'Just the beginning': Golden girl vows to keep wowing fans at RLWC26
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Golden Boot winner Julia Robinson has vowed to continue pushing boundaries as the Jillaroos prepare to showcase women’s rugby league in prime time during next year’s World Cup.
Robinson, who capped a stunning 2025 season by being unanimously vote as the International Rugby League Player of the Year, scored a stunning aerial try against Fetu Samoa that went viral.
Jillaroos coach Jess Skinner revealed how Robinson had told her before the March 1 Test against England in Vegas that she wanted to take the women’s game to another level and the spectacular try was the result of her hard work to do so.
However, Robinson isn’t willing to rest on her laurels and believes the World Cup is a massive opportunity to show new audiences how good the game’s female athletes are, particularly with Channel 7 to broadcast Australia’s opening pool match against Samoa and their Perth clash with England in prime time.
“I feel like it is just the beginning of the girls’ game, we have shown what our game can do and I feel like our game is just going to get better and better each year,” Robinson said.
“I am so excited to play in the World Cup here in Australia. I feel like we have such an incredible fan base and hopefully we get a lot of turnouts to our games.
"I am excited to go over to Perth as well to showcase our game there and with the other teams across hopefully we can elevate our game.
“We saw this year how much the other teams are growing and getting better each year, so next year will just go to the next level.
“Everyone plays with so much pride and honour in their jerseys, and I feel that when they come here for the World Cup it is going to be such a great competition that will really showcase our game.”
A former army officer who grew up playing netball, Robinson said the reaction to her try at Suncorp Stadium had been incredible, with Matildas captain and Chelsea superstar Sam Kerr among those to share it on social media.
“That was a special moment and to see it go global was pretty cool," she said.
“There was an awesome reaction to that try, and I guess it just shows how much support we get from other female athletes, globally in sport.
"Hopefully everyone gets behind the Jillaroos like they did with the Matildas, because they have done some incredible things for women’s sport and hopefully we can do the same."
Robinson received her award from Australian Jillaroos great Karyn Murphy, who was one of the Golden Boot judges, along with New Zealand dual code superstar Honey Hireme-Smiler and Kiwi Ferns pioneer Luisa Avaiki, who also played for Samoa.
The Queensland star, who moved to the centres for the Broncos this year, edged her premiership winning team-mate Tamika Upton, for the IRL 2025 Golden Boot.
Murphy and fellow NRL Hall of Famers Veronica White and Natalie Dwyer, who also attended the presentation, were sitting together at Suncorp Stadium when Robinson scored the try against Samoa.
“That try at Suncorp was absolutely outstanding,” Murphy said. “There was a group of Jillaroos at our 30-year reunion sitting in the crowd not far from it, we could see her coming across and we had no doubt in our minds that she was going to get that try.
It was just an amazing try and it is so good that has gone worldwide and will be replayed for many years to come.
“It is a credit to Robbo’s dedication over the years. She is the top tryscorer for the Jillaroos. She has had an amazing couple of years, but this year Robbo has gone to another level in her game.”
Skinner said Robinson was also a strong advocate for women’s rugby league and a great role model for younger players in the game.
“She puts herself in those positions, she trains for it and she works really hard. She is amazing to watch, and she is a phenomenal athlete,” Skinner said.
“I know speaking to her at the start of the year before Vegas she wanted to show another stage of what women can do as athletes and her athleticism is so impressive.
“She was working on that from the 2024 Pacific Championships to Vegas and she had a great campaign there, and then she scored that stellar try.”
