Brumbies flanker says team have made massive improvements in 2019
As a former gymnast and dancer, Brumbies flanker Georgia O’Neill loves putting on a show and there would be no better stage for her than a Super W grand final.
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Don’t be surprised if Wallaroos flanker Georgia O’Neill breaks out an impromptu backflip if the ACT Brumbies manage to beat the Queensland Reds in Sunday’s Super W final playoff.
As a former gymnast and dancer, O’Neill is an instinctive performer who loves putting on a show when the chance arises and there would be no better opportunity for her than if the Brumbies get through to the Super W grand final.
“I haven’t got anything planned, but who knows if we win,” she said.
“Even in training, I just love busting out cartwheels and dance moves for fun because that’s part of who I am. But the most important thing is the game.”
After winning just one match in last season’s inaugural Super W season, the Brumbies are now just one win away from joining the Waratahs in the grand final after making massive strides this season.
They secured their spot in the playoff the hard way, beating WA in Perth last weekend, and while the Brumbies haven’t managed to defeat the Waratahs or Reds so far, they have drastically cut the gap, losing 12-0 to Queensland earlier this month in a tight match.
“This team has come a long way in the last 12 months,” Brumbies coach Adam Butt said.
“To get this opportunity means the world to them because they’ve put in so much work and made so many sacrifices to get to this point.
“It’s no longer about wanting to get closer, now they want to win.”
O’Neill epitomises the rapid improvement the Brumbies have made since joining Super W.
A talented athlete who also dabbled in boxing and now works as a gymnastics teacher but has also performed in several productions including Chicago and The Sound of Music, the 23-year-old has established herself as one of the rising stars of the game after taking a brief break from the sport in 2017.
Invited to the Wallaroos train-on squad before her sabbatical, O’Neill was promoted to the national starting team for last year’s historic Test against the Black Ferns and now has her sights on winning some Super W silverware.
“Even though ACT is not the biggest team in the comp, I think we’ve got the biggest hearts and we’ve become a very tight group,” she said.
“We’re so eager about getting this chance against Queensland though we know they are a great team and will be hard to beat.
“We’re still improving but we believe in ourselves because we’ve got a really good base now so we just have to execute and prove it on the day.”
Originally published as Brumbies flanker says team have made massive improvements in 2019
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