After learning she was to become the most-capped player in Wallaroos history, one word summed up how Michaela Leonard felt about achieving the feat.
“Humbling,” Leonard told reporters ahead of the Anzac Day Test against New Zealand’s Black Ferns on the Sunshine Coast.
Leonard’s modesty shone through at that moment, but her reaction also provided a glimpse into the respect she holds for the Wallaroos jersey and those who wore it before she made her Test debut in 2019.
“I look back at some of the women that paved the way for where we are now: Louise Burrows, Alisha Hewett, Rebecca Clough,” Leonard said.
“Those girls gave decades and plenty more years than what I have to this jersey.
“Unfortunately, they didn’t have the pathway and opportunity to play as much as what we do now.”
Michaela Leonard (right) captained the Wallaroos during the 2023–24 seasons. (Getty Images: Hannah Peters)
Leonard has never taken the opportunity to represent the Wallaroos for granted.
As she prepares for her record 46th Test, the 31-year-old lock wants to inspire the next generation of female rugby players to follow in her footsteps.
“I didn’t think I’d be given the opportunity to be selected for more Tests than any other woman in this space,” said Leonard, who will break Ashley Marsters’s record for most Wallaroos appearances.
“But I’m just really grateful for the opportunity that I had.
“I’m really grateful for the women with whom I’ve had the opportunity to play alongside and learn off, and excited to see the growth of this game in this country.
“I definitely aspire to be a role model and help to grow [the game] and hand over that knowledge.
“My biggest hope through my time in the jersey … is to continue to grow the game, share knowledge and leave the jersey in a better place than where I found it.”
Leonard’s rugby journey
Leonard’s path to rugby was not as conventional as some of her Black Ferns opponents, who took up the game during their childhood.
She was a talented junior basketballer in Canberra, dreaming of playing in the WNBL.
Rugby was not on the radar until her early 20s when she joined the ACT Brumbies ahead of the inaugural Super Rugby Women’s season in 2018.
Named the Brumbies’ rookie of the year, Leonard’s talent was recognised by the Wallaroos a year later.
Michaela Leonard (left) is handed the WXV 2 Trophy in 2024. (Getty Images/World Rugby: Johan Rynners)
She earned her first Test cap against Japan in Newcastle, although admits she was still on a steep learning curve.
“I think back [to] when I made my debut, I was still trying to figure what the laws of the game were and still really finding my feet in the rugby space,” said Leonard, who now plays domestically for Western Force.
Leonard’s international career went from strength to strength, highlighted by a stint as Wallaroos captain for 16 Tests.
She skippered the Wallaroos to their WXV 2 championship victory in 2024, the first trophy they had won, and is a veteran of two Women’s Rugby World Cup campaigns.
Her durability and consistency is remarkable, as she has played 45 out of a possible 47 Test matches since her debut.
‘A long way to go’
Leonard — who is a qualified vet physiotherapist — has seen women’s rugby grow at an incredible pace on a global scale.
She wants the Wallaroos program to reflect that growth in the build-up to the 2029 Women’s Rugby World Cup, which will be hosted by Australia.
“Looking at the Wallaroos program in itself, contractually there has been a big improvement investment-wise,” Leonard said.
“The amount of time we are able to spend together training and refining our craft … the amount of games we are playing in the year at an international level has improved, so you’re seeing that in the skill level of the players.
“But globally too, I think we’ve seen a huge increase in the excitement and involvement with women’s sport.
Michaela Leonard (right) is driven to help women’s rugby continue growing. (Getty Images: Scott Gardiner)
“You look at the numbers they’re getting at Tests at the World Cup [hosted by England] last year, the Six Nations now. There’s a real excitement around it.
“We’re selling out stadiums, people are getting around. We’re really creating a fan base.
“So there’s been huge change and improvement during my time in rugby in the women’s space but there’s still a long way to go and hopefully we start to see a lot of more of that in Australia, too.”
This weekend’s Test, which is part of the Pacific Four Series, will be the first time the Wallaroos and Black Ferns have played on Anzac Day.
It is also the opening Laurie O’Reilly Cup Test of the year, with the two sides to meet again in Auckland on August 22.
The Wallaroos are yet to defeat the Black Ferns since they first played in 1994.
Wallaroos squad to play Black Ferns: (1-15) Brianna Hoy, Tania Naden, Eva Karpani, Michaela Leonard, Tiarah Minns, Kaitlan Leaney, Lily Bone, Siokapesi Palu Sekona (c), Samantha Wood, Faitala Moleka, Desiree Miller, Sidney Taylor, Georgina Friedrichs, Maya Stewart, Waiaria Ellis
Reserves: Brittany Merlo, Martha Fua, Bridie O’Gorman, Ashley Fernandez, Piper Duck, Piper Simons, Ava Wereta, Nicole Ledington