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ELSIE ALBERT RUGBY LEAGUE PLAYER BY LEMACH LAVARI | PHOTOGRAPHS: TROY TAULE & SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES
Elsie Albert is the captain of Papua New Guinea’s national women’s rugby league team, the PNG Orchids. She played for Souths Logan Magpies in the Queensland Women’s Premiership for most of 2020 and has now signed a one-year contract to play for the St George Illawarra Dragons in the Australian National Rugby League (NRL) women’s competition, which started in October. Albert, a former heavyweight boxer, has been nick named the ‘Juke Box’ by her teammates because dishing out ‘big hits’ has become a trademark of her game. Bone-rattling tackles and strong charges with speed and agility have made her a reliable defender.
Elsie Albert on … The first time I played rugby league was in 2018 while studying at the PNG University of Natural Resources and Environment. I have put a hold on my undergraduate study in tropical agriculture to play footy professionally in Australia. Joining the Dragons I’m excited and nervous at the same time, but will do what I usually do: run hard, hit hard so our backs can have space and move freely. It has been good to have a lot of Island girls with a number of PNG girls in the team, so I fit right in. It has been a great journey with them so far. During my normal pre-game routine I like to do stretches, listen to music and picture what I will do on the field when I get out there.
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I’m driven by the motivation to show that PNG is full of raw talent and we have what it takes to play rugby; we just need a chance to prove that we can be the best. This motivates me to push myself harder. My rugby league idol is twotime Australian NRL premiership winner and New Zealand international Sonny Bill Williams. A word of encouragement for those pursuing their goals My advice would be nothing comes easy so work hard and stay dedicated, and last but not least stay humble.