Heather Ballinger
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 29 July 1982 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 83 kg (13 st 1 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Prop | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: RLP As of 6 October 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Heather Jayne Ballinger (born 29 July 1982) is an Australian former rugby league footballer played for the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL Women's Premiership.
Primarily a prop, she represented Australia and Queensland and won a premiership with the Broncos in 2018.
Background
[edit | edit source]Ballinger attended Scots PGC College in Warwick, Queensland, where she represented Queensland in shot put.[1][2] Outside of sports, she works as a police officer.[3]
Playing career
[edit | edit source]In 2007, Ballinger began playing rugby league for Ivanhoes in Cairns, winning the CDRL Women's League. In 2010, she was named the CDRL Women's Player of the Year.[4]
In 2011, she made her debut for Australia in their 42–14 win over Samoa in Apia.[5]
In 2013, she was a member of Australia's 2013 Women's Rugby League World Cup-winning squad.[6]
In October 2017, she was named in Australia's 2017 Women's Rugby League World Cup squad.[7] On 2 December, she started at prop in the Jillaroos 23-16 final win over the New Zealand.
In June 2018, Ballinger, along with Ali Brigginshaw, Brittany Breayley, Teuila Fotu-Moala and Caitlyn Moran, were named as the five marquee players for the Brisbane Broncos women's team which commenced playing in the NRL Women's Premiership in September.[8] On 29 September 2018, she started at prop and scored a try in the Broncos' 34–12 Grand Final win over the Sydney Roosters.[9]
On 13 October 2018, she played her final game for Australia, winning Player of the Match in a 26–24 win over New Zealand at Mt Smart Stadium.[10]
In May 2019, she represented Queensland Country at the NRL Women's National Championships. In August 2019, she returned to the Broncos NRLW squad, but did not play a game for the side.[11][12]
On 11 February 2020, she announced her retirement from State of Origin, after 11 years of representing Queensland.[13] In March 2020, she joined the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the newly established QRL Women's Premiership.[14]
Achievements and accolades
[edit | edit source]Individual
[edit | edit source]- QRL Representative Player of the Year: 2015
Team
[edit | edit source]- 2013 Women's Rugby League World Cup: Australia – Winners
- 2017 Women's Rugby League World Cup: Australia – Winners
- 2018 NRLW Grand Final: Brisbane Broncos – Winners
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).[dead link]
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
External links
[edit | edit source]- 1982 births
- Living people
- 21st-century Australian sportswomen
- Australia women's national rugby league team players
- Australian female rugby league players
- Brisbane Broncos (NRLW) players
- People from Longreach, Queensland
- Queensland police officers
- Queensland Rugby League State of Origin Women players
- Recipients of the Australian Sports Medal
- Rugby league players from Queensland
- Rugby league props
- Sportspeople from Warwick, Queensland
- Sportswomen from Queensland
- Women's All Stars players