There’s no denying Ali Brigginshaw has endured a tough year of rugby league after disappointing back-to-back seasons with the Broncos and a tough loss to the Blues in State of Origin.
But the Jillaroos co-captain said she is determined to use her World Cup selection as an opportunity to end 2022 on a high.
After being brought to tears following the Broncos' 28-16 loss to the Eels in the NRLW last month which ended the club's campaign prematurely, Brigginshaw has one final shot at glory ahead of her third and possibly final World Cup campaign.
“It was a disappointing season but I’m never one to let it hold me down. There’s more to life than footy,” she said.
“We can be disappointed, but you’ve got to move on so the sole focus for me now is on the World Cup.
“We’ve got the green and gold on and I’m playing with some girls I’ve only dreamt of playing with and now I get to do it so I couldn’t be more excited.
“I want to finish the year off on a high and this is the perfect end to any year.”
With 17 Test appearances to her name, Brigginshaw will head to England as the longest-serving player in the new-look Jillaroos squad.
Along with Sam Bremner and Emma Tonegato, the trio are the only players left who lifted the trophy on foreign soil in 2013, while just five squad members remain from the 2017 World Cup win.
Brigginshaw provides for Apps
“That’s why I’m so excited because half of these girls haven’t experienced it before and I just know they’re going to have the best time of their life,” Brigginshaw said.
“The 2013 World Cup was probably one of the biggest moments of my life so these girls are going to experience it and it’s kind of crazy because they’ve got no idea what they’re in for.
“The World Cup feeling, knowing every Aussie back home is supporting you is an unbelievable feeling.
“It’s been on the calendar and now that we’re in the team and the selections have been made, we can breathe easy and start to look forward to it.”
While Brigginshaw will take her career full circle when the competition kicks off in November, she too reflected on how far the women's game has come since the Jillaroos broke through with their first World Cup victory in 2013.
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“The media, the medical staff, the kit you get, this is above and beyond anything we ever got in 2013,” she said.
“It’s still a pinch-me moment that we are here. There’s media lining up to talk to us and we’re literally next to the door of the Kangaroos, it’s unbelievable.
“We used to just grab a bag and get on the plane. We’d be given a jersey that came down to our knees.
“I wouldn’t change any of those moments for anything but for these girls, it’s unbelievable to see what people have paved the way for.”
The Jillaroos' leading point scorer is under no illusion she could be approaching her final World Cup, but the Aussie halfback said every time she pulls on the green and gold jersey, she plays the game as if it is her “last”.
Ali Brigginshaw Post-Game
“There’s so much talent coming through and there’s always girls knocking on the door but I’m just grateful to be here and I’m ready to do a job for Australia,” she said.
“I never want to put a timeline on it but you’ve got to treat every Australian game as if it’s your last because you just don’t know what’s going to happen.”
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