Wallaroos great inspired by mantra 'you can't be what you can't see'

As Emily Chancellor runs out for her final Test, she will know she has fulfilled one of her ambitions as a Wallaroos representative.

Upon making her Test debut in 2018, Chancellor wanted to help increase the visibility of the Wallaroos among young fans.

Even though she followed rugby growing up, the Wallaroos were not on her radar as the women's game lacked adequate support and promotion.

Chancellor only began playing as a 21-year-old university student, admitting earlier this week "rugby wasn't an option" during her childhood.

At Canberra Stadium this evening, there will be young girls among the spectators eagerly watching the Wallaroos play Scotland.

They will be cheering on their heroes and dreaming of playing for the national women's rugby team, proving Chancellor has taken giant steps in accomplishing her mission.

"You can't be what you can't see," Chancellor told ABC Sport on the eve of her Test farewell.

"I feel like that is something that has driven me so hard; to want to keep playing and pushing the image of the Wallaroos to a wider audience.

"I feel like I've had a positive impact on that over the last eight years. I love seeing the kids in the crowd, with their parents, excited.

"What excites me is that there has been so much growth when I look back over the last eight years, considering where I was when I was a kid and the visibility of the game in the women's world [at the time].

"It's come so far. I'm really proud of where we've got to and how many young girls are turning up to games."

Tight bond

After 42 Tests, Chancellor will leave the game as a Wallaroos great.

The 35-year-old appeared in two World Cups and captained the team during the 2025 season.

A stellar domestic career with the NSW Waratahs and stints playing club rugby in the UK and Japan are also among her most cherished experiences.

Aside from her on-field achievements, nothing means more to Chancellor than the tight bond she enjoys with her Wallaroos teammates.

She describes the close-knit squad as a "sisterhood".

"We're all struggling or thriving with the challenges rugby faces, particularly in the women's space," said Chancellor, who will start at openside flanker against Scotland.

"Be it pay, the lack of professionalism, or the striving for both of those things, I think that bonds you together massively."

'Limitless' future

The Wallaroos's semi-professional status has made it difficult for the squad to compete with the likes of England and New Zealand, both of which benefit from having full-time programs.

The Wallaroos are in the process of becoming full-time in the build-up to the 2029 World Cup, which will be hosted by Australia.

Chancellor believes the team's opportunities will be "limitless" when this is finally achieved.

"You see how much natural ability the girls have, how much we do with so little in terms of game time at the moment," she said.

"I get excited by what Rugby Australia did with the Aussie women's sevens team when they went full-time.

"A bit more hard work and time together … wow, I think it will be exciting."

Chancellor will be enjoying retirement once the next World Cup rolls around, but her commitment to the Wallaroos's cause shows no signs of diminishing.

The drive to increase visibility of the Wallaroos and women's rugby will remain.

"We've still got a long way to go, and I don't plan on letting up on that goal of making it as visible as possible when I step away from playing," she said.