Hilisha is an Australian Foreign Resident who was born in New Zealand and is Scottish, Irish, New Zealand Maori, Hawaiian, Tongan and Samoan. Hilisha started playing Rugby Union as a teenager in 1999/2000 for Norths Junior Barbarians in Kedron-Wavell Heights under the Queensland Rugby Unions (QRU), Brisbane Junior Rugby Union (BJRU) competition for young females. Hilisha has continued to actively play Rugby Union in the women’s Queensland Premier Grade for GPS Rugby Union in Ashgrove, Queensland Reds, Player of National Interests (PONI) & Australian Wallaroos development in 2005, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 & 2020.
Hilisha is a Queensland Reds stalwart and Forwards specialist in set piece and Tight-Head prop, made her first state side in the Brisbane Invitational Squad at age 18 years old and then her debut for the newly named women’s Queensland Reds Squad in 2005. Hilisha debuted for Australia Wallaroos in 2017, travelling on two tours for Australia in the Trans-Tasman squad to New Zealand and the first XV Rugby World Cup squad in Ireland. Hilisha has played eight test matches and gained recognition for her Rugby Union efforts and outstanding performances in 2017 as the Australian Rugby Union Women’s Player of the Year Award Winner, 2017 AON Player of the Match vs. Ireland and several 2017 Best & Fairest Awards on tour in NZ & Ireland.
Hilisha is currently taking a break from employment and is now a single stay-at-home mother to five children at her parents' house in the Indigenous traditional country town pronounced Kallangoor, Kallangur of Kabi or Gubbi Gubbi in the Moreton Bay Regional Council since returning from Ireland in 2017.
Hilisha is a Business degree undergraduate student at Swinburne University (Online Studies) with a major in Sports Management and holds a certificate in Youth Work and accreditation in Sports Massage, Reiki Therapy, Therapeutic Crisis Intervention, World Rugby First Aid, World Rugby Head Concussion, Coaching for Children and Rugby Ready Australian Rugby Union (ARU) accreditations.
Hilisha is studying to become a private Sports Agent with her collaborative project Ruck Central and spokesperson for her five sports-active children. Her most recent community efforts have been touring with the Classic Wallaroos Alumni for Coaching Clinics and marquee matches in and around Australia to promote the 2027 & 2029 Men & Women’s Rugby World Cups in Australia, which successfully has been won at the vote ballot. Alongside her community efforts, Hilisha will be volunteering with Spectator Services as a Volunteer in the 2021 (2022) women’s Rugby World Cup.
Hilisha is proud to be a Minerva Network Athlete and is looking forward to learning more about the corporate side of Rugby Union and striving for final selection in the 2025 England World Cup & 2029 Australian World Cup as it will be sentimental moments and goals for her to play at Twickenham Stadium in England as an English Lady (unseated) and also to finish her Rugby Union Career at Suncorp Stadium.
