“You will not play the World Cup.”
They have been the primary phrases Piper Duck heard after she injured a shoulder in March in a collision she thought had dominated her out of the ladies’s Rugby World Cup.
It has been a protracted exhausting highway for the Wallaroos back-rower to get to the worldwide showpiece, struggling a string of crushing accidents over the course of two years, with the newest virtually ruling her out of the event fully.
Taking place whereas taking part in for the NSW Waratahs within the Tremendous Rugby Girls’s semifinal earlier this yr, Duck thought her World Cup dream was over. Simply weeks after injuring her left shoulder in pre-season, ruling her out for the opening recreation of the yr, she copped a heavy blow as soon as once more however this time fully tearing her AC in her proper shoulder.
It was a hammer blow for the 24-year-old who’d already fought again from a foot damage in 2023 that meant she by no means had the prospect to captain her aspect regardless of being named because the aspect’s chief by then coach Jay Tregonning. She then missed the Wallaroos tour of Eire and Wales and the WXV2 event on the finish of 2024 via an ankle surgical procedure.
To easily take the pitch in 2025 she was receiving cortisone injections in every shoulder.
However after such a protracted and hard-fought battle, Duck wasn’t going to name it quits that simply. As an alternative, after consulting surgeons and the staff physician, she had a call to make, have surgical procedure now and miss the World Cup, or rehab onerous for a number of months and make a last push for choice in the course of the aspect’s last Take a look at matches in July.
“One of many first conversations I had with the physician is that you simply will not play the World Cup. That was one in every of my first conversations,” Duck mentioned forward of the event kick-off. “It is fairly shattering listening to that on the time, however I spoke to a couple individuals, received a number of different opinions after which went and noticed a surgeon.
“I had type of already made the choice two days in that I used to be going conservative after which two days later I used to be within the gymnasium. I did not know what I used to be doing, however I used to be there as a result of I had a very tight timeline to get again.
“It was a grind. So mainly I had three months after a posterior dislocation to make the World Cup and fortunately it labored.”
Given the tight timeline, Duck pushed herself to the restrict, decided to tug the Wallaroos jersey on of their last World Cup auditions. Twelve weeks later she lined up for the Australia A squad to face Samoa, earlier than she featured off the bench for the Wallaroos in opposition to New Zealand and Wales and began within the aspect’s farewell conflict in Sydney.
Given her lengthy checklist of accidents, the back-rower is nearly lined head-to-toe with strapping tape when she takes to the sphere, with each her shoulders now strapped in with AC pads defending her joints. And whereas hitting the gymnasium is a matter in fact for athletes, particularly of their return from damage, Duck knew there was a psychological aspect to restoration that she needed to overcome as properly.
“I really spoke to a sports activities psychologist via it,” Duck mentioned. “I knew my psychological block was going to be carrying as a result of that is how I would injured myself.
“Actually, not till I began coaching correctly [did I feel confident in my shoulder]. These first contacts, these first hits [were hard].
“I would be mendacity if I mentioned I did not have any ideas, however it wasn’t about my shoulder, it was extra can I play footy?
“I do know it sounds loopy however after having that lengthy out, you are like have I received it? Clearly it isn’t one thing you lose, I perceive that, however at that time I did have that thought.
“However at coaching I simply made certain I bumped into the most important individuals on the sphere. I made certain I tackled the most important particular person on the staff as a result of I wanted to know I may do it earlier than getting on to a real Take a look at match to need to do it.
“Fortunately, all of it labored out very well, however it was fairly daunting. It was actually daunting initially.”
Scrubbed out of 5 fixtures, together with 4 Wallaroos Assessments, Duck was no certainty of creating the journey to England, which made her second World Cup call-up even sweeter. Particularly with all 32-squad members given the information of their choice collectively.
“Actually ecstatic,” Duck mentioned when requested about her choice. “I feel I really verbally screamed once I came upon that I’d be going to the World Cup.
“After accidents and every little thing I have been via it was a kind of surreal moments. To have the chance to attend my second World Cup in itself is totally unbelievable, and after the accidents I’ve had during the last two and a half years, that is a fairly particular feeling.
“As you undergo your rugby journey, there’s sure issues I really realise now I do not keep in mind. I keep in mind my final World Cup, I’ve actually particular moments, however I really do not do not forget that cellphone name from my final World Cup and I’ll always remember having that second in a room with 32 different ladies hysterically crying and simply having that second collectively. That second was simply actually particular.”
Duck is now getting ready to play within the Wallaroos opening Take a look at in opposition to Samoa with Australia’s World Cup expectations of reaching the quarterfinals counting on an enormous opening win earlier than taking over the USA within the second pool match, with a win in opposition to their Pac4 rivals all however sure to see them attain the knockout stage.
