Shortly after the final horn sounded at Queanbeyan's Seiffert Oval on Saturday, Pearl Rakete was embraced by a throng of fellow Goulburn locals.
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Rakete had just taken part in the Brumbies' stunning 30-5 defeat of the Melbourne Rebels in the first round of the 2021 Super W competition, and foremost among those supporters were her parents.
Watching on as her daughter was congratulated by friends, Goulburn Dirty Reds teammates, and coaches, Rakete's mother wiped tears from her cheeks.
"My parents have been with me through everything," Rakete said.
"Pushing me, taking me to training, all throughout my league career, when I did my knee - they were just backing me the whole way. I think this was a big moment for them."
2021 is Rakete's second season with the Brumbies. During her first, in 2020, she came off the bench in all four matches she played. Yesterday, Rakete was on the field for the full 80 minutes.
With 12 months of experience and the confidence of the Brumbies coaching staff behind her, Rakete felt unstoppable leading into the game.
"I'm definitely a lot more confident," she said.
"All the girls have been talking about how nervous they are, but all my nerves were last year.
"I can't top last year's nerves, coming off the bench in my first time playing representative rugby. But this year, I've got a whole lot of confidence. A year under the belt has helped a lot."
That determination was evident from the opening moments of the match. Rakete played a crucial role in the forwards, landing tackles, gaining metres, and bringing an imposing physical presence to the Brumbies lineup.
"I'm pretty happy with how I played," she said.
"I've definitely got things to take away, but I did everything I needed to. The coaches gave me a job and I think I did it, so I'm happy with myself."
Most of the Goulburn Dirty Reds women's team hung around for the Brumbies game following their match against Queanbeyan earlier in the day.
With a vociferous band of supporters present at the ground, many of whom were waving print-outs of her face, the emotion of the moment touched Rakete.
"It definitely helps," she said.
"I feel like it was more of an emotional day than it needed to be, but it's so much easier when I've got everyone behind me."
The Brumbies now travel to Coffs Harbour, where the rest of the Super W competition will be played. They will next take on the President's XV on Sunday, June 27, from 11am.
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