By Ewen McRae
Arleah Hunt may be one the brightest rugby league talents in the state, but she’s keeping her feet firmly planted.
The Melton Secondary College student was recognised recently at the Victorian School Sports Awards, being presented with a Sporting Blue, the highest accolade in school sports.
Despite a long list of achievements in the past 12 months, the 16-year-old said she was shocked when she heard she had won.
“It was a bit of a surprise,” she said.
“I know quite a lot of rugby players, so to win this ahead of them was a real shock.
“I’m pretty proud, because it’s not an award that is just given out for nothing.”
In 2018, Arleah was selected to captain the Victorian under-16 rugby league team, represented Victoria at under-19 level, organised multiple rugby clinics for primary school students, and coached the schools junior girls’ rugby team to win the Robbie Kearns Shield as state champions.
She also captained the college’s girls’ rugby team to their fourth state title in five years.
“I enjoy teaching the girls at school some of the things I’ve learned in state teams so hopefully some of that rubs off,” Arleah said.
“The sport is getting bigger in Victoria, and the growth of women’s rugby league in the past 10 years has been huge.
“I’d definitely like to play in the NRL Women’s competition one day, it would be great to see the women’s comp looked at in the same way that people look at the men’s. Hopefully I can get to that stage.”
