Saints rugby league teenager Christian Pio score in Prime Ministers XIII match against Fiji

Saints player Christian Pio wasn’t even going to try out for the Prime Minister’s XIII. Fortunately for the Australian team she did.

Christian Pio, in action for St Mary's, scored in her first game overseas.

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When Saints players Christian Pio heard she had been named to play in the Prime Minister’s XIII team against Fiji, she was shocked.

And that’s exactly the same feeling her opposition had when the Penrith teenager went over for a late try to secure the Australian side victory in the international match last weekend.

Pio secured the win for the PM’s XIII when she flew through a gap from close to the line to help her side avoid an upset loss to their Fijian rivals.

Christian Pio has only been playing rugby league for a few years.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison withy the Prime Minister's X111 women’s team after the game in Fiji.

It was a stunning performance from Pio, who has only been in the sport a few short years.

The 19-year-old from Mt Druitt, who works at the AMP bank at Parramatta and plays for the St Marys Rugby League Club, played an integral role in Australia beating their rivals 22-14. Along with Pio, Patricia Raikadroka was another star, scoring a hat-trick in the match.

“I was so shocked when I heard I was even in the team,” Pio said.

“When the trials were on I was so close to not even going. I was just so low on myself. I’m glad I went.’’

Pio joined Saints two years ago and played her second year as a second-rower in the Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership in 2019.

She now dreams of playing for a western Sydney team in the women’s NRL premiership.

Christian Pio only started playing the game in 2016.

The teenage footballer hopes women’s rugby league continues to grow rapidly so both the Penrith and Parramatta rugby league clubs will eventually field teams in the elite women’s competition.

“I’d love to be in it and hopefully they will too,” she said.

Pio said while she and her family have long been supporters of league, it was only in 2016 she started to play the game.

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“Growing up in Mt Druitt, rugby league has always been a huge passion for my whole family, but it wasn’t until I started playing in 2016 that I really fell in love with the game,” she said.

“I now train for one to two hours, five days a week, which is a bit of a juggle with full-time work but I love it.”