If you’re one of the fortunate people who are heading over to Rio de Janeiro for the Olympic Games, kicking off later this week, keep your ears open for the sounds of the Australian Women’s Rugby Sevens support team and their ‘party house’.
And if you’re a little hard of hearing, never fear; the swimming pool and soccer field which come with the house that sleeps 24 people will catch your eye if you’re in the same neighbourhood!
Rhonda Tonegato, mother of Australian Rugby Sevens superstar Emma, is heading to Rio along with her husband and three sons, and as she explains the pieces having fallen into place to allow a large contingent of the squad’s families to stay together.
“We were looking around for accommodation when my husband Stephen stumbled across this huge, reasonably priced house, and we thought it was a really good idea to get a group together,” Rhonda says.
“We’d heard some great stories from some of the water polo parents we knew who had suggested it was fun to all stay together, so he put out the feelers with an email among the other families, got a few responses and it grew from there!”
Also joining Rhonda, Stephen and Emma’s brothers Adam (25), Luke (23) and Daniel (19) are Charlotte Caslick’s parents and two brothers, Ellia Green’s mum, Nicole Beck’s parents, brother, partner and daughter, members of Sharni Williams’ family, and the brother and parents of both Alicia Quirk and Emilee Cherry!
“We’re all very much looking forward to it; a lot of the girls have brothers so there are going to be a lot of boys who are of course calling it the party house!”
Excitement in the Tonegato household, and indeed in her home town of Wollongong, has reached fever pitch ahead of the Women’s squad’s first match, Sunday morning at 2:30am AEST against Colombia.
“The whole family are all pinching ourselves that this is real and we’re all going to Rio this week,” she said. “The boys are very proud of their sister and they’re thrilled to support her along the way.
“There’s a real buzz in Wollongong; I’m a member of the Grange Golf Club, and all the members of the Club want me to hold up a sign saying hi to them! The local TV station did a great story on Emma and (fellow local) Nicole Beck with a real family focus, and there have also been lots of little snippets in the Illawarra Mercury. We’ve cut all of those out and kept them, and it’s just a wonderful adventure that we are all feeling very fortunate to be a part of.
“Emma and Nicole have been getting messages from past coaches and people they knew growing up in Wollongong, and whenever I run into people who knew them they tell me they can’t wait to watch. There will be a lot more support here than the girls probably even think or realise, and that’s great to see.”
Rhonda, who has previously travelled to watch Emma play World Series events in Canada, the UK and Holland, is confident that the team will be able to handle the pressure that comes with being the pre-Olympic favourites.
“As supporters, we all have complete faith that Walshy has left no stone unturned and we’re looking forward to being there to lend our support; I personally don’t really think the girls are feeling any pressure, so hopefully it will be a positive outcome.
“All of the girls really love having their family there to support them. The team itself really operates like a big family and we all just fit in and feel like part of the group ourselves and have always felt very welcomed.”
Emma first started playing Rugby league at the age of fifteen before shifting to Rugby Sevens, and Rhonda admits she could never have imagined her daughter making a living as a professional Rugby Sevens athlete or heading to Rio to compete in the Olympics.
“When Emma first wanted to play Rugby League I was more than happy for her to go ahead and do it, however her father was a little more unsure and he insisted she wore headgear and protective shoulder pads,” Rhonda explains. “She started off wearing those under protest but she got used to them, and on the flipside we’ve become more used to her playing a contact sport and the good thing is that the higher the level of play, the less likelihood there seems to be of serious injuries as all the girls know proper tackling technique.
“We never imagined that Emma would be able to make a living out of it! The sport has come such a long way and Emma’s had a great journey from Rugby League into Rugby, and hopefully the team will be successful at the Olympics and inspire many more girls to follow in their footsteps.”
Rhonda also acknowledged the support of RUPA and Rugby Sevens Player Development Manager Gina Rees, who among other things is tasked with helping both the Men’s and Women’s squads pursue options away from Rugby through training and education.
“The reality is that none of the girls are going to play Rugby forever,” she says. “I know that RUPA really encourage them to do something else on the side, and I know that RUPA give the girls a heap of support.
“It’s brilliant that Gina is in there with the squads and she is doing a great job, and for Emma to have somebody to help her focus on University (she is studying Occupational Therapy) away from Rugby is great. It gives her a bit of space and allows her to shape her own identity, and the girls definitely do need RUPA backing them and are grateful for their support.”
For the immediate time being, the best support that the girls can get is from the ‘party house’ in Rio and all of us back here in Australia cheering them on, so make sure you reach out via Twitter to @Aussie7s to wish the team luck on their quest for gold!
