Vale Ronnie May, Wallaroo #16

Fri, Nov 15, 2024, 4:01 AM
Rugby Australia
by Rugby Australia
The Australian Rugby community is mourning the loss of Wallaroo #16 Ronnie May who passed away last week aged 52.
The Australian Rugby community is mourning the loss of Wallaroo #16 Ronnie May who passed away last week aged 52.

The Australian Rugby community is mourning the loss of Wallaroo #16 Ronnie May who passed away last week aged 52.

Born in Orange, NSW, Ronnie made her Test debut in the first ever Wallaroos Test match, against New Zealand at North Sydney Oval in 1994.

The front-rower came off the bench in the defeat to the Kiwis, setting the platform for the Wallaroos for generations to come

She also played in Australia's first Women's Rugby World Cup appearance in 1998, a fifth-place finish in the Netherlands.

May played for Drummoyne and Warringah in the Sydney women's club competition and represented both NSW and the ACT at Provincial level.

She played her final Test against Scotland at the Rugby World Cup in Amsterdam in 1998, her 8th Test appearance in a 5-year international career.

Australian Rugby offers its deepest condolences to the family of Ronnie May, a true trailblazer for Australian Women’s Rugby 30 years on from that inaugural game in North Sydney.

A celebration of Ronnie’s life will be held at 11am on Friday 22nd November at the Civic Centre in Wellington, NSW.

View Ronnie May's Classic Wallaroo bio here.

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