IT'S been almost seven years since Cushla Rue played football in her hometown of Bathurst.
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Rue last played in the Central West back in 2017, for Western NSW FC, before making the switch to the Sydney-based Football NSW Institute in the NSW NPL ahead of the 2018 season.
And since then, she's never looked back.
What's followed is a run with the Young Matildas in the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Costa Rica, signing her first A-League Women's contract with the Wellington Phoenix, before scoring her first goal in the competition with the Western Sydney Wanderers this season.
But on Friday night at Carrington Park, Rue is expected to start for the Wanderers in the round 16 match against the Newcastle Jets.
For her teammates, it might just be another match, but for her, it'll mean a whole lot more.
"It'll be really exciting to play in front of my family and friends," she said.
"I haven't played here since I was 14 years old, so it'll be good."
![Cushla Rue with friends and family after a game with Western Sydney Wanderers at Commbank Stadium in Parramatta. Picture by Patrick McFadden/Western Sydney Wanderers Cushla Rue with friends and family after a game with Western Sydney Wanderers at Commbank Stadium in Parramatta. Picture by Patrick McFadden/Western Sydney Wanderers](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/33jmgggMux4cQ6bJ2r3hFg4/4d89eca7-5e08-44de-b69b-11e9b97db6d0.jpg/r876_1070_4293_3247_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Rise from Bathurst to the big league
Rue first started playing football at six-years-old, following in the footsteps of her older brother.
She started off at Collegians Soccer Club and then represented the Bathurst district team when she was old enough.
She soon progressed to Western NSW FC, which saw her and her teammates face off against teams from Sydney.
It was after her move to the Football NSW Institute in 2018 when her career began to take off.
In 2021, she signed her first professional contract with then expansion team Wellington Phoenix, but the club's inaugural season was played out of Wollongong, due to international travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
![Cushla Rue pictured when she was named in the Football NSW Institute under 15s squad in 2018. Picture by Phil Blatch Cushla Rue pictured when she was named in the Football NSW Institute under 15s squad in 2018. Picture by Phil Blatch](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/33jmgggMux4cQ6bJ2r3hFg4/5e5baba1-13c2-4a52-9559-bb5961fc1522.jpeg/r0_1240_3648_5479_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Rue was still in the middle of her final year at MacKillop College and had to complete her studies and exams via distance in Wollongong.
"It was challenging, moving away from home and adjusting to a full-time training program, which I hadn't experienced before," she said.
"I had a lot of support from teachers at school and family, which made it possible."
Rue only managed two appearances for Phoenix in the 2021-22, before making the switch to the Wanderers for the 2022-23 season.
The Bathurst talent played eight games in her first season in red and black, but the campaign was blighted by injuries.
So far in 2023-24, Rue has scored one goal and made two assists, while playing 13 from a possible 14 matches, being basically a guaranteed starter.
From a slow start, to rising up the ladder
It was a fairly interrupted start to the season for the Wanderers when head coach Kat Smith was replaced by Robbie Hooker just 10 days out from the opening round of the 2023-24 season.
The Wanderers then failed to win any of their first four matches, before they bounced back to remain undefeated in seven of their next eight matches.
I think Robbie has led the way and is playing to our strengths.
- Cushla Rue on Western Sydney Wanderers head coach Robbie Hooker
While the club has suffered back-to-back losses in its last two outings against Brisbane Roar and Adelaide United, the mood remains positive at the Wanderers.
Rue said Hooker has played a key role in the teams turnaround.
"I think Robbie coming in 10 days before our first game, we had to really get used to his style and he had to learn about us girls as players," he said.
![Cushla Rue in action for the Western Sydney Wanderers. Picture by Patrick McFadden/Western Sydney Wanderers Cushla Rue in action for the Western Sydney Wanderers. Picture by Patrick McFadden/Western Sydney Wanderers](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/33jmgggMux4cQ6bJ2r3hFg4/3a1b6e88-91fa-4e3a-b1a6-2e0a7495f1ce.jpg/r912_620_4317_2748_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"I think it took a few rounds for us to build a bit of momentum. We started scoring some goals, which built confidence in the squad.
"I think Robbie has led the way and is playing to our strengths. We're playing a very transitional game, which suits our players up front."
What awaits the Wanderers in Bathurst
After 15 rounds, Wanderers are running seventh, one point behind a finals spot and the sixth-placed Central Coast Mariners.
The Wanderers are ahead of Newcastle Jets - their opponents for Friday - by just goal difference and the match in Bathurst could be crucial to both team's play-off hopes.
Newcastle's star player is Sarina Bolden, who scored for the Philippines at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Bolden, who made the move to the Jets from Wanderers in the off-season, has eight goals in 10 games for Newcastle, joint-third overall in the top goalscorer charts.
![Cushla Rue on the ball for the Western Sydney Wanderers in a match at the Wanderers Football Park in Blacktown. Picture by Patrick McFadden/Western Sydney Wanderers Cushla Rue on the ball for the Western Sydney Wanderers in a match at the Wanderers Football Park in Blacktown. Picture by Patrick McFadden/Western Sydney Wanderers](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/33jmgggMux4cQ6bJ2r3hFg4/79d467ab-7653-4ce7-b28d-944173825569.jpg/r911_933_4235_3045_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"Newcastle are a tough team," Rue said.
"They're very physical and they're doing really well this season, so I think it'll be a hard game.
"We're coming off the back of two losses, so we want to get back into the groove and get the win under our belt, to just keep in that top six."
The Wanderers will have their own strike power up top too, with Sophie Harding leading the goal scoring charts for the red and black, with eight goals.
Rue and Harding are two of only four goal scorers for the Wanderers this season, with Holly Caspers (three) and Amy Harrison (two) the others.
Friday night's match kicks-off at 7pm at Carrington Park.
A Bathurst All-Stars game will get underway at 5pm, featuring a mixture of female footballers from across the city.
Tickets remain on sale via Bathurst Regional Council's website.