When the Canberra Raiders made a bid for an NRLW team they wanted to bring more opportunities for women in rugby league in the region.
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The club achieved just that with three players from the Raiders system selected for the Australian Women's and Papua New Guinea Prime Minister's XIII teams set to play in Port Moresby on Saturday.
Janelle Williams and Kayla Fleming will be part of the Australian squad, while Ua Ravu will represent Papua New Guinea, and the trio couldn't be more proud of the achievement.
"It was a bit of a shock but once it did sink in, it's an exciting opportunity," Williams told The Canberra Times.
"It's everything wearing the green and gold. I think that's the pinnacle for anyone that plays the game, to be able to represent your country.
"I'm proud and very privileged."
For 33-year-old Williams, playing representative footy is extra special.
She came up in the game without the same rugby league pathways as girls have today, but eventually achieved her NRLW debut at the Dragons just last season.
Williams then played under Raiders coach Darrin Borthwick at Mounties in Sydney and was ecstatic to come to Canberra as a development player in their historic, inaugural season.
The prop trained with the top NRLW squad, and though she didn't play a game, she believes being a good teammate in a professional environment led to her Australian Prime Minister's XIII selection, and a momentous, first international game.
"I put in the hard work and got rewarded for it," the Raiders' NRLW Coaches' Award winner said.
Fleming, meanwhile, is just at the start of her rugby league career. The Raiders' Tarsha Gale co-captain and First Nations Gems forward is only 19 and is chomping at the bit to play against Papua New Guinea.
Fleming comes from a strong rugby league background with her mum Nicole a former Jillaroo and currently a junior pathways coach with the Raiders.
The proud Ngarigo woman said the Raiders' NRLW inclusion has given players like her more chances to get noticed and excel in a professional rugby league environment.
"It's given me drive to push for the NRLW and that's something I really want," Fleming said.
"It's great for all the girls like me in the region to see there is a pathway, and then to see how well the Raiders did this year too.
"The emotions after being selected for the PM's - it was a bit surreal."
Raiders and Papua New Guinea Orchids utility Ua Ravu followed a path to the NRLW that club bosses are hoping will soon become a common story.
She'd represented Papua New Guinea in 2019 and at the 2021 World Cup, but didn't make her NRLW debut until this season with the Green Machine.
Living in Griffith Ravu got onto the Raiders' radar playing Katrina Fanning Shield with the Harden Worhawks. The 26-year-old's form got her into the KFS Academy in pre-season, which then landed her a NRLW contract at the Raiders.
"When the NRLW came about I knew I could do it if I put my mind to it," she said.
"It's been a few years in the making but I finally made my debut and now I want to make another top-24 squad next year.
"I feel like when I came into it, I knew nothing compared to what I know now.
"It was so cool being in the same squad as Zahara Temara, Simaima Taufa and Shakiah Tungai, and I learned so much from the season."
The Prime Minister's XIII fixture this weekend will be the first time it has been held in Papua New Guinea since 2018 and Ravu is excited to experience the famously raucous rugby league-mad fans at Port Moresby.
"It makes me really proud. I was born in Papua New Guinea and raised in Australia, so it keeps me in touch with my culture," Ravu said.
"It's really special because I get to go back and see and play in front of my family too."
The Prime Minister's XIII Papua New Guinea side were beaten by the Australians 64-6 last year in Brisbane and will be out for revenge on Saturday.
"It would mean a lot to win this game," Ravu said.
"The Orchids have come a long way. In the World Cup we won our first game, and the talent has just gotten better and better.
"It's slowly building so winning this match would be huge not just for the Orchids or PNG rugby league, but the whole country. They have raw passion."
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