Hello, my name is Bella Canning, and I am a 16-year-old rugby union athlete from North Queensland. Rugby has been a passion of mine for years, and through countless hours of hard work, training, and competition, it has shaped me into the determined and resilient athlete I am today.

Significant Achievements This Year:

I’ve been fortunate to achieve significant milestones in my rugby journey this year.

• I proudly represented Northern School Sport for Rugby 7’s where I competed at the QRSS State Championships, helping my team to secure 3rd place and I received the Qld School sports Life Member award.
• I was selected to represent and co captain Townsville in the U16 girls Brolgas team that won the Qld Country Champions, another highlight that has only strengthened my love for the game and my drive to keep pushing myself.

Following this,

• I was proudly selected to represent QLD Country in the Qld Country U16 girls team, at the Buildcorp Australian Schools and Junior Rugby Union Championships, competing at a national level against some of the most talented young athletes in the country, with the team being awarded 2nd place. These experiences have pushed me to grow as both a player and a person, fueling my ambition to continue striving for the highest levels of the sport.
• From the Buildcorp Nationals competition, I was selected to be part of the U18 Emerging Reds Academy, an amazing opportunity that I successfully completed over 10 weeks. Not without its challenges, each week I flew from Townsville to Brisbane, fully committing to the intensive training and pushing myself to improve at every session. This experience had been a huge part of my 2025 rugby journey, building on everything I have achieved so far and highlighting my dedication, resilience , and love for the game.
• In September I was part of an all girls international rugby tour to Japan, where I had the honour of representing Australian rugby abroad in an all girls 15 a side team. This was an incredible opportunity to test myself against high level international competition, develop my skills, and gain valuable experience that will continue to help me chase my long-term goals in the sport.
• October saw me competing back on Australian home soil at the Pacific Youth Rugby Festival in Brisbane for my Nations United U16 Girls team. Being my second year taking part in this competition, I had a bit of an idea what I was up against but without fail the girls showed up stronger and more eager to play than the previous year. It is one of Queenslands biggest and best Rugby Union competitions with some of the strongest and talented players from across the state. We won our final, coming home with the Bronze medal.
• Im now preparing myself and my body to represent the U18 girls Qld Honey competing in Auckland at the Global Youth rugby 7s competition in December. This will be my final rugby tour/competition for 2025. Im super excited to be competing against top players from all around the world. It has been a dream of mine to be part of this competition. It will be a wonderful finish to an already amazing year. Starting the year off playing grass root rugby, to finishing off having played Rugby in 3 different country's in 4 months at the age of 16.

What I'm Raising Funds For:

• Northern School Sport 7s - Qld school state Championships - Toowoomba
• Townsville Brolgas - Qld Country Championships - Townsville
• Qld Country - National Junior Rugby Championships - Sunshine Coast
• Emerging Reds Academy - 10 week academy - Brisbane
• Nations United - Japan Rugby Tour - Japan
• Nations United - Pacific youth rugby festival - Brisbane
• Qld Honey Bees 7s - Global Youth 7s - Auckland

I have been given amazing opportunities to compete and advance my rugby skills this year. These opportunities are not only a stepping stone in my development to my dream, but will give me a chance to compete both regionally and internationally, enabling me to build connections, learn from incredible coaches, and showcase my skills both in Australia and overseas, helping me to become a stronger athlete and a more developed individual. Elite opportunities like this come with significant financial costs. I’m raising funds to help cover travel expenses, accommodation, competition fees, training equipment, and recovery gear needed to perform at my best throughout the tour.

Alongside this, I am proud to be supported by the Aussie Athlete Fund, an initiative led by Olympic gold medallist Natalie Cook. This program helps young athletes like me to overcome the financial pressures of elite sport and continue working towards our sporting dreams.

Any donation, big or small, will go a long way in supporting my journey and helping me take the next step in my development as an athlete. 

Thank you for your support… it truly means the world.

Bella