robinson to Junee legend Piper Duck for a successful last-minute try softened the blow for the Australian team.
Even though New Zealand walked away with the win, the community is still buzzing with support for the young rugby player and her performance against such a dominating team.
“Full credit to the Kiwis, they put us to the sword and they really made us pay as we struggled to grind them down and stop their possession,” Wallaroos captain Shannon Parry said. “It’s a stepping stone to the back end of the year.
I think we’ve come a long way in a short time and we’re looking forward to what’s ahead at the end of the year. The O’Reilly Cup concludes with the return leg in Adelaide next Saturday.
“We’re really looking forward to getting back to Adelaide, there’s nothing like playing at home so we’re really looking forward to getting to Adelaide Oval and playing in front of the green and gold army.”
Jack Murray, Tim Warren
