Tiana Penitani is the youngest person selected to play in a senior rugby union team

TIANA Penitani has been selected as Australia's youngest Rugby World Cup representative after playing the sport for just one year.

TIANA Penitani has been selected as Australia's youngest Rugby World Cup representative after playing the sport for just one year.

The Maroubra Rugby player has been selected in the Australian Women's Sevens World Cup squad to play in Moscow on June 29 and 30.

At only 17, the Matraville youngster needed her mother to sign a parental waiver to tour.

She won selection on the wing in the 12-strong World Cup squad, after competing in the recent World Series, scoring 55 points during Australia's campaign.

Despite the star's recent achievements, she was shocked about her World Cup selection.

"I really didn't expect it, I went into camp thinking I would just get experience playing with the older girls, I didn't have any expectations so I was overwhelmed," she said.

"I get to play with people I look up to, like captain Sharni Williams, and to be on the field with them at international level is more than amazing."

Penitani is confident the team can defend its 2009 World Cup title.

"I will be carrying a huge amount of pride," she said.

Penitani was part of the gold-medal winning Women's Sevens team at the 2013 Australian Youth Olympic Festival and the Australian Oztag Under-18 team which won the 2012 Oztag World Cup.

Her next goal is to play at 2016 Rio Olympics.

DID YOU KNOW

• The sporting all-rounder was the Southern Courier's 2010 Junior Sport Star for her achievements in athletics.
• She takes the record from Queensland winger Brian Ford who, in 1957, became the youngest Wallaby aged 18 years and 90 days.