Childbirth, the army and a ten year wait for Wallaroos gold

Fri, Sep 13, 2024, 11:24 AM
Nathan Williamson

There have been dozens of debutants in the gold jersey across all teams in 2024 but none with a story like Lucy Dinnen.

Dinnen (née Lockhart) will realise a life long dream on Saturday after being picked for the Wallaroos against Ireland on Saturday.

The 31-year-old's journey just in 2024 is something special, let alone her last decade in the sport.

Dinnen took a chance to head west to Perth after her return to Rugby four months after giving birth to her baby girl Zoe.

“Early February this year I wasn't getting the support and what I wanted from other clubs that I was interested in,” she explained to reporters.

“I reached out to a few clubs around Australia and Western Force gave me their overall deal and told me how much they're going to support me and my young family and how they're going to help with that transition across Australia.

“I started in that extended squad knowing that there was potential of me not even playing Super Rugby W but with what they offered at that club, I couldn't say no to their training and their support with female Rugby all over.

“I grasped that opportunity, took my husband and my two-year-old all the way over to Perth and luck had it for me there was an injury and I slotted right into that team, started on the bench and just worked my way into that starting team which is really good for me.”

Dinnen has been in Wallaroos squads for the past decade, included in the squad before the 2014 World Cup.

However, her second life as a Corporal in the Australian Army limited her availability.

Dinnen has been deployed in the past as a middle point between the Army and task groups in Afghanistan and other areas in the Middle East.

“We were the connection between Australia and Afghanistan, or whatever operation we were on at that stage. We’d be transporting all the stores and equipment from Australia to the country,” she told Women's Health in 2018

“I didn’t get the chance to go into the war zone, but I was part of the bigger picture with regards to logistics. It was very intense. We were working around 16 hours a day, seven days a week for the four months. It was a very busy schedule. We didn’t have much downtime but it was a great experience.”

She returned home and her main role consisted of working as an instructor at the Kapooka Barracks in Wagga Wagga along with the ADFA amongst others.

Throughout that time, the goal of a gold jersey remained and looked poised to claim it when she took out Super W Player of the Year in 2021.

In the end, childbirth took her away from the game and left her with just five months to be ready to make the delayed World Cup.

“I really pushed myself to try and get back on the field. Unfortunately, my body didn't react too well and I wasn't as fast,” she admits. “I had an open and honest conversation with the head coach at the time which was Jay (Tregonning) and he just said ‘Unfortunately because it has been so quickly I didn't get selected.’

“I understood that it is quite a short time for just having a baby five months going to World Cup, very high-intensity training.

“After that, I’ve just been working hard. I've had my ankle injury last year so that ruled me out of last year's Super Rugby and then this year I've just put everything to it, just hard work and perseverance."

It left Dinnen to search for her love of the game again, finding it in WA with Wanneroo.

“I put a little bit too much pressure on myself for a little bit last year and the year before so I had a bit of a reset” Dinnen said.

“I just wanted to feel the love for the game again. I wanted to go to a club that made me love the game and made me want to play instead of putting too much pressure on myself.

“I think finding my love with rugby with my Wanneroo club who are a really good supportive team (was huge). My husband coaches there too so it's been really good to play a local club there so we've worked and integrated our family into the rugby lifestyle over in Perth which helped me get back into it and love playing.”

It made the moment when her face popped up on the screen as jersey #20 all the more special.

"One of my big goals in life was to wear this green and gold," Dinnen said. "It's been ten years since my first Wallaroos' camp, when I was 21.

"I've been chipping at it for quite a while. My hard work and perseverance have finally pushed through.

“…I tried to keep a straight face when they called the name. Me and T (Tiarah Minns) just looked at each other but as soon as I left the room I was in all sorts.

“Ten years has been a long time and I'm so ready for this opportunity.”

Dinnen will have the support of her young family, who made the trip over in anticipation of the debut.

The backrower was reunited in emotional scenes overnight as Dinnen gave an insight into what that moment meant to her amid her setbacks and success.

“I can't even explain it. My husband has been my rock. He's the one that's been pushing me because he knows how much this means to me," she said.

“He has been such a huge support in my life…We booked the flight before I knew the team because he said if there is a slight opportunity I need to be there. He goes ‘This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’ and let's just do it, we’ll work around it and we'll just go from there.

“I'm so glad he's very supportive and I have him in my corner at all times. I'm really excited.”