Wallaroos teammates still call her ‘The Kid’ but there's no doubt Caitlyn Halse is growing up - real fast.
Fresh from a maiden Super Rugby Women’s title and two games into her sophomore Test season, Halse, 18, has already forced her way into pole position as Jo Yapp’s starting fullback for 2025.
Though Halse didn’t feature against the Black Ferns, her nine tackle busts and a try against Fijiana spearheaded the Wallaroos’ 43-7 opening win while an assured kicking display against USA last week – both for touch and in general play – showcased her ever-improving boot ahead of Friday’s clash with Canada in Brisbane.
“I think I’ve grown a lot on and off the field,” Halse told rugby.com.au.
“I’ve been trying to work on the mental side of my game, thinking of ways I can get myself back up to where I should be if a mistake happens.
“I’ve also worked a lot on my fitness and my kicking game. They think I’ve got a pretty big boot so just the last couple of weeks I’ve been getting down and practicing from different spots, just aiming to see where I can get further and further to allow my team to get into better attacking spaces and get better opportunities to score some points.”
Indeed, Halse’s performances against Fiji and USA have prompted selectors to retain the teenager at fullback ahead of her childhood idol – Charlotte Caslick – who has been shifted from the wing to centre for Friday’s clash with Canada.
The pair clashed twice as rival 15s during the Super Rugby Women’s campaign with Halse claiming bragging rights over Caslick before a "surreal" meeting as first-time teammates in Wallaroos camp last month.
“I was nervous just playing (Caslick) in the Super W competition, very nervous when I first met her and still am sometimes,” Halse admitted.
“Obviously I watched her growing up. She one of those idols and one of the reasons I wanted to go to the Olympics or play Sevens after watching Rio (2016). I’ve got a lot of photos of her at Sevens competitions - I got her boots at one point too - so it’s a very surreal feeling.
“I just wanted to be like those Sevens girls. They used to put out these behind-the-scenes clips and I used to watch them all the time with my notebook and just write down things they were doing, whether it was a stretch or the running they were doing.”
Far from daunted by Caslick’s inclusion, Halse revealed the pair were already trading tips about positional play and welcomed the challenge as teammates pushing for the 15 jersey.
"She (Halse) actually sent me a video so she was sharing some knowledge around, just where to stand in the backfield which was good," Caslick told rugby.com.au.
"Caitlyn said that it helped her a lot and I found it helpful too. I guess we’re all competing for similar positions but at the end of the day, we still want the Wallaroos to do well so we’re here helping each other out."
“She’s getting better and better every week just by being around the girls,” Halse added of Caslick.
“I think there’s no point in withholding knowledge from someone else, we’re trying to get better as a team and bettering individuals will help the team.
“If she’s good enough to take my spot, she’ll take my spot but I don’t think there’s any hate or envy, the coach will just pick whatever’s best for the team.”
The Wallaroos-Canada Pacific Four clash kicks off 4:55pm AEST on Friday 23 May at Suncorp Stadium. Tickets are available for purchase here.
