Young Yabbettes forward Amy Reid played her part in a national triumph last week as Australia won the Deaf Rugby Sevens World Cup trophy in Japan. They took on England in the final, the only team to have beaten them in the tournament, and put on a dominant first-half display, scoring four tries. The 24-7 lead they took into the break proved too steep a hill for the England team to climb, with Australia wrapping up the win 31-14. Amy (front row, first from left) celebrates the grand final win over England. PHOTOS: Supplied For Amy, a long-time member of the Yabbies and Yabbettes communities, her selection and the trip to Japan came about quickly. She is hard of hearing, and when encouraged by a friend to get checked to see if she was eligible she took on the opportunity. “He said ‘go get yourself tested and you can maybe come and join our team’, and then the next thing I knew I was getting a call up to the Australian team,” Amy said. The World Cup includes players who are hard of hearing and profoundly deaf, with referees using coloured flags instead of whistles. Amy said the support from home helped push her along through the tournament. “It was amazing coming off the field and just getting so many messages from home,” she said. “I managed to score a try in one of the games, which was pretty exciting, and to have that support made it even more special. When she’s not wearing the green and gold, Amy is a service technician based in Bathurst, but she makes the two-hour trip home, or further, every weekend to play for Young. “I make the effort to come back because it's, you know, and I've been involved with the Yabbies for 25 years,” she said. “I haven't played for all of that time because I haven't had a women's team for most of those years. “That's home for me, and the club is kind of home as well, it's one of those places you can just walk into and know everybody.” The Deaf Rugby Sevens World Cup is contested every three years, and Amy plans to make herself available for more opportunities in the future. “If they asked me to come back and try it in another few years, I would do that for sure. “I won't give up until I'm told I can't play anymore.”
