Imogen McLeod selected in Queensland Reds Super W squad
Sunshine Coast rugby superstar Imogen McLeod has edged closer to the professional ranks and reveals how a positional change might deliver a Queensland Reds jersey.
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Rising Sunshine Coast and Noosa rugby union talent Imogen McLeod has taken a major step towards her professional dream after being selected as one of the youngest players in the Queensland Reds Super W squad.
McLeod, 18, was selected in the 48-woman squad after impressive performances for the South East Queensland and Queensland Country Orchids representative sides.
The Noosa Dolphins grand final winner, who is the only player from the Sunshine Coast to be selected in the extended squad, said she was excited for what’s to follow.
“For me to gain that top-level experience and mix it with the best players in the state will be great,” she said.
“The head coach Rama Chand, along with the other coaches and trainers, have been really good so no doubt I’ll learn a lot from them.”
The squad will train at the Ballymore Stadium in Brisbane twice a week before it is reduced to 30 players on December 16.
The former St Andrew's Anglican College and Sunshine Coast Grammar School student said the high-intensity environment was exciting.
“It’s really good, especially because we do both gym and field training all together which is a lot different to anything I’ve done before,” she said.
“The coaches want to develop me as a number 10 which is a position I’ve never played before but they said due to my skills I’d be much more suited to that role rather than my usual position of inside centre.
“I think it will be better for me to learn that role and especially because the inside centres in our squad are a lot bigger than me so I won’t have to get smashed as often.
“Hopefully I can impress some people and be contacted again for that smaller squad but we’ll see what happens.”
McLeod said she had played rugby her entire life.
“My brother was playing rugby league so I joined his team in under-8s because I just wanted to run and tackle people,” she said.
“Since then I’ve played for the Sunshine Coast Stingrays since I was 13 years old and have played at Nationals for Sevens in 2018 and 2019.”
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Originally published as Imogen McLeod selected in Queensland Reds Super W squad
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