Arabella McKenzie

Arabella McKenzie (born 1 March 1999) is an Australian rugby union player. She represents Australia at an international level and competed at the delayed 2021 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

Arabella McKenzie
Date of birth (1999-03-01) 1 March 1999
Height1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight80 kg (176 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fullback, Fly-half, Inside Centre
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2019–2021 Waratahs (0)
2022 Matatū (0)
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2019–Present  Australia 15 (0)

Early life

McKenzie grew up in Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, a small outback town roughly 700 km northwest of Sydney.[1] She completed her secondary education as a boarder at Frensham, Mittagong.[2] According to ESPN journalist Brittany Mitchell, "McKenzie grew up with the Steeden in her hands as opposed to the Gilbert", referring to the fact that she was "a rugby league fan from a young age who dreamed of playing for the St George Dragons." She was inspired to switch to union after watching TV coverage of the Australia women's sevens team's gold-medal run at the 2016 Summer Olympics.[1]

Rugby career

2017–19

McKenzie represented Australia at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games in Nassau, Bahamas, less than a year after she switched her focus from league to union.[1] Australia won the gold medal final in rugby sevens against Canada.[3][4]

McKenzie made her debut for the Waratahs in the 2019 Super W season.[4] She then made her international debut for Australia against Japan in 2019.[3][5][6][7]

2021–22

McKenzie was named Super W Player of the Year at the 2021 NSW Waratahs Awards.[8] She contributed to the Waratahs fourth straight Super W Title in 2021, after scoring a total of 15 points in the final against the Queensland Reds. She was named Player of the final.[9]

At the end of 2021, McKenzie signed with Matatū for the inaugural season of Super Rugby Aupiki in 2022.[10][11]

McKenzie was named in Australia's squad for the 2022 Pacific Four Series in New Zealand.[12][13] She was once again named in the Wallaroos squad for a two-test series against the Black Ferns at the Laurie O'Reilly Cup.[14][15] She also made the team for the delayed 2022 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.[16][17]

2023

McKenzie made the Wallaroos side for the 2023 Pacific Four Series, and the O'Reilly Cup.[18]

Personal life

McKenzie served as a care worker for What Ability, an Australian disabilities service that uses sportspeople in that role, from 2020 until leaving for New Zealand to play in the inaugural 2022 season of Super Rugby Aupiki. During this time, she worked with a severely autistic man near her age in Sydney, and according to a 2022 ESPN interview, now considers him and his family to be "kind of like my second family down here in Sydney", even having his name of Sammy tattooed on her. In that same interview, she added, "He's just taught me so much about myself. He doesn't know who I am or what's going on and his level of autism is pretty severe, so it's just cool to hang out with him and do fun things like go to the beach hangout, cafes, chill and he's just changed my perspective on life."[1]

References
  1. Mitchell, Brittany (4 October 2022). "From a town 700kms west of Sydney to the big stage, McKenzie's winding journey to the World Cup". ESPN.com. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  2. "Boarders selected for national teams". The Land. 18 October 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  3. "Arabella McKenzie". www.minervanetwork.com.au. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  4. Bacic, Angela (22 February 2019). "Debutants galore for Waratahs". The Women's Game. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  5. "Buildcorp Wallaroos defeat Japan in opening Test match in Newcastle". australia.rugby. 13 July 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  6. "Four debutants in Nestor's Wallaroos". The Women's Game. 12 July 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  7. Decent, Tom (11 July 2019). "Teen sensation set to make Wallaroos debut against Japan". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  8. "Izaia Perese and Arabella McKenzie earn top honours at 2021 NSW Waratahs Awards". nsw.rugby. 8 October 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  9. "Waratahs win fourth straight Buildcorp Super W Title". wallaroos.rugby. 3 July 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  10. Mitchell, Brittany (4 November 2021). "Wallaroos duo make switch to sample New Zealand 'intensity' before World Cup". ESPN.com. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  11. Williamson, Nathan (3 November 2021). "Arabella McKenzie, Michaela Leonard link up with Matatu for Super Rugby Aupiki". www.rugby.com.au. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  12. Williamson, Nathan (19 May 2022). "Wallaroos announce squad for Pacific Four". wallaroos.rugby. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  13. Woods, Melissa (19 May 2022). "Nine new Wallaroos for Pacific Four rugby". 7NEWS. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  14. "Wallaroos name 32-player squad". ESPN.com. 2 August 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  15. "Maya Stewart, Emily Robinson, and Asatasi Lafai named in Wallaroos squad to face Black Ferns". nsw.rugby. 2 August 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  16. Williamson, Nathan (7 September 2022). "Wallaroos confirm Rugby World Cup squad". www.rugby.com.au. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  17. Worthington, Sam (7 September 2022). "Rugby stars to play two World Cups in a month". wwos.nine.com.au. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  18. Williamson, Nathan (15 June 2023). "Wallaroos welcome back overseas stars for Pacific Four". wallaroos.rugby. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
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