Sharni Smale: Australia’s Rugby Warrior to call time on legendary Sevens career

Smale (née Williams) leaves a legacy unlike many others as a trailblazer and one of the finest Sevens athletes to grace the field.

The 36-year-old will play her last Sevens event after debuting in 2011, winning everything there is to claim alongside good friend and fellow legend Charlotte Caslick.

The 2016 Olympic gold is the standout, cemented as one of the most important in Australian sport in the 21st century, inspiring a generation of females to play contact sports, including Rugby Sevens.

Smale was co-captain alongside Shannon Parry in Rio, awarded an Order of Australia Medal for her heroics.

Set to go to her third Olympics, the Commonwealth and World Cup champion calls time on her Sevens career as a small town girl from Batlow with a big legacy.

“There has got to be a point where Sharni Smale steps away and the game is in a healthy position,” she told Rugby.com.au

“These young girls coming through are really proving themselves so it’s time for me to step away and make sure there’s space there for these girls coming through

“Nothing really changes, it just means stepping away from this amazing family that I have had for the last 12 years.” she said and smiled.

“It’s major surgery and as an athlete, you think about getting on with it and move on but to have the gallbladder pulled out through your belly button and knit those abs back together, it’s serious.

“I took a couple of hits and takes and got to play my first game back last month and felt really good.”

“I think that for Sharni from a personal perspective, you see that dazzling smile and for a lot of athletes in the social perspective, you see that happy and good but Sharni is the first to say she’s a human first and a rugby player second,” Mel added.

“I think that sometimes players can appear larger than life and it’s a pretty fizzing life to be living but there’s always still vulnerability there. She had the nickname ‘Women of Steel’ where people think nothing fazes her but there’s a really soft side to her and it’s a really special part of her.”

Symbolism is big for Smale, with the triple crown, Olympics and 8816 (the date of the Rio Final plus ’88 representing her year of birth) tattooed on her forearm.

Even the date of this announcement was with purpose as the 20th player to play the game of Sevens for Australia. Clark said.

“They inspire me every day and encourage me to work harder and I really look up to them even though they’re my teammates.

“It’s an incredible tribute to her and also must be quite a sense of pride to have those people beside you that once upon a time looked at her from a difference,” Mel added.

“I don’t think often an athlete would get that opportunity because of her longevity in the game to experience something like that so I think that’s quite special.”

“It’s exciting to see them grow. I’ve been part of the program for 12 years and seeing the game grow, see so many people grow I take as a privilege to be a part of,” Smale reflects.

“We call them my family so to watch them evolve and see the disheartened times, that’s part of what happens as a family in that you see the good, ugly, bad and the bright sides.

“We’ve seen the disappointment and the losses but we’ve learned from it and now you get to see off the back end of the world series what success is in their ears. You just see their eyes light up.

“It’s a privilege to see all the different emotions but to see the growth of these guys is unreal.”