The rise of Rugby Sevens livewire Wallace Charlie: How a hot-stepping teen from Cairns made dreams a reality

When Wallace Charlie and his older brothers were playing backyard footy in the confines of their Mooroobool home in Cairns a decade ago, he never would have envisioned it would take him to Los Angeles. Read about the exciting teen’s backstory ahead of his first rodeo in gold.

Wallace Charlie (left) gets a touch with older brother Joshtel (Northern Pride, No.5) when he was much younger.

When Wallace Charlie, 18, and his older brothers were playing backyard footy in the confines of their Mooroobool home in Cairns a decade ago, he never would have envisioned it would take him to Los Angeles.

Next Saturday, Wallace will live out a dream he didn’t think was remotely possible when making his Australian Men’s Sevens World Championship debut in the City of Angels, after head coach Liam Barry first noticed him at the Global Youth Sevens tournament staged in Auckland late last year.

“When he (Barry) first brought me in, ‘no expectations’ was the first thing he said to me,” Wallace said.

“Him trusting me as an 18-year-old to go out there and represent my country. I really hold that close to my heart,” Wallace said.

Wallace will be representing his country and importantly “First Nations people as well as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” which he is proud as punch about.

Wallace’s rise from a town, home to less than 5000 people, to the biggest stage of his fledgling career would not have been possible if not for former St Peters Lutheran College rugby coach and now Ipswich Grammar head of rugby, Russell Todd.

Todd stumbled across Charlie when he was 14 at Woree State High and was responsible for arranging a St Peters rugby scholarship for the little livewire commencing in Year 10 back in 2022.

Wallace Charlie takes the ball forward in the 2024 Ballymore Cup rugby competition.

Charlie, the second youngest of seven, then moved from his family home - where he lived with mother Phyllis, brothers Jaiden, Joshtel and Alo and sisters Annretta, Somatina and Adrianna - into the Saints’ boarding dorms stationed in westside suburb Indooroopilly.

That stark change of scenery opened doors for Charlie, who may never have realised his potential had Todd not set the wheels in motion.

“Moving away opened up my rugby for me. He’s the main one for me who I credit this to,” Wallace said.

Wallace was born on Darnley Island, also known as ‘Erub’ in the native Papuan language, which is located on the eastern section of the Torres Strait and home to 400 people. He has a sprinkle of Fijian flair running through him, his grandfather a Rotuma village native.

Wallace Charlie is an excitement machine.

When Wallace was two he moved to Cairns before attending Cairns West State School.

“Where I grew up in Cairns, it was pretty rough,” Wallace concluded.

“It was pretty hard, moving around into different suburbs. The crime rate was really high and it was pretty hard for me.

“Sometimes I would make friends with kids that weren’t doing the right thing. I would find that fun when I was younger, following them.”

The absence of Wallace’s father throughout his childhood meant older brothers Joshtel (24) and Jaiden (20) were influential in his upbringing.

“My parents and my older siblings played a big role, sending me to school, helping me to get to training. Just getting the right friendships when I was younger helped me.”

Cairns West Primary School products Wallace Charlie (left), Davidson Benioni and Taakoi Benioni11 as 12-year-olds. The Benioni boys are highly promising North Queensland Cowboys Academy forwards. Picture: Anna Rogers.

Joshtel, a Queensland Cup outside back with the Northern Pride, lit the fire beneath Wallace to dig his teeth into footy.

“Dad not being around much, it was hard for me. Joshtel played that father figure role for me,” Wallace said.

“Him being a role model in rugby league inspired me to be like him and keep working and looking after my sisters. He set that example.

“My older brothers paved the way for me... We (Me and Jaiden) started our first rugby league team, the White Rock Cannons, when I was eight years old.”

Wallace’s tight knit family will be glued to the TV watching his debut on May 4 and 5, so unexpected was his selection in the Australian squad.

Just last year Wallace Charlie was playing AIC rugby for St Peters.

“It’s pretty short notice so none of them would be able to come over. Plus none of them really thought my time would come this soon,” Wallace said.

“I don’t think any of them have a passport either.”

Wallace, the second youngest of seven, will wear jersey No.77 to represent his roots.

“It’s giving me flashbacks of when me and my brothers used to play up in the backyard, silly flick passes, burning each other one-on-one,” Wallace said, ahead of his first big trip overseas outside of attending the youth tournaments in Auckland.

“If I can do that on a world stage, it’s going to really hit home.”