Butcher delivers her best for World Cup

STACKS ON: LCDR Paige Butcher in a bone-jarring tackle at the Women’s Rugby World Cup in Canada.

By Michael Brooke

Navy’s rugged Wallaroo LCDR Paige Butcher tackled herself to a standstill in an attempt to get her team into the semi-finals of the Women’s Rugby World Cup in Edmonton Canada.
Unfortunately, a 10-6 loss to the United States on September 8 ended the Wallaroos’ chances of making the play-offs.

LCDR Butcher is a strapping flanker who at 177cm tall and 80kg literally rattles the rib-cages of her opponents when she tackles them.

LCDR Butcher, of the Warfare Category Sponsorship at HMAS Watson, played a key role in the Wallaroos 68-12 whitewash of arch rivals South Africa in their first pool match on August 31.
Local media reported that LCDR Butcher turned the opposition into mince-meat with a series of decisive runs and bone-jarring tackles.

In the second match against France, LCDR Butcher gave it everything she had but it wasn’t enough to save the Wallaroos from a 24-10 defeat.

She played with such passion that she received a yellow card for punching in the ruck – but Wallaroos team managers insisted that this was mistaken identity and the referee possibly needs glasses.
LCDR Butcher, 32, made her debut for the Wallaroos against England in 2001 but she struggled to hold onto her position in the team.

CPOPT Jim Lawless said LCDR Butcher forced her way back into the team this year thanks to a fitness program developed by the PTIs at Watson.

“She struggled with her fitness levels so we had her on a 10-week deep-water running program that really developed her cardio-vascular strength,” he said.

“Paige has always played with passion and commitment but the difference now is that she has the fitness and is really making a major contribution to the team.”

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