Cushla Rue picked for her first international tour as a Young Matilda

On Wednesday the Bathurst soccer talent departed for New Zealand as part of a 24-strong Young Matildas squad.

There she and her under 20s team-mates are scheduled to play two games against the Junior Football Ferns.

"I'm so excited," Rue, one of the squad's defenders, said.

"It's pretty cool, I think playing for your country in another nation, it's pretty special.

"It's going to be very different playing away from home, I've never been to New Zealand, so I'm excited."

For Rue, being selected to go on tour is the next step in her football career.

In April she made her debut in a two-match series against the Junior Football Ferns and did enough to impress Young Matildas coach Leah Blayney.

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Since then Rue has been playing in the National Premier Leagues competition for Sydney University and doing so with the knowledge that Young Matildas coaching staff were keeping watch.

"It's been good, I need to get the game time up," Rue said.

"I've just got to stay focussed, the intensity of those [Young Matildas] games I've got to bring to my game playing with Sydney.

"That's made easy because I have got good players around me, it's such a good team, that helps me to maintain that level of intensity at training and in games, which is important."

On top of her club duties, Rue has participated in two training camps.

It was what she showed there, as well as what she has done in Sydney Uni colours, that earned her a spot in the touring squad.

"The first one was a live-in camp, we were based in Blacktown and trained at Blacktown International Sportspark for the whole week. The next camp was last week, but that wasn't live in, we just travelled in for each session," she said.

"I've got to know a lot of the inter-state girls a bit better which has been nice, and we're getting used to how each other play.

"It's so professional, it's just another level up from NPL and A-League.

"We're learning the concepts that we're hoping to take forward and take into the New Zealand games."

Though she's excited to catch up with some of her Wellington A-League women's team-mates while on the nine-day tour - her Phoenix room-mates part of the Football Ferns squad - Rue knows there is no guarantee she'll see game time.

So for her the mission is to keep working hard at training in hopes of once again being given the nod to start at right back.

Rue is also thinking of the bigger picture too - the Under 20s Women's World Cup which will be played in Costa Rica later this year.

"The last two camps have been very competitive, there were players rotating in and out. So there will be a lot of hard work and effort going forward, I'm definitely pushing," she said.

"This is just another stepping stone towards Costa Rica. We've been learning a lot tactically the last two camps and versing New Zealand will be a good opportunity to put those concepts into practice.

"I guess I'm a bit more comfortable now, but nothing is promised so every training session I feel like I have a point to prove. No-one is in there for good, so you have to keep pushing and proving why you should be there."

The Young Matildas' first clash with the Junior Football Ferns will be played on Sunday in Auckland. The tour runs from June 8-16.

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