Harriet Elleman follows her passion for rugby through the Elite Athlete program and studies Animal Science in Wagga Wagga at the same time.
Harriet started playing rugby union in her first year of university. She was also part of the CSU Sevens team that won gold for the second year in a row at the Australian University Games. Since then, she’s been selected to play at a representative level of rugby union, travelling to Canberra twice a week to train, and all over Australia to compete.
“We ended up placing 7th in Australia which was a great result that I am very proud of,” Harriet said.
Due to the intense work load of the Animal Science course and Harriet’s long term goal of getting into Veterinary Science, balancing her degree and commitment to sport hasn’t been easy. However, she’s on track having just completed another year of study.
“With my exams over and graduation on the horizon, I was able to focus entirely on rugby these past few months leading to my Brumbies selection.”
Harriet’s ultimate goal is to play rugby union for Australia – “There are hundreds of incredibly talented female rugby players in Australia. I’ve been privileged to play alongside and against these women and to make it to the highest level possible will require more hard work and motivation, but I believe it is possible,” she told us.
“This is only all possible thanks to the support of my family and friends,” Harriet said.
Harriet is now playing for the Brumbies national team and believes that to be part of a growing female sport that empowers women is, “an incredible feeling”.
If you’re an athlete that’s performing at an elite level, and want to apply for the Elite Athlete program at CSU, head to the Elite Athletes page to see if you’re eligible.
