Newcastle's Layne Morgan has been selected for Australia's World Cup opener against defending champions New Zealand, which will be played on Saturday at a packed Eden Park.
The 23-year-old halfback, a former student at St Paul's Catholic College in Booragul, has been named on the bench for the Wallaroos with 40,000 fans expected to attend the women's rugby union fixture.
Morgan has seven Test caps after making her international debut against Fiji in Brisbane earlier this year.
"Lost for words on how to describe how much this truly means to me," Morgan posted on social media last week.
"So many early mornings, late nights, big drives and long days to get me here and I wouldn't change a thing.
"From where the love of tackle footy came into my first game at 16. I'm so lucky to be able to do what I love and to have my family, beautiful friends that support me."
Wallaroos veteran Iliseva Batibasaga, 37, is the starting No.9.
WALLAROOS: Pauline Piliae-Rasabale, Bienne Terita, Georgina Friedrichs, Sharni Williams, Ivania Wong, Arabella McKenzie, Iliseva Batibasaga, Grace Hamilton, Shannon Parry (c), Emily Chancellor, Atasi Lafai, Sera Naiqama, Bridie O'Gorman, Adiana Talakai, Liz Patu. Bench: Ashley Marsters, Emily Robinson, Eva Karpani, Michaela Leonard, Grace Kemp, Layne Morgan, Trilleen Pomare, Lori Cramer.
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