The extraordinary aspect about Piper Duck’s rise to the Waratahs’ captaincy is that as a teenager she didn’t even know rugby was a sport.
It took Australia’s glorious gold medal in the women’s sevens at the Rio Olympics to realise that there was, indeed, another code.
“I grew up in a country town where league was the main sport and dominated the town,” Piper told The Roar ahead of Friday’s Super W opener against the Western Force at Allianz Stadium.
“I didn’t know what union was. It wasn’t until I was 15 when I saw them at the Olympics and actually asked more questions; I knew there was another form of rugby, but I didn’t know what it was.”
The comment is as revealing as it is concerning, but slowly but surely Rugby Australia is getting its ducks in a row to ensure more people, including women, know about the game.
The governing body last month announced they would use a $2 million funding boost to pay every Super W player $4000 and invest in Australian women’s high performance.
The NSW Waratahs Women take on Force and the Tahs men battle the Chiefs in an enthralling double-header on Friday, 24 March at Allianz Stadium.
Gold medallist Sharni Williams helped inspire Piper Duck to play rugby. Photo: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
In addition, the governing body will – for the first time – offer part-time contracts to 35 elite women’s players in the 15-a-side game.
It’s welcomed news for Australia’s Wallaroos, who last year made the World Cup quarter-finals before falling short against pre-tournament favourites England.
“If I could not go to work and go to training that’d be outstanding,” Piper said.
“And the thing is, with the announcement that was just made with Australia and RUPA pushing to make that hopefully a possibility in the near future is extremely exciting. That shows they are actually putting time into us and believe in our capability to perform at a World Cup.”
But for Piper, the 21-year-old wasn’t drawn to rugby for money.
She made the decision to pester her parents about playing after being inspired by Sharni Williams putting her places into areas most wouldn’t dare dream about venturing and Ellia Green steaming down the touchline to score against the Black Ferns.
“I remember getting inspiration from that,” Piper said.
“We have a saying, ‘You can’t be what you can’t see.’ For me, I saw someone finally from my community who has gone and done some amazing things with herself. I went ‘Wow, if she could do that, I can do that.’”
Piper Duck didn’t even know rugby was a sport when she started high school. Photo: Chris Hyde/Getty Images
In her mid-teens, Piper, having convinced her parents to allow her to play for a local team, was spotted after just two games and head-hunted by the Brumbies.
A scholarship to Barker College, where she also played basketball, saw the teenager then start to make some waves in sevens and the breakaway forward never looked back.
“I feel like rugby gave me a place of belonging,” she said.
“And I feel like a lot of girls might come from this kind of standpoint. It doesn’t matter your shape, size, age, your ethnicity or culture, it doesn’t matter where you come from, you all come together with a common goal and become a family.
“I found a place where I belonged and I found my people. Even before coming into the game when I was watching the girls and how they interacted with each other, I went ‘that’s what I want. I want to be a part of that culture.’”
Piper Duck says last year’s defeat in the Super W final against Fiji has driven the Waratahs over the pre-season. Photo: Tony Feder/Getty Images
Piper is a part of a new-look Waratahs side that has flanker Emily Chancellor and playmaker Arabella McKenzie to English club Harlequins.
For once, too, Campbell Aitken’s side are the hunters after Fijian Drua knocked off the four-time champions in a boilover final.
The defeat, as well as an encouraging World Cup campaign, has acted as the driver for their off-season.
“We’re definitely trying to hold ourselves to a high standard,” she said.
“Pre-season has been really tough this year. Coming off the back of the loss against Fiji last year, which just really lit a fire in our stomachs.”
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
The Waratahs’ finals hopes are dangling by a thread after being hammered by the ladder-leading Hurricanes 41-12 in Wellington on Friday night. Four tries…
After limited opportunities over the past two years, Waratahs backs Harry Wilson and Mosese Tuipulotu will head to the United Kingdom. On Thursday it…
It's another big week of trans-Tasman rivalry with four Aussie teams going up against Kiwi opponents and the Brumbies hosting the Fijian Drua. See…
Darren Coleman is set to continue his back three changes, with Max Jorgensen to miss the Waratahs’ tricky assignment at the Cake Tin in…
At long last Australia’s Super Rugby sides brought some semblance of what’s required to win big games of footy. Yet, it still wasn’t enough…
Sometimes it’s best to start at the finish. The Waratahs winning the Super W final 50-14 against the Drua was the cap to a…
