Queensland Reds captain Shannon Parry is eyeing off a return after gutting through a nasty ankle injury during last year's World Cup.
Parry is hopeful to be right for their Super W opener against Melbourne Rebels on March 25 after undergoing surgery during the off-season.
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The Wallaroos skipper suffered the injury towards the start of last year's World Cup during a training session following their opening game against the Black Ferns.
The flanker required 'medical help' just to get through the final pool games and quarter-final against England, drawing off the excitement of a World Cup to get through.
“It probably wasn’t the best injury to pick up but it was a World Cup, the adrenaline was pumping and they don’t come around every day," Parry revealed to Rugby.com.au
"Getting advice from the medical team, they were saying it was something I could play through with medical help.
“You’re playing for your country so you’d do anything to pull on the jersey one more time so that was the driving force behind it. I knew if I could get to the starting line, I’d give it everything I got whether that was 40 or 60 minutes for the team.
“I feel like I did that but off the back of it found myself with a date with the surgeon at the end of the year. It’s all gone well so hopefully, I will be ready to go for round one."
It's been an eventful off-season for Parry, marrying partner Joel in December whilst helping to coach the next generation of Sevens stars in Queensland and across the country.
After last year's disappointing exit in the semi-final, Parry enters 2023 with unfinished business with the prospect of a home Super W Final in Townsville a nice incentive.
“I wasn’t quite done yet,” Parry explained.
“There’s an inkling there that there’s still something to give in this game that’s given me so much so why not jump at the opportunity? Simon Craig (has) come on board as head coach and I thought ‘yep we still have a job to do here’ so I’m really looking forward to the season ahead.
“The young girls are still keeping me young so I love every day I go to training, being around the girls and being involved in a really good high-performance group up there.”
The Reds return in 2023 with five fresh Wallaroos, with Parry impressed with how the likes of Bree-Anna Cheatham, Madi Shuck, Tiarna Molloy, Annabelle Codey, Cecilia Smith and Ivania Wong have imparted their wisdom onto the younger players.
“It’s massive. I think you come off the back of a World Cup with so much experience in yourself and how you interact with your teammates as well,” she believes.
“They’ve got a wealth of experience now to pass on the Reds this year to those younger players coming through and I think all those girls have really stepped up to the plate and embrace the challenge of being a leader amongst the group.
“It’s really good to see those girls bring the young ones under their wings and point them in the right direction.”
