Injured Jillaroos, Dragons star Kezie Apps back on track for women’s NRL opener
With the first game of the NRL women’s premiership looming, Jillaroo and St George Illawarra star Kezie Apps needed to hit a mark. On Sunday, she did just that.
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SHE trains for hours multiple times a week but it’s a 50-metre run taking just seconds to complete which has Jillaroo and St George Illawarra star Kezie Apps smiling again.
With the first game of the NRL women’s premiership looming, the Dragons second rower has gone to great lengths in recent weeks to keep an ankle injury under wraps as she worked to rehabilitate torn ligaments.
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On Sunday, Apps was able to complete her first run in around a month — a feat she says proves she is right on track to make the first game of the new premiership.
“It has just been a touch and go scenario since I first did it just over three weeks ago so I was a bit worried,” said Apps, who has worn a moon boot in private to speed up her recovery.
“But I started running again on Sunday, just 50m, but it was the best 50m I have run in my life.
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“It just feels so good to be running again.
“My heart was racing and I was stressing myself out but it all went great and I’ve pulled up really well.”
Apps says the breakthrough has given her confidence for the task ahead — playing a key role in the first Dragons women’s team to play NRL.
“I will not miss this competition, I will not miss the first game, I will do everything in my power to be there,” said Apps, who is deputy to captain Sam Bremner and one of eight Jillaroos or Kiwis Ferns players in the Dragons.
The draw for the inaugural women’s competition to be played between the Dragons, Roosters, Broncos and Warriors is still to be confirmed and will depend on the makeup of the NRL finals.
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The women’s competition will operate with a round robin format with the top two teams contesting the Grand Final.
The first games will be played the weekend of September 7-8
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