Super W: Waratahs gun Maya Stewart’s stunning form on comeback to rugby

She’s dug ditches to make money alongside Waratahs teammates in the past because she loves rugby so much. Now this young gun is free to fly high. TEAM LIST for round three.

Maya Stewart scored twice in the match against the Brumbies.

You would be hard pressed to find any athlete move joyous to be running out on a field weekly than this Waratah. And it’s making her one of the best players in the country.

In the last few years, Maya Stewart has watched far more games from the sidelines and she has participated in after rupturing her ACL for the second time in late 2021.

When the Waratahs kicked off their Super W campaign a fortnight ago, it was only Stewart’s second game in 23 months - her first was a debut at the women’s rugby World Cup.

She scored on her return from injury against Western Fore and then went over twice in the NSW Waratahs win over the Brumbies last weekend.

This Saturday against Fijiana, she will make it her fourth comeback game and wants to make it count.

Maya Stewart fends off Aiysha Wigley of the Force.

“As my mum would say, it was character building,” said the Wallaroos and Waratahs winger.

“I don’t know how I kept going.

“It’s a difficult thing sitting on sidelines watching the Tahs girls. There were times I was upset.”

Maya Stewart scoring one of her two tries against the ACT Brumbies.

Stewart, who works three days a week in childcare, said watching her Wallaroos teammates play a game in Queensland when rugby returned post Covid “put the fire in my belly”.

“I just wanted to be out there so much,” she said. “That’s what mattered.’’

Stewart is equally excited about taking on Fijiana in a replay of last year‘s grand final.

The Waratahs lost to the Fijian side, their first in the competition. And that, according to Stewart, still stings.

“There is feeling,’’ she said.

“We haven’t had a loss in Super W. It was the one and only loss.

“Perhaps we needed that. We have fire in the belly now.’’

The Waraths take on Fijiana at Concord Oval at 3,05pm on Saturday.

The Reds and Waraths head the competition with two wins and 10 points each.

Fijiana Drua are third, also undefeated and on nine points.

On Saturday Emily Robinson, Adiana Talakai and Eva Karpani will all start in the frontrow with the backline untouched again and teenager Caitlyn Halse staying at fullback.

WARATAHS TEAM TO TAKE ON FIJIANA DRUA

1. Emily Robinson - 22 caps, 2. Adiana Talakai – 12 caps, 3. Eva Karpani – 15 caps, 4. Leilani Nathan – 2 caps, 5. Rosie Ebbage – 2 caps, 6. Grace Hamilton - 25 caps, 7. Fi Jones - 16 caps, 8. Piper Duck – 13 caps, 9. Layne Morgan - 15 caps, 10. Ella Ryan – 2 caps, 11. Desiree Miller – 3 caps, 12. Katrina Barker – 22 caps, 13. Georgina Friedrichs – 14 caps, 14. Maya Stewart – 14 caps, 15. Caitlyn Halse – 2 caps, 16. Katalina Amosa – 2 caps, 17. Brianna Hoy – 4 caps, 18. Bridie O’Gorman – 16 caps, 19. Ana-Lise Sio – 14 caps, 20. Loretta Mailangi – 4 caps, 21. Iliseva Batibasaga – 23 caps, 22. Claudia Meltzer – 1 cap, 23. Jade Sheridan– 1 cap.

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