SHE earned her first Central West cap after just one game of rugby union, but this week when Nicole Schneider was named in the Blue Bullettes squad to tour New Zealand it brought a much greater sense of satisfaction.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
This time around the versatile Bathurst Bulldogs back really felt as if she had earned her spot.
It was in April last year that Schneider made her union debut, she and Kate Gullifer talked into lacing up the boots by the more experienced Bulldog Marita Shoulder. A week later she was given another challenge.
“We had one game and the next week I was in Port Macquarie playing sevens with the Central West girls,” Schneider said.
“It was a bit of a fluke, it was kind of weird when I was there because I didn’t feel like I should have been selected … people withdrew at the last minute and they were short so they took me along.”
READ MORE: Sidelined Shoulders to take up coaching
Since then Schneider has gone from a talented ring-in to an integral member of the Bulldogs’ line up. This season she spent time at scrumhalf, inside centre and flyhalf for a team which tasted premiership glory.
Schneider feels her adjustment has been helped by a lengthy sporting background, having previously played netball, touch football and soccer.
“I picked up pretty quickly, I think playing touch and having played a lot of sports growing up helped. As long as you can catch and pass a ball you’re pretty right,” she said.
“My improvement this year has also been aided through training at Bathurst Strength and Conditioning, helping me to focus on specific aspects of the game such as speed, power and agility.”
Improve she did and while an ankle injury kept her from trialling for the 25-player Central West women’s squad to tour New Zealand in March, her on-field form saw her get the nod.
She joins fellow Bulldogs Gullifer, Edwina Ulberg, Mel Waterford, Mandy Scott, Teagan Miller, Courtney Auld and Ebony Fenton (shadow) in the squad.
Bathurst is also well represented in the 35-player men’s Central West team with Joel Harper, Will Oldham, Alex Weal, Harry Peacock, Adam Miles, Peter Fitzsimmons, Harry Webber and Justin Mobbs getting the nod. It will be coached by Dean Oxley.
The Central West squads will not only play games, but work with Super Rugby outfit the Canterbury Crusaders.
Schneider is excited about what lies ahead and importantly, the next time she pulls on a Central West jersey she will feel like she truly earned it.
“I feel it’s a little bit of a reward for working hard through the season, we got eight girls from Bulldogs in it and I think we really earned it. We trained hard, we trained twice weekly and we trained with the boys, which was also a big thing,” she said.
“I’ve never really been – in all my sports – involved like that, we’ve always been sort of segregated from the boys. This year there was the same expectations on the girls as there was on the boys, and I think that really pushed us. We were fitter this year than what we’d ever been.
“I'm keen to learn and train and see what I can out of it. I’m so excited, it just feels so surreal that they’ve offered it, it’s not very often they put on a tour … it’s a big opportunity for us to get amongst it.
“It’s so amazing that women too are getting the opportunities in sport … it’s hard to believe really.”
Keep up to date with the latest sports news by clicking here
While admitting it is “scary” to think of who she will play against in New Zealand, Schneider said having familiar faces alongside her will put Central West in good stead.
“I’m really excited that I’ve got the other Bulldogs girls beside me because I can count on them and I know I can rely on them because they are so experienced and know what they are doing,” she said.
“I’ve got confidence with the girls that we’ve got. People are individually talented, but we’ve got a lot of team players as well.”
