Jillarro Sam Bremner says she was determined not to let an unfortunate injury get in the way of spurring Australia onto World Cup glory last month.
Bremner, who has been dubbed the female Billy Slater due to the similarities in their running games, is described as one of those bubbly and fun loving people; a real gem whose sunny disposition positively affects all those around her.
The injured Bremner told Inside Sport she used her voice, as she shouted herself hoarse in support of her Jillaroos teammates when they beat the New Zealand Kiwi Ferns 23-16 to win the Women’s Rugby League World Cup in Brisbane.
Retiring Jillaroos front rower Steph Hancock was glowing in her praise of Bremner during the World Cup.
Hancock told Inside Sport: “I have so much respect for Sammy Bremner, she could be down and out, but she just hasn’t been.
“There’s not been one negative vibe from her.
“She’s stayed positive and just the way she is around the girls, credit to her and that’s the champion she is... gotta love her.”
Bremner said she had the option of going home for a few days, but she didn’t want to miss the vibe of camp and being around the girls, especially considering the World Cup only comes around once every four years.
She determined early on if she didn’t play, she was still going to be the best squad member and supporter ever.
She told Inside Sport, “Even though I didn’t envision my World Cup to be this way, I’m still a part of it and I can still (positively) influence people, I just won’t be playing on the field.”
Bremner said the injury came out of the blue, which made it so heart breaking in her not being able to play.
“It came from the last five minutes of training and they kicked the ball in the in-goal and it actually bounced off the post into my hands and I turned to get it out of the in-goal and one of my teammates knees went straight into my shin and I just dropped to the ground.
“I was screaming it’s just a cork... and then I woke up the next morning and I couldn’t walk on it at all."
Intense physio didn’t help as the pain intensified throughout her shin and into her foot after training on it to prove her fitness left her sore.
She said she had been running on a broken leg for two weeks as a second CT scan revealed her fibula “was broken all the way through the bone”.
Bremner spoke to Billy Slater after he called her to wish her well in her recovery from injury and she said next year is the perfect time to come back after her injury troubled season.
“I said to him (Slater) if my comeback is anything like yours mate, I’m going to have a very busy year and i’m pretty excited for all the opportunities I might have next year," she said.
Slater fought his way back from injury (shoulder) to be the Kangaroos fullback at the World Cup, and Bremner is humbled by and appreciative of his support.
Bremner has pencilled in playing for the Jillaroos at the Commonwealth nines’ tournament as a goal.
It will be a historic season, with the first-ever womens State of Origin match replacing the Interstate challenge and a new National Womens Rugby League competition.
Bremner hopes St George Illawarra is one of the six clubs granted a licence, as she’s a rugby league ambassador for them and all going well and staying injury free, she’d like to play for the Dragons.
“If they were to get a team together, i’d probably go there… I live close to there and I’ve played all my comp games in the Illawarra league," she said.
“It just depends which NRL clubs end up forming sides, so we’ll have to wait and see.”
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