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‘Being the best I can’: Bienne Terita’s rapid rise to ‘world-class’ status
From Commonwealth Games heartbreak to “world-class” status, the rapid rise of Bienne Terita in the 15-player game was eye-catching, enthralling and simply a lot of fun.
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Having debuted on the Sevens World Series as a teenager at the 2022 Spain Sevens in Malaga, Terita went on to impress in Aussie gold alongside the likes of Charlotte Caslick and Maddison Levi.
But with the opportunity to complete on one of the world’s biggest sporting stages escaping her grasp, Terita was called into Wallaroos’ camp under coach Jay Tregonning.
Terita scored with one of her first touches as a Wallaroo in an O’Reilly Cup Test in Adelaide in 2022, and the wing completed an impressive brace with the final try of the afternoon in the 80th minute.
The try-scoring phenom continued to impress during the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, but a return to the shorter format of the sport was always on the cards.
Terita was back on the World Series last season, but the chance to push for higher honours in 2023/24 awaits the 20-year-old. The Aussies will go to the Olympics, but only 12 will play.
Wallaroos coach Tregonning may have called the rising star “world-class,” but that doesn’t guarantee Terita a spot on the plane to Paris 2024. There’s plenty of work to do between now and then.
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“I just take each game as it comes. I take the confidence out of the coaching that I’m given by Tim, by our strength and conditioning coach Tom, knowing that I’ve done all the work,” Terita told RugbyPass.
“What I produce out there on the field, a lot of it comes from the girls that I train with. I train with some of the best players in the world and they push me to be the best player I can be.
“I think a lot of that comes from that and the coaching that I’m given. So no, I feel sometimes when I hear that stuff I don’t really believe it.
“This is actually the first time I’m hearing of it,” Terita said while laughing when asked about being “world-class.”
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The Australians have been training and travelling for months in the pursuit of their Olympic and SVNS dreams – they’re “in the best physical shape we’ve ever been in.”
But when the season gets underway in Dubai next month, and as the countdown to Paris 2024 continues to tick by, the Aussies will be eager to right some wrongs from their last campaign.
Almost one year ago to the day, the Australians started their World Series title defence with a Cup final triumph in Dubai. But that’s as good as things got.
Rivals New Zealand won the next six Cup finals as they ran away with a dominant rise to World Series glory. The title race wasn’t even close.
But that’s all in the past. The Aussies have been working really hard in the offseason, which included some valuable clashes with their arch-rivals.
“It was really good for us to get game time to play against these players. I think that’s what (coach Tim Walsh) really wanted for us during our preseason,” Terita added.
“New Zealand are always good and they were probably our biggest competition during preseason as well as France.
“It was just really good for us to get really good game time, good quality football, get those combos right… play really good footy, get some new players coming through, and get some game time.
“I think it just goes to show we’ve always got new talent coming through which really pushes us to be the best that we can be and produce really good rugby on the field.
“I’m just really keen to play some footy with the girls. We’ve worked so hard during our offseason so I’m really excited to get out there.
“We’re all in the best physical shape we’ve ever been in seeing that we’ve been in preseason for so long now.
“I’m a finisher so just finishing for the girls really well, being the best I can be out there – hopefully the best out there on the field… and hopefully winning as many World Series tournaments as possible.”
Comments on RugbyPass
I bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments