Gemma’s Rio Olympics rugby dream

Twins Gemma and Nikki Etheridge have only been playing rugby for three years, but they’ve made it their life for the past two.

The girls moved to Sydney’s northern beaches to train full-time with the Australian squad two-and-a-half years ago after playing touch football for Australia.

The Etheridge girls grew up on a property near Coolah before boarding at Fairholme College in Toowoomba for secondary school.

They were typical country kids, playing on every sports team at school.

“We were always sporty growing up – we were fit little kids,” Gemma said.

“In most of the towns that we lived in the major thing was junior sport, so we were playing netball and touch football from a very young age as well as athletics and cross country.”

Nikki said living in rural towns had helped more than hindered their sporting careers.

“In small country towns, sport is very much a social gathering as well, so everyone is involved.”

Their high school further developed their natural talent, with Fairholme boasting a high number of success stories in the sport.

“Toowoomba’s a bit of a breeding ground for women’s rugby,” Gemma said.

“There are three of us in the Australian squad at the moment who went to Fairholme. I think it’s because touch football is so strong at Toowoomba and a lot of girls transfer from there to rugby.”

The athletes, now 29, were talent identified and asked to join a training camp for rugby.

“That was it – from then, we were playing rugby,” Gemma said.

“It was a very quick transition. We played one game of rugby with a club team in Toowoomba then went straight to the Australian squad.”

Neither of them had ever played in a 15-player match before they went straight to rugby sevens, a stripped-down version of the game, designed for fitter, faster, more agile athletes.

Many of their touch football skills transferred to rugby, Nikki said.

“It was just the tackling we had to learn,” she said.

“It’s also a different type of fitness to touch football, a lot more shorter, sharper running.”

The tackling took some getting used to, Gemma said.

“The contact definitely takes it out of you compared to normal touch football, having get up off the ground after a tackle and bracing yourself for a hit.”

Nikki has since retired from the sport, but she still lives in Sydney with Gemma, who’s on a rugby contract until the end of the year.

She’s keeping her Rio hopes alive, despite an injury to her anterior cruciate ligament in a knee about three months ago.

The Olympic team will be announced on July 3.

“I’ve had an operation with a synthetic ligament put in, and I’m back into full training this week so hopefully I can make it,” Gemma said.

She trains with the squad five days a week and adds another day for rehabilitation on her knee.

The girls have had to balance their medical careers with their sport.

Nikki is a synographer and Gemma is a radiographer.

“When we first moved here we had a day off during the week, so we could work one day a week, but in the last year, the demand from rugby has been too high to work,” Gemma said.

Since retiring, Nikki’s been able to go back to her career and social sport.

“My body didn't love the contact and the big workload,” she said.

“I didn’t have any bad injuries, just a lot of niggles, but I’m happy now that I can enjoy how Gem's going and watch her and girls play.

“I’ve gone back to more social sport like touch football which is a bit easier on the body.

“But I do miss the team environment more so than getting pummelled.

“I miss all the girls and the family feel that we have at the club.”

Gemma will reassess her situation at the end of the year, but expects she may retire and return to Queensland to her fiance Ben Noller, who is the general manager of Santa Gertrudis Australia.

At 29, she’s one of the oldest in the squad.

“It’s a much younger team –  the average age of girls in the squad is about 23,”Gemma said.

“I moved away from Ben to come down here and give it a crack, so we’ve been living apart for three years.

“It'll be a big change going back to full-time work but I'll definitely like the money.

“It's only been a short part of our lives but rugby has had such a huge impact on us. 

“We would never have thought either of us would have the chance to go to the Olympics.”

The Olympics would be the best way for Gemma to finish her rugby story.

“Representing Australia at Rio would be the ultimate way to go out and a great reward for all the effort we’ve put in,” she said.

“That’s what we’ve been working towards since we changed to rugby.”

Even if Gemma doesn’t make the team, the twins, along with their parents, stud cattle breeders Jeff and Kerrie Etheridge, Red Rock Limousins, “Subiaco”, Walcha, will still make the trek to Rio as supporters.

“I’m going for a four-week trip beforehand and finishing in Rio to watch the girls,” Nikki said.

“We’ll both go over to support and mum and dad are coming to the Olympics to watch the girls, regardless of whether Gemma gets in the team.”

Their parents are their biggest supporters.

“Dad’s a rugby man. He grew up playing rugby in Barraba and he’s really proud of us,” Gemma said.

“He didn’t have any sons to play rugby – he got us instead.”

Both girls hope the squad’s recent success, winning the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series in May, and the team’s appearance at the Rio Olympics, will inspire more women to take up the sport. 

“We’re contracted by Australian Rugby Union and get grants from the Australian Olympic Committee, so it’s a start for women’s sport, but it doesn’t compare to the men,” Gemma said.

“I think we’ve got lots of publicity, but if we have success at the Olympics it could be better for women’s sport.”