A promise made to herself 12 months ago has helped propel Em Gobourg from relative obscurity to a chance at bringing home one of the most coveted prizes going around.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Orange Emus player only took up the sport of rugby union in 2022, with one year of league experience at Woodbridge Cup prior to that.
Despite a bare bones resume, the 33-year-old can already be found carving up Endeavour Oval every other week as the women's starting blindside flanker.
"You always watch sport on TV and it's really different when you're thrown into it and doing it," she said.
"You've got the adrenaline, the nerves and you have to use your head a bit more than just watching it on telly."
To the untrained eye, league and union might seem quite similar, but to those in the know, they're completely different beasts.
Gobourg certainly found that out the hard way.
"I was still getting my head around what it was like to play league, let alone what it was like to play union which is such a technical game with 200-odd laws," she said when asked what her first pre-season with Emus was like.
"I'm still getting through (the laws). So I can let you know when I do finally get my head around them."
Those who know Gobourg, know she has never been one to shy away from a challenge. This included a move from the wing in season one to the forwards for 2023.
"Growing up I was always a tomboy. I like the rough and tough stuff and challenging myself physically. It's certainly very physically demanding in the forwards," she said.
"I like pushing myself to see where I can go and I actually like making mistakes so I can learn from those."
Shortly after the Central West Bulls women's side won their third straight Thomson Cup at the 2022 NSW Country Champions, Gobourg made a promise to herself.
It wasn't that she was going to make the team, just that she would give it a crack.
"I saw some of the other girls and the joy in their faces when they held up the trophy. I wasn't going to know about that until I gave it a go," she said.
So come the 2023 try-outs, she backed herself and went to every single session.
"I give a lot of that credit to the people who are in my corner," Gobourg added.
"Whether that's throughout the club and the girls, or my family and friends. I don't know if I would have built the confidence to the point that I did if it wasn't for having them in my corner."
Not only did Gobourg try out, she made the final Blue Bulls squad that will travel to Tamworth for a shot at four straight titles.
"It's still sinking in," she said.
"I set myself up mentally early on that half the battle was giving it a crack. I gave it my best and I didn't nail it from start to finish, but I just kept showing up and not giving in."
Gobourg was one of only two Orange players selected for the women's side - along with City's Holly Jones. The magnitude of this wasn't lost on the Emu either.
"In a sea of Bulldogs and Roos, to have a couple of us from Orange and other clubs around the region is pretty special," she said.
Having risen through the ranks at such a rapid speed, it's no surprise she's championing the sport for other women.
"Rugby has given me a lot of sisters that I never had," she said.
"I've been able to form bonds with women who are also so passionate about this sport. I want to bring anyone into the fold who wants that as well."
The women's sides will play pool games on Saturday, June 10 and those results will dictate Sunday's fixtures and finals.
Reading this on mobile web? Download our news app. It's faster, easier to read and we'll send you alerts for breaking news as it happens.
Download in the Apple Store or Google Play.