Amelia Brown is ready to test herself against the best in the world when England face the Australia Jillaroos this weekend, following a dream start to her Rugby League World Cup campaign.
The Huddersfield Giants winger announced herself on the global stage with two tries against Wales, including a stunning 107.8-metre effort that quickly went viral.
It continued a memorable period for Brown, who finished as the Women's Super League's top try scorer and is now preparing for the biggest challenge of her career.
“At the back end of the year, I got top try scorer and there's a lot of things that have been really positive in the past couple of years for me,” Brown said.
“And now I've had the opportunity to come and play out here, so a lot of it has put me in a good place confidence wise.
“I just want to be able to go out there and do the best that I can do.”
Brown's pace was on full display against Wales, something she credits in part to her sporting background before rugby league.
Having competed in athletics when she was younger, the England winger has always backed herself when space opens up in front of her. Now, after making her mark on the World Cup, she is relishing the opportunity to line up against the reigning world champions:
“It's already a bucket list thing to say that you've played in the World Cup, never mind played against Australia, who are the best girls in the game at the minute.
“It’s unreal. Everybody wants to play against the best. There's no point in playing against opposition that doesn't challenge you, so it’ll be a really good experience for me.”
Away from the field, Brown has enjoyed spending time with her England teammates during the tournament.
With the Giants competing in the Shield Competition following the Women's Super League split halfway through the season, the winger has not regularly played alongside many of the players in the national squad. However, she says the group has quickly come together:
“There’s been a lot of team bonding.
“We're a group of girls that don't really all play together, especially me coming from Huddersfield.
“I thought it was going to be quite difficult to get in with everyone at first, but everyone's been really good. We’ve played a lot of games and every time we go out somewhere, nobody is going out on their own, and we’re doing things together.
“It’s been really good to get along with everyone and get around as a team.”
Brown has also embraced the opportunity to learn from some of the players she admired while coming through the sport:
“There are a lot of girls here that I would look up to when I was starting the game. So, to be playing with them and taking everything you can from them is really good.”
Their advice has been simple but effective.
“I think a lot of their messaging has been around confidence and backing yourself and not being scared or worrying about what's going to happen because you never know which way any game can go.
“A lot of it [their advice] is just about playing with confidence."
Of course, much of the attention surrounding Brown this week has centred on her remarkable 107.8-metre try against Wales.
Starting inside her own in-goal area, the winger raced the length of the field to score one of the moments of the women’s tournament so far.
“I don't think any try I’ve scored was quite as long as that one! I’ve been close on a few occasions,” admitted Brown.
“I was surprised by at it all, I think. When I got my hands on the ball, the focus was just keep getting as far as I could. And Eva [Hunter] was there supporting me too, but luckily, I got all the way.
“I think after I'd gone about 60 metres, my legs were giving up on me.
“In the moment, I just couldn't even think. I just needed a minute to breathe!”
Back home, Brown's performance was being followed closely by her Huddersfield teammates:
“They’re all buzzing. They were all up at whatever time it was all together watching me, just saying how proud they are of me and how they want me to go out and just keep doing what I can and keep doing what I do.”
After scoring a hat-trick on her England debut and producing a viral moment in just her second appearance, expectations may be growing around the young winger.
But heading into a mouthwatering clash with Australia, Brown's focus remains on doing whatever the team needs:
“Hopefully, I think you'll just see me trying my best and doing everything that I can for the team. Whether that results in a try or a try saver or just putting in the hard yards, then that's what it is.”
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