Cushla Rue is 'so grateful' to have earned a pair of Young Matildas caps

At this stage playing against the world's finest in Costa Rica this August is just a dream for the talented teenager, but the past week has taught her that dreams do come true.

Rue had initially missed out on the Young Matildas squad that went into camp ahead of a two-match series against New Zealand's Junior Football Ferns.

But with COVID-19 forcing a number of Australian players into isolation, Rue was called into the camp.

She played the full 90 minutes of game one on Wednesday night which the Young Matildas won 5-1 and even after the original squad members then returned from isolation, Rue retained her spot for Sunday's match which resulted in a 1-all draw.

"It's crazy, especially considering a week and a half ago I wasn't even invited into camp," Rue said.

"I'm so grateful to have been given the opportunity of two 90-minute games, I was pretty excited and so nervous.

"I didn't think I was going to get a run that second game as the girls were back in, but I heard Leah [Blayney, coach] wanted me back in the line up - that was nice to hear."

While Rue was fresh from her maiden women's A-League campaign with Wellington Phoenix where she earned two appearances off the bench, representing her country was another step.

So when standing in the middle of the pitch in Wednesday night at Canberra, her family in the crowd, wearing the number 15 green and gold shirt as the Australian national anthem played, Rue took a moment to soak it in.

"That was a pretty surreal experience, I just had to stop for a second and think about what I was actually doing, standing there with the jersey on," she said.

"I couldn't believe it, it was pretty cool. It's something you dream about then it happens."

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Rue was deployed at right back for both clashes against the Junior Football Ferns and while something new, she embraced the challenge.

"I really enjoyed it actually. The first game was more getting used to the structures and the tactics and defending - I probably struggled most with one v one challenges," she said.

"But we touched on that before the second game and covered a few more things and I went in with a bit more confidence.

"The second game was probably more nerve-racking as I set a benchmark in the first game and I had to improve on that."

Those two games, and that Blayney backed her, has seen Rue re-evaluate her goals. Now she's hoping to be part of the Young Matildas squad that will contest the Under 20s Women's World Cup in Costa Rica.

"The World Cup in August, it was something that I would've loved to be a part of, and now that I've joined the first camp, I'm just hoping that it's more of an opportunity now for me to actually go," she said.

"We've got another long camp before we go, so my goal is just to work hard at that camp and hopefully get to the World Cup. That's my goal now, that would be amazing."

The world cup starts August 10.

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