Even though Buck, 32, like all her team-mates are playing at a Rugby League World Cup for the first time, it’s not the first time she has represented her country on the biggest stage.
She’s played for Wales in two Touch Rugby World Cups in 2015 and 2019.
“My first cap in touch rugby for Wales was actually against Samoa, funnily enough in Australia in 2015. It’s a bit of a full circle moment,” she explained.
“I’ve also played in the European Championships with them as well. Unfortunately, I was injured for the last World Cup (in 2024), so I was a coach rather than a player.”
Buck switched to rugby league during the Covid pandemic and hasn’t looked back since.
She plays her club rugby for Cardiff Demons and played in Wales’ first ever Test match against England in 2021.
“I just put a rugby CV through to the rugby league side of things and got asked to go for a trial,” Buck recalls.
“I did also play rugby union so I wasn’t completely new to the physicality of the sport thankfully. I think the combination of my touch rugby career and my rugby union career fits perfectly for rugby league.
“All the aspects of touch, all the aspects of union sort of merged in a way. It’s why I think my favourite code is probably rugby league.”