Trailblazer Claudia at it again

Claudia McMeekin PICTURE/PETRINA HODGSON

Kaitaia's Claudia McMeekin is a something of a breakthrough artist when it comes to sport.

In 2008, she became one of the select few females to represent Northland at the Roller Mills primary schools rugby tournament. She had a blinder at the tournament and became the first or maybe second - the history is unclear - ever female to make the tournament team.

This week she is poised to make another bit of history in Whangarei as she takes part in the first women's AFL international series in New Zealand.

The U18 New Zealand Kahu take on the Australia Youth team at Kensington Park on Wednesday in the third match of the series and two Northlanders, McMeekin and Whangarei's Setareh Brown are in the Kiwi side.

They are part of a 14-member team selected from a larger number of players who have been part of the 2013 national high performance programme. Some of the Auckland-based players have played for a couple years or more, others like McMeekin, are new to the sport this year.

The 18-year-old Kaitaia College student - surprised but thrilled to be named captain of the team at the weekend - admits she is still coming to grips with the sport.

"AFL's a really cool game. We don't see much of it over here but I watched a live AFL game at the Gabba when we went over to Brisbane and I was just blown away at how fast the game was and how fit you have to be," McMeekin said.

McMeekin is one of those natural sportswomen who can play anything, anytime and that has helped her to impress the selectors.

"For me it brings together all the skills that I've learned from different sports - like rugby and soccer, with the accuracy of kicking, and even basketball, which helps with the jumping."

She continues to play other sports, particularly rugby where she is a member of the Northland women's sevens team, but the 18-year-old is confident she is able to continue juggling all her sporting commitments - for the rest of the year at least.

She is in her final year at college and will take up her Te Tai Tokerau McDonalds Scholarship and study business at AUT University next year.

With the International AFL Cup in August next year, McMeekin is hoping for some international travel but AFL may open other doors for her in Auckland.

"I guess there are opportunities in every sport - even though AFL is very new here," she said.

"AFL's already paying off for me because Mick [NZAFL Development Officer Mick Coultard] offered me a part-time job - going into primary schools and teaching kids the basic skills of AFL," she said.

McMeekin plans to make the most of her AFL opportunities starting with a tilt at the Aussies this week in Whangarei.