Grace Hamilton - Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace: Women’s Rugby with Grace Hamilton.

Despite having a relatively late start in rugby, Grace Hamilton’s commitment to the sport and excellence on the field led her to be named the 2019 Wallaroo of the year.

In this episode, we speak with Grace about women’s rugby, her career and leadership challenges, and the future of the sport.

We begin by talking about her start in rugby before diving into her career milestones.
Grace attributes her success to her drive to see how far she can push herself. We ask Grace about the difficulties of playing women’s rugby and she comments on how empowering the sport is for women.

After discussing what it was like to train while studying her Master’s degree, we
talk about what the rest of 2020 looks like for women’s Australian rugby. As the Wallaroo
captain, she opens up about the difficulties of keeping her team motivated during the pandemic.

Grace also opens up about losing her father, her bedrock of support, while achieving some of her career highlights. With a focus on the future, Grace shares what she would do if she had a magic wand to grow the game for women in Australia before sharing her advice for young women who aspire to play rugby. Tune in to hear more about women’s rugby — an aspect of the sport that’s seeing an incredible uptake.

Key Points From This Episode:

Grace shares her love of rugby and what brought her to the sport at a young age.

Milestones in Grace’s career including being named the 2019 Wallaroo of the year.

Finding success, despite starting rugby at a relatively late stage.

Why rugby is an excellent sport for women to play.

What it was like for Grace to train for rugby while studying her Master’s.

What the end of 2020 looks like for women’s Australian rugby.

Maintaining discipline and motivation despite an uncertain future.

Playing as number 8 and the skills that Grace focuses on.

Leadership challenges and what Grace has learned from captaining the Wallaroos.

Why women’s sevens rugby has helped fuel the uptake in women’s rugby.

The importance of creating grassroots opportunities for women’s rugby.

Grace’s advice to aspiring young women who want to play rugby.

Getting back onto the field after losing her father.

The people who most inspire Grace to eventually “leave her jersey in a better place.”

What Grace would do if she were given a magic wand to improve women’s rugby.

The benefits of the Super W competition for women’s rugby.

“I was 21 when I first put on my rugby boots. Once I put my boots on, I never took them off.” — @GracieJHamilton [0:05:05]

“Young women should give it a go. Even if you don’t know if you want to play, head over to a training session and watch. You’ll see how fun it can be.” — @GracieJHamilton [0:16:12]

“I thrive over people who are passionate about the game. It makes me want to leave my jersey in a better place and make those girls proud.” — @GracieJHamilton [0:19:35]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Grace Hamilton on LinkedIn
Grace Hamilton on Twitter
Wallaroos
Rugby Australia
Black Ferns
2021 Rugby World Cup
Super W