Updated November 30, 2019 08:43:20

Photo: Rebecca Clough training with the Barbarians for their historic match in Cardiff. (Supplied: Rugby Australia)

Australian Wallaroos rugby union lock Rebecca Clough has a long history of proving people wrong.

"My parents were probably of the opinion that rugby wasn't for girls," she said.

"I would go down to the local rugby club with my dad and my brother and watch my brother and my cousins play.

"I just wanted to play and knew that I couldn't.

"I kept it in the back of my mind that I'd prove dad wrong."

This weekend, the 31-year-old will join Ariana Hira-Herangi as the only Australians in the Barbarians team for its game against Wales at the famous Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

Dalena Dennison is the only other Wallaroo to have played for the Barbarians, also known as the Baa-Baas.

"[It's] a huge honour and a privilege to represent Australia in the Barbarians. It's surreal actually," said Clough.

"I've always been a big fan of the Baa-Baas and never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I'd be playing for them."

The Barbarians Rugby Club has a rich history dating back to 1890. Players from around the world are invited to join the team for a handful of matches each year against established rugby union nations.

The results of these games are less important than playing a free-spirited brand of rugby.

Until 2017, the Barbarians' history did not involve women. That year, a female team was introduced and in June this year, they played against England at Twickenham as part of a double-header with the male Barbarians.

The women's Barbarians squad for the Wales game features players from 10 different countries.

"Some of these players I don't know much about, others I do. It's just really exciting, players from around the world getting together, we'll be making friends for life," said Clough.

Webbed toes, knee reconstructions, mental challenges

Photo: Rebecca Clough had multiple surgeries to correct her feet and two knee reconstructions, but that hasn't stopped her representing her country. (rugby.com.au: Stuart Walmsley)

The Perth-based Clough has many stories to share, stretching back to a difficult beginning.

"From birth, I came out with some physical challenges that have never stopped me and will never stop me from being healthy mainly," said Clough.

"Basically I have webbed toes and I also had kind of deformed big toes that splayed out and had to have numerous surgeries, three or four as a baby to kind of correct my feet."

"And you can imagine the flow-on effect. That has affected my body and the way my body works and has led to more operations of [the] knees.

"My attitude was, I'd never let it stop me," said Clough.

Wallaroos coach Dwayne Nestor says Clough's steely attitude was on show when she returned from a knee reconstruction in the lead-up to the 2017 World Cup in Ireland.

"She lacked a lot of confidence in getting back and being able to be good enough for the World Cup but I did some work with her from a mindset point of view and realised how determined a person she is.

"Some would call it stubbornness but I would call it determination," said Nestor.

Netball, soccer, little athletics - but not rugby

Photo: Rebecca's parents got her involved in many sports when she was a child, but never rugby. (Supplied: Tim Clough)

The veteran of three World Cups played many sports as a girl, but rugby was not one of them.

"Growing up I was diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)," said Clough.

"My parents decided instead of putting me on medication they'd get me involved in every sport they could. I played netball, soccer, little athletics, swimming."

Growing up in a rugby-loving family in Sydney, Clough hadn't given up on a sport its followers like to describe as "the game they play in heaven".

"When I was 17 I did some research on the internet and found that women do play rugby even though I'd never heard of it, and joined my first rugby club at 18."

Clough made her Wallaroos debut in 2009 and has played 24 tests.

Turning her back on the game

But two years ago, a lack of confidence from a coach and battles with injuries led her to walk away from the sport.

"You want to give up, you want to just pack it in and hang up your boots," said Clough.

"Those things can really have a huge impact on your mental state. [I] had to do a lot of work on that. I took a few months off, I didn't take much off because I realised very quickly that I love rugby, it makes me happy, it's fun.

"I wasn't going to let some bad things coaches tell you stop me playing the game I love.

"I had to do a little bit of counselling and mental coaching. I had to learn to work with difficult people. It's like a workplace I guess, you have all different personalities and you're never all going to get along and that's the same as rugby.

"We have to learn to get along and learn how to cope with difficult situations and difficult conversations. I think I've come a long way since then," said Clough.

The price of selection

Clough has taken leave without pay from her job as a youth custodial officer to play for the Barbarians.

"Over the last 10 or so years I've used most of my annual leave for rugby reasons. I don't get much of a holiday really, which is something that my boss always tells me that I need to be careful with because it's that work-life rugby-life balance but I wouldn't change it for the world.

"That's the cost I pay to live this life that I hope that one day will be professional for other women.

"If a professional contract was offered to me, I don't think I could turn that down. That would be a dream come true, really.

Photo: Rebecca works as a youth custodial officer and uses up most of her annual leave to play rugby. (rugby.com.au: Stuart Walmsley)

"I just can't see it happening for us in Australia yet, I can feel it coming, a few years down the track. Rome wasn't built in a day. I'd like to see it happen in my lifetime, that's for sure," said Clough.

Until then, Clough will relish the advances being made by women's rugby.

"Historically, rugby was and still is a male-dominated sport.

"The Barbarians football club has a huge history and it's a beautiful history of men's rugby players over the years. So now to be recognised in that scene and that club and getting to put on that Baa-Baas jersey is huge for the sport.

"Women's rugby is growing and this is just another example of it, [there's] just so many opportunities arising for us as women's rugby players which is really exciting.

"This is just a huge opportunity, I'm just so blessed."

Photo: (L-R) Rebecca's father Tony, her mother Maureen, Rebecca and her brother Tim. (Supplied: Tim Clough)

Topics: sport, rugby-union, australia, perth-6000

First posted November 30, 2019 07:49:06