But some choice words from one of her mentors brought the Bond Sharks product back into the fold, and now she is on the cusp of lining up for the Wallaroos at this year’s World Cup.

Each time Schuck attempted to break into the Queensland Reds squad she was rejected.

At times it was because the then winger was too specialised in her position. At others she was told she was not adaptable enough.

However when she lined up for Bond, an injury crisis convinced coach Setu Naseri to thrust her into the front row, defying her smaller stature to match it with the best in the nation.

“I quit, retired and failed three times and then Bond were setting up their 15s programs. I retired from 7s and wasn’t trialling for rep footy anymore, so I came and they had no one to play prop so I did,” Schuck said.

“He (Naseri) asked me to give rep footy another crack. got snubbed again for the Reds and I literally was on the phone in tears bawling my eyes out.

“Setu was the only one who was super blunt. He said ‘you’re really bad at this, really good at this — let’s work on what you’re bad at, perfect what you’re good at and I’ll fight in your corner to push you forward’.

“Rejection sucks, but you cry suck it up and keep going. I quit three times, and the third time I thought I was absolutely done because I couldn’t take the heartache anymore.

“(But) it was something I always wanted, any time I looked at that jersey I wanted it. I saw girls and thought I was as good as they were and wanted to be there.”

A day in Schuck’s life is not one for the faint of heart.

By day — and night — the 30-year-old is a Gold Coast paramedic, and often she will train or play on the back of just two hours sleep.

On one particular instance, she played 80 minutes of a trial game against Fiji having just finished a night shift.

So why do it? Well for Schuck, it is a necessary sacrifice to achieve every goal on her radar.

“You just have to suck it up and unfortunately that’s the way the cookie crumbles. I have a mortgage to pay so I have to go to work, and if I want to play footy if it means two hours sleep it means two hours sleep,” Schuck said.

“I’ve always wanted to be paramedic, so getting the dream job of being a paramedic on the Gold Coast is a massive motivator, especially waiting six years to be offered a job.

“I’ve always wanted to be paramedic, so getting the dream job of being a paramedic on the Gold Coast is a massive motivator, especially waiting six years to be offered a job.

“The amount of time it’s taken to get into the Reds and Wallaroos is the same as it took to be a paramedic. It’s the same rejections, roadblock on the way, and I’m stoked I get to do both.”

Despite all the positions she has played — from wing and fullback, to halfback and centre — Schuck said she was now “an Australian loosehead prop” and called on any prospective women’s rugby player to never let their size or demeanour deter them from taking the field.

With the goal of making the final squad for the World Cup in New Zealand, she said her entire career had been built on being recognised for what she could do that defied perceptions.

Now she had the chance to showcase those actions on the big stage.

“I feel like I spent the first season of Super W fighting to earn respect. It’s the same with Bond when they go against these other premier teams, we’re a lot smaller so people write us off,” Schuck said.

“To younger girls, you don’t have to be your stereotypical idea of a prop. It’s a mentality, it’s a mindset; train and you can achieve it.

“My thing is be open, don’t typecast yourself into one position. Be open to anything … and make it an art form.”

Schuck will now back up her debut against Fiji — a 36-19 win — with a maiden starting appearance on her old home Gold Coast turf on Tuesday night against Japan.

It will be a match marked in history should forward Liz Patu come off the bench, where she will become the most capped Wallaroo of all time.

“It’s going to be a massive night for Liz Patu if she is to take the field off the bench,” Wallaroos captain Shannon Parry said.

“She’s been a stalwart of the women’s game, she’s been around for a number of years now, and to be in the front row and potentially become the most capped Wallaroo in history is a massive achievement.

“She’s just a human wrecking ball, anywhere five metres out from the line you can back her to score. She works hard on and off the field, and I think it’s a testament to her character that she keeps getting back up and putting herself in a position to be selected.

“Playing in the front row it’s a tough gig day in day out, it’s a testament to her.”

week. We’re really looking forward to making some fine tuning before we head into Japan.”

The Wallaroos and Japan clash will kick off at Bond University from 5pm.

nick.wright@news.com.au