30 June 2025
Within five years of taking up rugby league, Sapper Charlize Lloyd-Phillips donned the Australian Defence Force (ADF) jersey to represent Defence as a full-back on the international stage.
The ADF Women’s Rugby League team conducted an invitational tour to Papua New Guinea this month to play the PNGRFL Women’s XIII in Port Moresby, a development side of emerging talent fostering women’s participation in sport.
Sapper Lloyd-Phillips, a combat rescue specialist with 1 Combat Engineer Regiment at Robertson Barracks, Darwin, spent most of her early years playing netball and only moved to rugby league during her final year of school.
Starting in a local club team on the NSW Central Coast, Sapper Lloyd-Phillips was soon picked up by talent scouts. Soon after, she was playing for the Sydney Roosters in the Tarsha Gale Cup – the NSW Rugby League elite under-19s competition.
From there, her rugby league career blossomed, moving into the U19 NSW Country women’s team and the inaugural U19 State of Origin women’s team, and then representing the Sydney Roosters in the NSWRL women’s premiership, including receiving a development contract with the Roosters for the NRLW.
'The lifestyle of Army really appealed to me – the fitness, the teamwork, the travel – but, really importantly, the ability to mix sport with my military career.'
Since joining Army in July 2023, Sapper Lloyd-Phillips has served the nation wearing a number of uniforms, including the Army Women’s Rugby League jersey and now the ADF Women’s Rugby League strip.
“The lifestyle of Army really appealed to me – the fitness, the teamwork, the travel – but, really importantly, the ability to mix sport with my military career,” Sapper Lloyd-Phillips said.
“Sport was definitely a key consideration when I applied to join.
“Some of the best experiences I’ve had so far involved playing rugby league for Army and Defence, including participating in the inter-service tournament in 2024.
“I’ve been really lucky to represent Army and Defence and I’m so excited about where my sporting career in the ADF might take me in the future.”
Sapper Lloyd-Phillips will also represent Defence in the Women’s International Defence Rugby Union Championships in the United Kingdom in August.
“I’ve only played rugby union on a few occasions, so I’m privileged to be selected for the upcoming tour to the United Kingdom and very excited about playing alongside women from armed services from around the world,” Sapper Lloyd-Phillips said.
“You get to meet so many people on sports tours.”
'I hope our match inspires women across Australia or PNG to throw on a jersey and hit the field.'
Sapper Lloyd-Phillips said rugby league had made a big impact in PNG.
“It has been incredible to see how passionate the PNG locals are about rugby league,” Sapper Lloyd-Phillips said.
“You read about it being their national sport, but you don’t fully appreciate that until you visit the country and experience their intense love of the game.”
As part of the invitational tour, six serving PNG Defence Force personnel joined the ADF team in a symbol of deepened regional partnership and defence cooperation.
“It’s been great to bring the PNGDF women into our side, standing shoulder to shoulder on the footy field,” Sapper Lloyd-Phillips said.
“Having these women in our team helped us get to know PNG better and build a greater appreciation for what we’re bringing to the country on this invitational tour.
“This isn’t just a footy trip – this is an opportunity to demonstrate the close relationship between Australia and PNG, the ongoing cooperation we have with their defence force, and the visibility of women’s participation in sport.
“I feel really proud to wear an Australian Defence Force uniform and also be a role model for the next generation of female rugby league players.
“I hope our match inspires women across Australia or PNG to throw on a jersey and hit the field.”
