Gunnedah rugby union and rugby league teen Jayla Suey is ready to compete in Japan this month, as part of an Australian Raptors Rugby Academy U16 women’s tour.
Selection for the Raptors was a dream come true for Jayla, who had the desire to represent Australia as well as her indigenous culture at international level.
Jayla and her Raptors teammates boarded a plane on Wednesday, and will play against teams from various Japanese secondary schools and universities.
After returning home on January 21, Jayla will head to the Waratahs rugby union camp and then play for the Waratahs U16 North Sydney team at Waratahs Academy games.
Jayla is also set to embark on another overseas trip this year and become a dual international as she represents Australia in rugby league.
Jayla earned selection for the Wanderers Australia U16 rugby league team, scheduled to tour the United Kingdom and France in October.
Selection for the Wanderers resulted in Jayla reluctantly rejecting offers from the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Penrith Panthers and Wests Tigers to trial for this year’s Lisa Fiaola Cup.
Jayla played for the Rabbitohs in last year’s Lisa Fiaola Cup, and also played in the Nations of Origin Koori team.
During her rugby league journey, Jayla rubbed shoulders with prominent rugby league players Brian To’o and Latrell Mitchell, as well as women’s player Mahalia Murphy who represented Australia in both codes.
During her rugby union journey, Jayla represented Central North at last year’s state championships and earned selection in the Lloyd McDermott Sydney University team at the Kari Ella 7s rugby tournament.
Jayla, who plays in the front-row in both codes, also lined up for the Koori team in the Pasifika Cup.
Having been nominated for the Australia Day Junior Sports Person of the Year award, the Gunnedah product was also selected in this year’s Northern Inland Academy of Sport (NIAS) Future Stars program.
To order photos from this page click here
