The Wallaroos will have the chance to snare a rare piece of silverware this weekend but captain Michaela Leonard says it's merely another step towards their goal of becoming world beaters.
The Australian women's rugby team face Scotland in Cape Town on Saturday night (Sunday AEDT) with the winner to take home the WXV 2 trophy.
As rewarding as that trophy would be, the world No.7 Wallaroos are determined to work their way up the rankings to become a tier-one side for future WXV tournaments, and to make a major impact at next year's World Cup in England.
The Wallaroos have played only 83 Tests, while Scotland have played more than 200.
Highlighting the Wallaroos' inexperience on the international stage is the fact backrower Ash Marsters, in what will be her 34th Test, will become the most-capped women's player in Australian rugby history this weekend.
Marsters, 30, will eclipse the previous best mark set by Liz Patu.
The chance of snaring silverware with a win over Scotland is a momentous moment for the Wallaroos, but it's by no means the end game.
"It would be pretty special," Leonard said.
"In my time in the jersey since 2019, we probably haven't been in this position where we're really contending and coming down to a crunch game to be able to hold silverware and experience what that feels like.
"It's recognition of the hard work we've been putting in on the field and the coaching staff off the field, the program development as a whole.
"And a bit of recognition and confidence in what we're doing on the field, the skills that we have, our ability to keep pushing to know that we want to be higher than what we're currently sitting in WXV2.
"We want to chase for top of WXV1, chase for the top of the World Cup standings."
Leonard was full of praise for Marsters, who made her Wallaroos debut in 2014.
"Ash is huge for this group," Leonard said.
"She's one of those players that plays with huge energy and emotion, and can really get the group going when we need her in those hard times under a post, or when we need to rally together and play a physical game.
"We're all proud of her and to see how far she's come."
And with the Wallaroos playing more Tests, Marsters' record probably won't last long.
"Now that we're seeing a consistent 10 Test matches a year, hopefully in the next couple of years coming into the home World Cup of 2029, we'll have a good number of players pushing those higher honours and higher numbers, working towards those 50 and onwards," Leonard said.
