The Wallaroos have traded boots for bats as they compare notes with the Australian Women’s Cricket team ahead their respective World Cup campaigns.
The two sides are preparing for their shot at World Cup glory, with Jo Yapp’s side just over a month away from starting their campaign in England.
Watch every game of the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup live and on-demand via Stan Sport.
Similarly, the 7-time ODI World Cup champions are preparing to defend their crown in India later in October.
Wallaroos trio Desiree Miller, Annabelle Codey and Tia Hinds had a go at batting and bowling while giving cricket superstars Ash Gardner and Phoebe Litchfield tips about kicking and tackling.
Hinds was particularly handy with the bat as Codey and Miller rolled over the arm, with Gardner showing off her tackling prowess by levelling Litchfield with a beauty.
My hands are a bit sore. [Ash Gardner] also got me the shin at one point, but yeah, I'll be alright,” Codey joked.
“The cricketers definitely beat us at our own game, which is mildly concerning, but it's alright. We'll be back.”
“We actually haven't done a lot of cross-code stuff before, so just to hang out with different other female athletes is a lot of fun and doing something completely different to what we normally do,” Gardner added.
“There's always an AFL or rugby ball lying around in our kits, but we never actually get to play around with it. So it was nice to do something a little bit different."
The two teams were able to compare notes about playing on the big stage, with the Wallaroos fresh off pushing a Kiwi side all the way in Wellington in front of a bumper crowd as part of the All Blacks-France double-header.
Gardner spoke about the importance of staying calm and balanced in the big moments while enjoying the unique atmosphere.
“Preparing for World Cups, it's obviously the pinnacle of most sports. So it's [about] being able to overcome those high-pressure situations on and off the field, because sometimes the things that happen off the field can creep in on the field as well,” she explained.
“It's probably just being able to stay as relaxed as possible, to be honest, and just have fun while doing it, because World Cups should be fun. You get to play the best teams in the world and hopefully coming away with a World Cup is obviously what everyone's striving for as well.”
Codey could see the similarities between the two sports from a mental standpoint as she reflected on her own journey back to the Wallaroos, playing her first Test in 631 days last Saturday.
“Even though rugby's a lot more physical, there are a lot of similarities between high-performance environments and cricket and rugby. I guess all you can do is prep well, stay connected as a unit heading to a World Cup,” Codey said.
“It was a really nice feeling [running out on Saturday]. It was like a full circle moment, to be honest, because the last game I had played was at the Cake Tin [SKY Stadium] 631 days ago on Saturday, so it was a really nice feeling.
“I wasn't actually too nervous because I had been in that position before, but it was probably just more of a really proud moment for myself, my family, and my friends. It's all the hard work that's paid off.”
