Santos PNG Orchids captain Elsie Albert needs little introduction.
Spurred on by watching the Orchids’ international debut at RLWC2017, she took up rugby league in 2018 and was selected to represent her country later that year.
The Southern Highlander captained the Orchids in the 2019 test series against England, raising her international profile and earning a professional contract with St George Illawarra Dragons in the NRLW – the first PNG-based woman to do so.
Elsie has now played three seasons of NRLW, including one Grand Final, with the Dragons, and will again captain the Orchids at #RLWC2021.
“It’s an honour for me to be given the opportunity to captain my country but this time on the World Cup stage,” Elsie says. “In 2017 when I watched the girls playing in their first ever World Cup, it was pioneer Orchids like Cathy Neap and Della Audama (now Orchids assistant coach) who inspired me.
“Now, I think me being in the NRLW system inspires the girls back home. I get a lot of messages saying, ‘seeing you play inspires us to get our boots on and get onto the field’.
“When I run out as captain, I think about the girls back home who are inspired by me to play rugby league or are sitting at home not knowing what to do…it’s about inspiring the next generation of girls to play rugby league, or those who want to do things in other male-dominated areas. If you put your mind and hard work into anything, you can achieve it.”
Source: Santos PNG Orchids