Halse targets place in history as Wallaroos chase maiden Black Ferns win in 100th Test

Caitlyn Halse has set her sights on earning a place in the Wallaroos squad for the team’s 100th Test match, as Australia prepare to face the Black Ferns in Auckland with the rare chance of a maiden victory over New Zealand.

The 19-year-old full-back, who has battled through a difficult 12 months of injury setbacks, arrived in Auckland with a new-look squad that includes a significant injection of sevens talent and coaching staff — part of a broader alignment between the Wallaroos and Australia’s sevens programme.

“It’s super exciting to have the sevens girls in here,” Halse said. “They’ve been an elite programme for many, many years and I think it’s refreshing to have a new perspective: how they train and what they bring to us, and what we can also bring to them in terms of the learning side of it.”

Halse, who has previously expressed interest in playing sevens to sharpen her skillset, was quick to single out the influence of several sevens stars. She praised Maddi Levi’s pace and Dolly Hinds’ football intelligence, the latter having worked alongside the Wallaroos last year.

“Having Dolly last year, I definitely picked her brain a lot about sevens,” Halse said. “I think she has one of the best footy brains, ever. Her IQ is like out of this world for sevens and XVs.”

The camp comes at a timely moment for Halse personally. After a prolonged battle with Achilles injuries that repeatedly halted her progress, she returned to form with strong performances in Super Rugby Women’s and the Super Rugby Champions Final.

“I was trying hard to work back, but every time it seemed that I could progress, I would be set back,” she said. “Especially with Achilles injuries, you want to be really careful. You don’t want to push it and then do something worse. They were just trying to take it one step at a time.”

With competition for places intensified by the sevens contingent, Halse is embracing the challenge rather than shying from it. She has already held early conversations with Director of Women’s High Performance Tim Walsh, with the squad identifying key areas to target against the Black Ferns.

For Halse, the motivation is clear: to be named in the side that writes a new chapter in Wallaroos history.