Wallaroos debutant Amelia Whitaker is ready to test herself against the best as the young wing adds to a growing family legacy.
Whitaker has been entrusted with her debut against England in Manchester on Sunday (AEST), replacing Maya Stewart (Achilles) on the wing.
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The 20-year-old is coming off a brilliant season for the NSW Waratahs, named Player of the Year in a team stacked with Test talent.
It continues the young gun's rapid growth from her Super Rugby W debut last year, with rugby running through her veins.
Whitaker's family is entrenched within the sport, most notably uncle Chris, who captained the Wallabies and is the current Australia U20 head coach.
Whitaker's brother Harry was named in the Australia U18 squad to face New Zealand in a couple of weeks, with cousin Poppy also selected in the U19 development squad.
"They get the highs and lows of the sport, especially with dad [Ben, GM Men's High Performance] working in rugby as well as my uncle and cousins playing," she told reporters.
"They understand how hard you really have to work, so I feel really supported."
Whitaker will come up against a star-studded backline, headlined by 2024 Player of the Year Ellie Kildunne at fullback
"I'm really excited. I grew up watching these people play so I'll just be a bit starstruck but hopefully I'll be up for the task," she said and smiled.
"I think it will be a hard challenge, obviously England being number one but this week I feel like we've really rallied together so I think we're up for the task."
Assistant coach Mike Ruthven has seen Whitaker's growth since her Super Rugby W debut last year and is adamant she can step up to the moment in front of a packed crowd.
"Milly's had a terrific season, super athlete, really good competitor," he said.
"She's proven that she can be a really confident finisher, and no doubt she'll do a really good job on the weekend."
