Charlotte Caslick sets the standard for the next generation of female rugby players
PRESSURE. What pressure? Charlotte Caslick has taken her game and her profile to a whole new level since Australia won gold at the Rio Olympics.
CHARLOTTE Caslick has a history of making an impact on the big stage.
Her feats in Rio not only saw her lead Australia to an Olympic sevens gold, but she also won the world’s best player award, increased her Instagram followers by 1500 per cent and spawned a generation of young footballers in braids.
“She is phenomenal, on and off the field,” says coach Tim Walsh.
“To our team and to the game of rugby. There is a huge pioneering aspect to the way she has almost created a new genre for women’s contact sport.”
It’s a huge compliment and handed down on the eve of the Aussie team kicking off their Commonwealth Games, it’s scale could easily translate to crippling pressure.
But knowing how Caslick responds to such pressure, Walsh is not only unconcerned by his words — he probably planned dropping them down to the minute.
“My mother once said to me: “Women are like tea bags, you never know how strong they are until you drop them in hot water”,” Walsh said.
“Our girls thrive under pressure and they really look forward to the big moments and that’s what you want. In those big moments in games, they want to be at the centre of it. The bigger the better.”
Olympics aside, the two biggest stages for the Aussie women's sevens team are the Sydney Sevens and the Commonwealth Games.
In January, Caslick starred again as an unbeaten Australian won the Sydney Sevens and on Saturday the Comm Games begin with pool matches against Wales and England.
So how does Caslick feel about pressure? Have a guess.
“For me I love big tournaments and big games and I hope that I thrive in these situations,” Caslick said.
“I like putting on a show and getting out there and playing well in the big games.”
Caslick was already a big name in the modest world of women's sevens but the game exploded in global profile in Rio, and her arrival as the star made her a sponsor-friendly face almost overnight.
When Australia played their first game in the Olympics Caslick had less than 5000 Instagram followers. Just three days later when she stood on the dais with a gold medal, it was over 70,000.
That count is now up to almost 100,000 and Caslick has embraced the profile; turning the attention into sponsorship dollars.
Australian rugby’s growth strategy, too, is built around the booming numbers of young girls now playing rugby with Caslick’s trademark braids and ribbons.
But attention comes with a price, on and off the field. Life is far busier and rivals begin to mark you far more intently in defence.
Caslick had a subdued year in 2017 — like all the Aussie team — but Walsh said the 23-year-old Queenslander was always going to get back to peak form given she never let her work ethic drop once.
“After Rio, she came back and was heavily marked and ... she was a bit disappointed with last year but form is temporary and class is forever, and Charlotte has got that,” Walsh said.
“The way she trains she will always find form. Seeing her train everyday, she trains like she’s (coming) second. Every session. She will never rest on her laurels.”
Originally published as Charlotte Caslick sets the standard for the next generation of female rugby players
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