The North Queensland Cowboys have added Australian rugby seven star Lily Dick to their NRLW roster, signing her on a two-year deal.
Dick has been a part of the Sevens setup since 2018 and making a name for herself in 30 tournaments before an ACL injury unfortunately ruled her out of participation at the Paris Olympics.
The Cowboys expect Dick to play both in the back row and the front row but she won’t be alone at the club, having previously played with winger Jakiya Whitfield, former teammates in Sevens.
Cowboys coach Ricky Henry says the club has been watching those 7s stars keen to make a jump over and it was after talking with Whitfield that they learnt of Dick’s interest to play rugby league.
“We have kept an eye on a number of players we believed could transition from Rugby 7s to the NRLW,” Henry said.
“We’ve spoken to people we trust and watched a lot of footage of Lily.
“She actually turned up on our doorstep with Jakiya.
“From our conversations with Jakiya we learned Lily was looking to try something new and she had a number of the traits, including an appetite for hard work, which we value in our players.”
Henry admits that making the transition will not be easy for the now former Sevens star but believes Dick has the ability and the mindset to perform.
“Making the transition from Rugby Sevens to NRLW will be a big step, but we believe she has the ability, mindset and work ethic to be successful in our game,” Henry continued.
“Lily is a very good athlete, runs well and is strong in the gym. We believe she will transition well to second row with her size and speed and we can’t wait to work with her during pre-season.”