Bienne Terita

At just the age of 21 Bienne Terita had already garnered a wealth of experience in rugby. The outside back from Kogarah already joined a select group of players to represent Australia in both 15-a-side, Sevens and at the Olympic Games.

Her sharp rise can be traced back to the 2019 World Schools Sevens tournament, where Bienne was named captain as a 16 year old. Australia won the tournament after a 21-12 victory over Japan in the final, and Bienne was awarded as the competition's most valuable player.

In 2022, Bienne debuted for Australia at the Malaga Sevens in Spain. Later that year she featured at the Canadian Sevens, scoring in the group stage match against Mexico.

Bienne was left gutted after missing out on selection for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. With the support of her coach Tim Walsh, Bienne embarked on a new challenge, linking up with the Wallaroos ahead of the 15 a side World Cup later that year.

Up until then Bienne had only played the traditional form of the sport at club level for Randwick, and had largely been branded as a Sevens specialist.

Despite this Bienne shone through on her debut. Starting on the wing against New Zealand in Adelaide, she immediately made an impact by scoring two tries.

Following this match Bienne committed to the side for the delayed 2021 Women's Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

In the opening match at Eden Park, Bienne repeated her Adelaide heroics, scoring another two tries against the Kiwis despite the team again falling short. She then scored a crucial try in Australia's 14-12 victory over Scotland which allowed the Wallaroos to qualify for the knockout stages. Australia was eliminated by eventual runners up England in the quarter-finals, ending their World Cup dream.

Returning to the national Sevens side, Bienne was forced to bide her time on the sidelines. At the 2023 Dubai Sevens, a suspension to teammate Alysia Lefau-Fakaoisilea provided her the opportunity to start in the final against New Zealand.

Bienne did not take the opportunity for granted and scored a scintillating try in the opening 15 seconds of the match before setting up a try after half-time. Australia won the final 26-19, ending a 41 game winning streak for New Zealand.

Continuing her good form in 2024, Bienne again showed her habit of starting a game fast, scoring in 25 seconds against South Africa at the Perth Sevens. Her standout performance in Perth saw Bienne named in the tournament's 'dream team', however she suffered an ankle injury in the competition that sidelined her for the Vancouver and Los Angeles legs of the World Series.

Bienne required surgery, but returned to the team before the Paris Olympics at the Hong Kong Sevens, where Australia finished in third place.

At the Paris 2024 Olympics Bienne and the team were a perfect three wins from three games in the pool stage. They took care of Ireland in the quarter-finals 40-7 before a strong Canadian team halted Australia's run in the semi-finals, inflicting a 21-12 loss.

In a tense fight for a bronze medal against the USA, the Americans scored a converted try after time expired for a 14-12 score to relegate the Aussies to fourth place.