Maya Stewart is embracing the next challenge of retaining a Wallaroos starting position after making her long-awaited Test debut at the Women's Rugby World Cup in New Zealand last weekend.
The Nelson Bay 22-year-old put a character-building few years due to COVID and a season-ending injury behind her to play around 70 minutes of Australia's important 14-12 win over Scotland in Whangarei last Saturday.
The match was Stewart's first proper hit-out since rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left leg during the Super W pre-season then undergoing surgery in late December.
"It was pretty surreal," Stewart said of her remarkable comeback to gain World Cup selection when talking to the Newcastle Herald from New Zealand this week.
"I felt super lucky but then it was also a credit to my hard work and the team for backing me. To be able to play though was next level. It's something I've wanted to do for a very long time. These last three years has been a massive process.
"Being in the squad for so long and then having that opportunity to play taken away because of COVID was probably one of the hardest things. And then to see it come around and have a season-ending injury was like a punch in the face really. But it was just another challenge."
The World Cup proved motivation during a rehabilitation process that was nothing new for Stewart, who tore the ACL in her right leg at 16.
"It's a pretty hard task to handle," Stewart said. "Trying to get through rehab is one thing but then trying to get back for a World Cup is another thing.
"So the important part was just knuckling down on the rehab and putting myself in the best possible position to be taken away.
"I wasn't new to the process, which was sort of a benefit because you know what you're in for and what you're facing. But you also know it's going to be a long journey."
There was plenty of emotion when Stewart was named to replace winger Ivania Wong in the starting side to play Scotland.
Australia were beaten 41-17 by New Zealand in their tournament opener.
"It was very nerve-wracking because you put so much weight into it, but then I reminded myself it's just a game of footy you've done a thousand times," Stewart said.
"But it was my first game back. We'd played internals but I hadn't actually played a proper game of footy, so it was more about just finding my feet on the field and getting back into natural habits and trying to run around people again.
"I sort of didn't think about [the knee] at all. I was more just hungry to get my hands on the ball, make tackles and do my job."
The Test debut came almost three years after Stewart got her first taste of international rugby with Australia A and after just 12 games for the NSW Waratahs in Super W.
"My mum and dad came over," Stewart said.
"We sang the anthem and you go into that really emotional state, like you could cry because you're so happy. But I looked at them and pumped my chest out because it just made me happy to be there."
The next challenge is keeping her place as Australia eye Wales in their final pool fixture this Saturday. A win will secure a place in the quarter-finals.
"To debut and get a win is sort of the dream," Stewart said. "We had a tough last few games so to secure a win was super important for us."
Wales defeated Scotland 18-15 then went down 56-12 to a dominant New Zealand.
"We need to beat Wales and show them what we're made of," Stewart said. "We need to come out all guns blazing.
"I did my role but it will be difficult to try to retain my spot. It's a very competitive spot on the wing.
"[Playing] definitely makes you hungry. It's such an unreal feeling and you want to keep feeling it so it drives you to compete each week at training."
Coogee-based Stewart juggles her elite-level rugby commitments with a full-time job in childcare.
Fellow Hunter products Layne Morgan and Kaitlan Leaney are also in the 32-player Wallaroos squad at the world cup.
