Luisa Raikiwasa has pulled on the boots for South Australia's Black Falcons more than most, but this year presents an entirely different challenge.
Next week, Raikiwasa will fly to Newcastle for the 2025 Buildcorp Australian Rugby Shield - not as a player - but as head coach of the South Australian women.
Learn more about the 2025 Buildcorp Australian Rugby Shield.
Raikiwasa is undertaking her World Rugby Level 3 studies but told rugby.com.au she was surprised to receive the call-up from South Australian coaching director Rob Sadler.
"I've been playing with our state women for the past few years and was an assistant coach last year under Rob," Raikiwasa said.
"I've coached juniors for the past 10 years, including our state U14s for the past two years and as an assistant with the U16s this year, but I was a little bit nervous when Rob asked if I would like to head up the women's program.
"Honestly, I might not have done it without his encouragement.
"It's a bit outside my comfort zone, a really big learning curve and certainly a big difference from coaching club or kids but so far, so good.
"Rob's been really proactive in developing female coaches here in South Australia and I've been working really closely with him, so yeah, nervous but excited."
South Australia has been a Shield mainstay since driving the tournament's pre-and-post-Covid resurgence and Raikiwasa knows her state are aiming high.
The Black Falcons women mirrored South Australia's men in finishing fifth last year, but were left to rue narrow pool losses to eventual winners ACT & SNSW Kestrels (14-17) and runners up Queensland Country (14-22).
"We’ve been training once a week for the past five or six weeks and that's gone up since the finals, last week was our first full week of Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday," Raikiwasa said.
"Our player feedback has been that we're in it to win it. We know we're really competitive, we know we had those really close games last year and we want to perform."
In the women's Shield, South Australia tackle Queensland Suburban, Sydney, and reigning Shield holders ACT & SNSW.
In the men's Shield, South Australia will face NSW Suburban, Queensland Country and Australian Defence Rugby.
Click here for the full 2025 Buildcorp Australian Rugby Shield draw.
