THE opportunity to represent Australia in front of her family was enough incentive for Kylie Hilder to have one last campaign with the Australian mixed touch team.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Australians will play New Zealand in a three-test Trans Tasman series at Mudgee from April 26-28.
Hilder made a comeback to international touch last year when she was a member of the World Cup winning Australian mixed team in Scotland. After returning home the Taree touch product said that would be her finale in open competition.
Hilder won two World Cups with the Australian women’s side and one with the mixed. However, she hasn’t represented Australia in Australia since 2001 and this was another reason she was keen to have a crack at the Kiwis.
“But the biggest incentive was being able to have my three boys (husband Troy and sons Ashton, 7 and Nate, 3) watch me for the first time in Aussie colours,’’ she said.
The preliminary squads were selected after the National Touch League (NTL) at Port Macquarie last month.
“We had final selection trials at Penrith last weekend,’’ Hilder explained.
“This is a completely new team from last year and we also have a new coach. I was very lucky to keep a spot in the middle, as they have taken a new direction by bringing youth through for the next phase for the next World Cup. There were 19 girls were fighting for seven spots.’’
Hilder will definitely retire from the open division after the series.
“They are getting way too fast and so much fitter,’’ she admits.
The squad goes into camp on Saturday April 21 in Sydney for three days before heading to Mudgee. All games will be in the new stadium in Mudgee.
Hilder is a former Australian women’s rugby league representative. She’s back playing league this year with the Maitland Pickers in the Sydney competition, hoping to make the State side to meet Queensland.
This match will be played before the Knights-West Tigers NRL fixture and will be televised. Hilder is also a member of the premiership winning Forster-Tuncurry league tag side.
