Western Force star and Wallaroos vice-captain Trilleen Pomare says she wasn’t even aware that she was closing in on Liz Patu’s international capped record ahead of Australia’s latest tour.
The 30-player Wallaroos’ squad have arrived in Northern Ireland ahead of games against Ireland in Belfast from 9:30pm WST on Saturday, followed by Wales in Newport on Saturday 21 September at 2am WST. Those two clashes will be followed by the three-game WXV2 series in Cape Town.
Pomare, along with teammate Ash Marsters, is currently on 29 caps for the Wallaroos and if they play all the games on the tour, they’ll go past Patu’s record, which is 33.
It’s significant achievement of quality but also longevity and determination in the women’s game, with 31-year-old Pomare having debuted for Australia in 2017, playing at two World Cups with another around the corner in 2025.
It comes after Pomare became the first women’s player to reach 25 Super W caps for the Force in Round 3 of the 2024 season.
But when asked about overtaking Patu, Pomare said: “To be honest, I had no idea. It’s not really something you think of.
“You just show up and you want to do your best for your teammates and your country.
“That’s always at the forefront of our minds. If we selected, we get selected. Grateful to still be kicking around.”
Since her 2017 debut, Pomare has come a long way and now she’s firmly entrenched in the Wallaroos’ leadership group as vice-captain alongside Force teammate Michaela Leonard who is skipper.
“I think we have a good leadership group, a good bunch of older and younger players so we check in on each other and I think that’s the most crucial thing being away from our families for so long," she said.
“We have a good support system here within our own group and also having a mental skills coach to help support and navigate us through those challenges.
“It’s always a challenge being away from family and so far away from home. We’re each other’s family for now and we’ve really got to make sure we stick together.
“I think any opportunity where you can mimic a World Cup year is crucial for our own development.
“We’ve got to earn how to build our own skills to get through long tours being away from and dealing with selections, non-selections and what role you play whether you’re inside or outside of the 23.”
The Wallaroos’ kick-off against Ireland on Saturday is 9:30pm WST with the game live on Stan Sport. Force duo Alapeta Ngauamo and Lucy Dinnen could make their Wallaroos debuts too.
