Country upbringing helps Rankin shine on world stage with the Matildas

NORTHERN Rivers product Jamilla Rankin is continuing her rise in international football after representing the Matildas in a recent two-match series against Mexico.

The 23-year-old defender, who grew up in Eureka and attended Trinity Catholic College in Lismore, was part of Australia’s Asian Cup squad and came off the bench in the Matildas’ 3-1 victory over Mexico in Sydney earlier this month.

The series also included a match in Newcastle, a city that played a pivotal role in Rankin’s development as a young footballer.

As a teenager coming through Football Far North Coast and the Northern NSW Football pathway, she regularly made the lengthy trip south to train with the Newcastle Jets Academy and represent Northern NSW at National Youth Championships.

While the travel demands were significant, Rankin said they opened the door to opportunities she may never have otherwise encountered.

“It probably wasn’t a conventional childhood looking back on it,” she said.

“I think in the moment, I didn’t really know much different, so for me a normal week would involve lots of travelling.

“Really looking back now, I took it for granted and I’m very grateful for my parents.

 

“Before I was involved in the Newcastle setup all I knew was boys’ football. I had never really had any insight into women’s football.”

Rankin’s progression to the international stage gathered momentum in 2021 when she was called into a European training camp in Ireland with only a few days’ notice, giving her a first opportunity to train alongside the senior national squad.

Just a year later she made her Matildas debut and has since earned further opportunities in the green and gold. The defender now spends most of the year with German club TSG Hoffenheim and will be aiming to cement her place in the national setup ahead of next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Despite her growing success overseas, Rankin remains proud of her Northern Rivers upbringing and credits local coaches for helping shape her career.

“My football coach Victor Stokes and futsal coach Vinnie Leite were my two main coaches when I was training with the boys,” she said.

“They let me into those teams and treated me exactly the same as they treated the boys and pushed me to be better and to back myself in tough environments.”