'You can't be what you can't see': From unknown sport to Waratahs W captain - how Rio gold inspired a generation

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.

Get your tickets here.

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.”