This week, the Queensland Rugby Union will introduce two new awards to the Queensland Premier Rugby Women’s competition, recognising some of the former greats of the Women’s game who have paved the way for Women’s club Rugby in Queensland.
The Selena Worsley and Cheyenne Campbell Medals will be presented to current players within the Queensland Premier Women’s Rugby ranks for the first time.
The Selena Worsley Medal will be awarded to the competition’s player of the season at tomorrow morning’s Grand Final breakfast event at the Regatta Hotel, alongside the Alec Evans Medal, awarded to the Hospital Cup’s Player of the Season.
Selected based on votes by the coaches from each of the nine Premier Rugby Women’s teams, the award will see one player recognised for her efforts throughout the season.
The Cheyenne Campbell Medal will mirror the Hospital Cup’s Tony Shaw Medal, presented to the player of the Grand Final on Sunday.
The medals have been named after two women who have provided great service to the game of Rugby in Queensland across varying levels.
Wallaroo cap #7 and Queensland Cap #15, Worsley won four National Championships with Queensland. A member of the inaugural Queensland Women’s team in 1996, Selena played her last game for Queensland in 2008, making her the most capped player with a career spanning 12 years and 34 caps, five as Captain.
Worsley played in three Rugby World Cups, 1998, 2002 and 2006. She was a World Cup Champion in 2009 with the Australian 7s team and has 25 caps for the Wallaroos. Within Queensland Premier Rugby, she plyed her trade across a number of clubs including Souths, Easts and Wests.
Wallaroo cap #110 and Queensland Cap #78, Campbell has been a mainstay within the Queensland Premier Rugby scene, playing with some of the original trail blazers such as Worsley, while playing at the last World Cup in Ireland in 2017 before captaining Queensland in the first season of Super W in 2018.
Having won Premierships with Easts, Campbell then helped establish the Women’s Rugby team at Redlands, and has more recently got involved in coaching, where she has helped establish Brisbane Junior Rugby Union’s first ever junior girls XVs program this year.
“The last few months have been incredibly special in terms of recognition for the Women’s game,” said Worsley.
“Starting with the very special Queensland capping ceremony at Suncorp Stadium earlier this year, the inclusion of the first woman in the Queensland Rugby Hall of Fame, and now the recognition of the most outstanding women in the Premier competition.
“These are important milestones in the progress of Women’s Rugby in Queensland. I feel incredibly honoured to be associated with the history of our game, you can’t help by feel humbled by the personal recognition.
“We are undoubtedly a very small part of what will be a very long future for Women in Rugby.”
Cheyenne Campbell said: “Having an award named after you is a very special honour and for it to be the player of the Grand Final, I am absolutely blowen away by the gesture.”
With Campbell having previously played for Easts, she has most recently answered an SOS from Bond University and played at the back end of their season in the frontrow.
“I want to wish both clubs the best of luck in Sunday’s decider, there is a lot of talent across both teams and fans will be able to watch a great game of Women’s Rugby on Queensland’s biggest sporting stage.”
The Women’s Grand Final between Easts and Bond University will kick off at 11:00am on Sunday. Tickets for the Grand Final day at Suncorp Stadium are available via https://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=QRUCHAMP22.
