Latest news with #JaymeFressard
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fressard's path from school expulsion to Origin arena
If Jayme Fressard hadn't been kicked out of school in year 10, she probably wouldn't be lining up for NSW and taking a shot at State of Origin glory. By her own admission, the Sydney Roosters winger was acting up and hanging out with a bad crowd when she was expelled from high school a little more than 10 years ago. "I was probably people-pleasing a little bit and getting caught up in the wrong crowd," she told AAP ahead of Thursday's Origin II. "I feel like I didn't have a certain amount of people that believed in me." School had never been Fressard's favourite place, so starting fresh at Gorokan High on NSW's Central Coast would've felt daunting. But it was at Gorokan that a teacher first put a rugby ball in Fressard's hands, with the naturally athletic teenager preferring soccer up to that point. Fressard had never known that footy was even an option available to her. "One of the teachers asked if I wanted to play rugby sevens. I thought, 'Oh my God, girls can play tackle?' I took that opportunity," she said. Fressard excelled so quickly that at 17, she was selected to represent Australia at the 2015 Youth Commonwealth Games in Samoa. Feeling more at home at Gorokan, Fressard finished year 12 - an impressive effort given how things had ended at her previous school. When fellow Central Coast local and current NSW captain Isabelle Kelly invited her to train with local rugby league team the Berkeley Vale Panthers, Fressard's footy journey took another turn. Fressard fell in love with the game and went on to earn an NRLW contract with Brisbane for the 2020 season. A premiership winner with the Roosters last season, Fressard excelled on Origin debut for NSW last week, scoring two tries in a record-breaking 32-12 rout of Queensland. She's now only 70 minutes away from becoming a State of Origin champion, with NSW hoping to reclaim the Origin shield for the first time since 2022. Score three more tries this series and Fressard could equal Kelly's record as the Blues' most prolific tryscorer of the Origin era. The heights she's scaled in rugby league have left Fressard to look back at expulsion from school as one of the most significant moments of her life. "In a way it was actually a blessing in disguise. It ended up being the best thing that happened to me," she said. "New change of environment, some new teachers that believed in me ... In two years, I had a very different perspective as well on life." These days, when she's not playing footy herself, Fressard works for not-for-profit organisation Creating Chances helping mentor teenagers through sport. She even spends time back at Gorokan High trying to have the same positive influence on kids that her teachers had on her 10 years ago. "I'm pretty honest and I'm pretty raw with my experiences growing up with the kids," she said. "I understand that school's not for everyone but I think there's two different pathways you can go down. "It's trying to show kids that just because that's a pathway that you have, doesn't mean that's where you have to stay on. "You can always change your course. I really try and encourage the youth and show them that if I can do it, anyone can do it."
The Advertiser
08-05-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Fressard's path from school expulsion to Origin arena
If Jayme Fressard hadn't been kicked out of school in year 10, she probably wouldn't be lining up for NSW and taking a shot at State of Origin glory. By her own admission, the Sydney Roosters winger was acting up and hanging out with a bad crowd when she was expelled from high school a little more than 10 years ago. "I was probably people-pleasing a little bit and getting caught up in the wrong crowd," she told AAP ahead of Thursday's Origin II. "I feel like I didn't have a certain amount of people that believed in me." School had never been Fressard's favourite place, so starting fresh at Gorokan High on NSW's Central Coast would've felt daunting. But it was at Gorokan that a teacher first put a rugby ball in Fressard's hands, with the naturally athletic teenager preferring soccer up to that point. Fressard had never known that footy was even an option available to her. "One of the teachers asked if I wanted to play rugby sevens. I thought, 'Oh my God, girls can play tackle?' I took that opportunity," she said. Fressard excelled so quickly that at 17, she was selected to represent Australia at the 2015 Youth Commonwealth Games in Samoa. Feeling more at home at Gorokan, Fressard finished year 12 - an impressive effort given how things had ended at her previous school. When fellow Central Coast local and current NSW captain Isabelle Kelly invited her to train with local rugby league team the Berkeley Vale Panthers, Fressard's footy journey took another turn. Fressard fell in love with the game and went on to earn an NRLW contract with Brisbane for the 2020 season. A premiership winner with the Roosters last season, Fressard excelled on Origin debut for NSW last week, scoring two tries in a record-breaking 32-12 rout of Queensland. She's now only 70 minutes away from becoming a State of Origin champion, with NSW hoping to reclaim the Origin shield for the first time since 2022. Score three more tries this series and Fressard could equal Kelly's record as the Blues' most prolific tryscorer of the Origin era. The heights she's scaled in rugby league have left Fressard to look back at expulsion from school as one of the most significant moments of her life. "In a way it was actually a blessing in disguise. It ended up being the best thing that happened to me," she said. "New change of environment, some new teachers that believed in me ... In two years, I had a very different perspective as well on life." These days, when she's not playing footy herself, Fressard works for not-for-profit organisation Creating Chances helping mentor teenagers through sport. She even spends time back at Gorokan High trying to have the same positive influence on kids that her teachers had on her 10 years ago. "I'm pretty honest and I'm pretty raw with my experiences growing up with the kids," she said. "I understand that school's not for everyone but I think there's two different pathways you can go down. "It's trying to show kids that just because that's a pathway that you have, doesn't mean that's where you have to stay on. "You can always change your course. I really try and encourage the youth and show them that if I can do it, anyone can do it." If Jayme Fressard hadn't been kicked out of school in year 10, she probably wouldn't be lining up for NSW and taking a shot at State of Origin glory. By her own admission, the Sydney Roosters winger was acting up and hanging out with a bad crowd when she was expelled from high school a little more than 10 years ago. "I was probably people-pleasing a little bit and getting caught up in the wrong crowd," she told AAP ahead of Thursday's Origin II. "I feel like I didn't have a certain amount of people that believed in me." School had never been Fressard's favourite place, so starting fresh at Gorokan High on NSW's Central Coast would've felt daunting. But it was at Gorokan that a teacher first put a rugby ball in Fressard's hands, with the naturally athletic teenager preferring soccer up to that point. Fressard had never known that footy was even an option available to her. "One of the teachers asked if I wanted to play rugby sevens. I thought, 'Oh my God, girls can play tackle?' I took that opportunity," she said. Fressard excelled so quickly that at 17, she was selected to represent Australia at the 2015 Youth Commonwealth Games in Samoa. Feeling more at home at Gorokan, Fressard finished year 12 - an impressive effort given how things had ended at her previous school. When fellow Central Coast local and current NSW captain Isabelle Kelly invited her to train with local rugby league team the Berkeley Vale Panthers, Fressard's footy journey took another turn. Fressard fell in love with the game and went on to earn an NRLW contract with Brisbane for the 2020 season. A premiership winner with the Roosters last season, Fressard excelled on Origin debut for NSW last week, scoring two tries in a record-breaking 32-12 rout of Queensland. She's now only 70 minutes away from becoming a State of Origin champion, with NSW hoping to reclaim the Origin shield for the first time since 2022. Score three more tries this series and Fressard could equal Kelly's record as the Blues' most prolific tryscorer of the Origin era. The heights she's scaled in rugby league have left Fressard to look back at expulsion from school as one of the most significant moments of her life. "In a way it was actually a blessing in disguise. It ended up being the best thing that happened to me," she said. "New change of environment, some new teachers that believed in me ... In two years, I had a very different perspective as well on life." These days, when she's not playing footy herself, Fressard works for not-for-profit organisation Creating Chances helping mentor teenagers through sport. She even spends time back at Gorokan High trying to have the same positive influence on kids that her teachers had on her 10 years ago. "I'm pretty honest and I'm pretty raw with my experiences growing up with the kids," she said. "I understand that school's not for everyone but I think there's two different pathways you can go down. "It's trying to show kids that just because that's a pathway that you have, doesn't mean that's where you have to stay on. "You can always change your course. I really try and encourage the youth and show them that if I can do it, anyone can do it." If Jayme Fressard hadn't been kicked out of school in year 10, she probably wouldn't be lining up for NSW and taking a shot at State of Origin glory. By her own admission, the Sydney Roosters winger was acting up and hanging out with a bad crowd when she was expelled from high school a little more than 10 years ago. "I was probably people-pleasing a little bit and getting caught up in the wrong crowd," she told AAP ahead of Thursday's Origin II. "I feel like I didn't have a certain amount of people that believed in me." School had never been Fressard's favourite place, so starting fresh at Gorokan High on NSW's Central Coast would've felt daunting. But it was at Gorokan that a teacher first put a rugby ball in Fressard's hands, with the naturally athletic teenager preferring soccer up to that point. Fressard had never known that footy was even an option available to her. "One of the teachers asked if I wanted to play rugby sevens. I thought, 'Oh my God, girls can play tackle?' I took that opportunity," she said. Fressard excelled so quickly that at 17, she was selected to represent Australia at the 2015 Youth Commonwealth Games in Samoa. Feeling more at home at Gorokan, Fressard finished year 12 - an impressive effort given how things had ended at her previous school. When fellow Central Coast local and current NSW captain Isabelle Kelly invited her to train with local rugby league team the Berkeley Vale Panthers, Fressard's footy journey took another turn. Fressard fell in love with the game and went on to earn an NRLW contract with Brisbane for the 2020 season. A premiership winner with the Roosters last season, Fressard excelled on Origin debut for NSW last week, scoring two tries in a record-breaking 32-12 rout of Queensland. She's now only 70 minutes away from becoming a State of Origin champion, with NSW hoping to reclaim the Origin shield for the first time since 2022. Score three more tries this series and Fressard could equal Kelly's record as the Blues' most prolific tryscorer of the Origin era. The heights she's scaled in rugby league have left Fressard to look back at expulsion from school as one of the most significant moments of her life. "In a way it was actually a blessing in disguise. It ended up being the best thing that happened to me," she said. "New change of environment, some new teachers that believed in me ... In two years, I had a very different perspective as well on life." These days, when she's not playing footy herself, Fressard works for not-for-profit organisation Creating Chances helping mentor teenagers through sport. She even spends time back at Gorokan High trying to have the same positive influence on kids that her teachers had on her 10 years ago. "I'm pretty honest and I'm pretty raw with my experiences growing up with the kids," she said. "I understand that school's not for everyone but I think there's two different pathways you can go down. "It's trying to show kids that just because that's a pathway that you have, doesn't mean that's where you have to stay on. "You can always change your course. I really try and encourage the youth and show them that if I can do it, anyone can do it."
Perth Now
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Fressard's path from school expulsion to Origin arena
If Jayme Fressard hadn't been kicked out of school in year 10, she probably wouldn't be lining up for NSW and taking a shot at State of Origin glory. By her own admission, the Sydney Roosters winger was acting up and hanging out with a bad crowd when she was expelled from high school a little more than 10 years ago. "I was probably people-pleasing a little bit and getting caught up in the wrong crowd," she told AAP ahead of Thursday's Origin II. "I feel like I didn't have a certain amount of people that believed in me." School had never been Fressard's favourite place, so starting fresh at Gorokan High on NSW's Central Coast would've felt daunting. But it was at Gorokan that a teacher first put a rugby ball in Fressard's hands, with the naturally athletic teenager preferring soccer up to that point. Fressard had never known that footy was even an option available to her. "One of the teachers asked if I wanted to play rugby sevens. I thought, 'Oh my God, girls can play tackle?' I took that opportunity," she said. Fressard excelled so quickly that at 17, she was selected to represent Australia at the 2015 Youth Commonwealth Games in Samoa. Feeling more at home at Gorokan, Fressard finished year 12 - an impressive effort given how things had ended at her previous school. When fellow Central Coast local and current NSW captain Isabelle Kelly invited her to train with local rugby league team the Berkeley Vale Panthers, Fressard's footy journey took another turn. Fressard fell in love with the game and went on to earn an NRLW contract with Brisbane for the 2020 season. A premiership winner with the Roosters last season, Fressard excelled on Origin debut for NSW last week, scoring two tries in a record-breaking 32-12 rout of Queensland. She's now only 70 minutes away from becoming a State of Origin champion, with NSW hoping to reclaim the Origin shield for the first time since 2022. Score three more tries this series and Fressard could equal Kelly's record as the Blues' most prolific tryscorer of the Origin era. The heights she's scaled in rugby league have left Fressard to look back at expulsion from school as one of the most significant moments of her life. "In a way it was actually a blessing in disguise. It ended up being the best thing that happened to me," she said. "New change of environment, some new teachers that believed in me ... In two years, I had a very different perspective as well on life." These days, when she's not playing footy herself, Fressard works for not-for-profit organisation Creating Chances helping mentor teenagers through sport. She even spends time back at Gorokan High trying to have the same positive influence on kids that her teachers had on her 10 years ago. "I'm pretty honest and I'm pretty raw with my experiences growing up with the kids," she said. "I understand that school's not for everyone but I think there's two different pathways you can go down. "It's trying to show kids that just because that's a pathway that you have, doesn't mean that's where you have to stay on. "You can always change your course. I really try and encourage the youth and show them that if I can do it, anyone can do it."
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Women's State of Origin game 1: NSW Blues take down Queensland Maroons
Jayme Fressard of the Blues one of her two tries during the Women's State of Origin series opner in Brisbane. Jayme Fressard of the Blues one of her two tries during the Women's State of Origin series opner in Brisbane. Photograph: Dave Hunt/AAP New South Wales overpowered a mistake-prone Queensland side 32-12 in a compelling but ultimately one-sided Women's State of Origin opener in front of a record crowd at Suncorp Stadium on Thursday, thanks to key contributions from three debutants. Late try-scorer Abbi Church was incisive at fullback, Jayme Fressard crossed twice on the left wing and towering prop forward Ellie Johnston scored the decisive four-pointer midway through the second half that settled the contest which gave the Blues a lead in the three-match series. Advertisement Related: Fine forecast as Women's State of Origin goes from strength to strength | Jack Snape Johnston, a proven NRLW performer with Cronulla, said she wanted to make the most of the step up, but there was nothing complicated about her try. 'Me and Em [Emma Verran] have a really good connection, and she just knew that I wanted it, and I knew Queensland were short on that side so I just went for it,' she said. The crowd of 26,022 at the match – the first in four days of entertainment as part of NRL's Magic Round – set a new record for the series. It eclipsed the 25,782 that attended game two in last season's series. In that match the Blues gave up a second-half lead that would turn the series on its head, but there were no signs of nerves on Thursday from a new-look Blues side under new coach John Strange. Jesse Southwell was recalled at halfback and was effective as kicker and playmaker. Advertisement But it was the solid work of the Blues pack that set the platform for their success on a fresh Brisbane evening. They were helped by a series of mistakes in the second half by the Maroons, who coughed up the ball repeatedly inside their half, three ending in tries that would settle the contest. Right-winger Jaime Chapman helped bring about the first try of the second half for her team-mate Jayme Fressard on the opposite flank, when she forced an error from Queensland deep in their territory. Seconds later the Blues were over in the left corner, and Fressard had two tries on debut. Johnston provided the moment of the match when she crossed to help put the Blues up by two converted tries. A forward pass from Queensland 30m out gifted their opponents possession, and once again the home side paid dearly. Johnston carried two defenders over the line for the try, then erupted in celebrations in a crowd of delighted teammates. She almost did it again in the dying stages, as another marauding run under the posts was only narrowly held up by a desperate mass of Queensland defenders. Seconds later Church took advantage of Johnston's efforts, and crossed on the left to mark her own dazzling debut. Advertisement Queensland captain Tamika Upton said her team tried hard but made too many errors. 'We gave them a lot of ball, and we definitely paid the price for it, but I'm very proud of the girls for their defence, particularly the debutants, it was a very tough slog in the middle there.' New South Wales led 14-12 after an entertaining first half featuring five tries, and multiple momentum swings. The Blues crossed first via centre Jess Sergis, one of three first-half tries for the visitors. The best was their third, midway through the period, when the footwork of Church created an overlap on the left. A mid-air catch and pass from captain Isabelle Kelly sent Fressard over just inside the corner flag in front a bay of New South Wales fans in blue. The lead-up to the Blues' second try, a four-pointer for Kelly, was notable for an apparent complaint from New South Wales over an alleged eye gouge. It was the first of two unpleasant incidents in the first stanza, which also included a hair pull on Upton by Tiana Penitani Gray. But those moments were largely forgotten in a second half in which the Blues romped to a deserved victory.
The Guardian
01-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Women's State of Origin game 1: NSW Blues take down Queensland Maroons
New South Wales overpowered a mistake-prone Queensland side 32-12 in a compelling but ultimately one-sided Women's State of Origin opener in front of a record crowd at Suncorp Stadium on Thursday, thanks to key contributions from three debutants. Late try-scorer Abbi Church was incisive at fullback, Jayme Fressard crossed twice on the left wing and towering prop forward Ellie Johnston scored the decisive four-pointer midway through the second half that settled the contest which gave the Blues a lead in the three-match series. Johnston, a proven NRLW performer with Cronulla, said she wanted to make the most of the step up, but there was nothing complicated about her try. 'Me and Em [Emma Verran] have a really good connection, and she just knew that I wanted it, and I knew Queensland were short on that side so I just went for it,' she said. The crowd of 26,022 at the match – the first in four days of entertainment as part of NRL's Magic Round – set a new record for the series. It eclipsed the 25,782 that attended game two in last season's series. In that match the Blues gave up a second-half lead that would turn the series on its head, but there were no signs of nerves on Thursday from a new-look Blues side under new coach John Strange. Jesse Southwell was recalled at halfback and was effective as kicker and playmaker. But it was the solid work of the Blues pack that set the platform for their success on a fresh Brisbane evening. They were helped by a series of mistakes in the second half by the Maroons, who coughed up the ball repeatedly inside their half, three ending in tries that would settle the contest. Right-winger Jaime Chapman helped bring about the first try of the second half for her team-mate Jayme Fressard on the opposite flank, when she forced an error from Queensland deep in their territory. Seconds later the Blues were over in the left corner, and Fressard had two tries on debut. Johnston provided the moment of the match when she crossed to help put the Blues up by two converted tries. A forward pass from Queensland 30m out gifted their opponents possession, and once again the home side paid dearly. Johnston carried two defenders over the line for the try, then erupted in celebrations in a crowd of delighted teammates. She almost did it again in the dying stages, as another marauding run under the posts was only narrowly held up by a desperate mass of Queensland defenders. Seconds later Church took advantage of Johnston's efforts, and crossed on the left to mark her own dazzling debut. Sign up to Australia Sport Get a daily roundup of the latest sports news, features and comment from our Australian sports desk after newsletter promotion Queensland captain Tamika Upton said her team tried hard but made too many errors. 'We gave them a lot of ball, and we definitely paid the price for it, but I'm very proud of the girls for their defence, particularly the debutants, it was a very tough slog in the middle there.' New South Wales led 14-12 after an entertaining first half featuring five tries, and multiple momentum swings. The Blues crossed first via centre Jess Sergis, one of three first-half tries for the visitors. The best was their third, midway through the period, when the footwork of Church created an overlap on the left. A mid-air catch and pass from captain Isabelle Kelly sent Fressard over just inside the corner flag in front a bay of New South Wales fans in blue. The lead-up to the Blues' second try, a four-pointer for Kelly, was notable for an apparent complaint from New South Wales over an alleged eye gouge. It was the first of two unpleasant incidents in the first stanza, which also included a hair pull on Upton by Tiana Penitani Gray. But those moments were largely forgotten in a second half in which the Blues romped to a deserved victory.
