{{short description|Australian rugby union & league player}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox rugby biography | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1999|03|01|df=y}} | birth_place = | height = {{convert|1.71|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | weight = {{convert|80|kg|stlb|abbr=on}} | ru_currentposition = Fullback, Fly-half, Inside Centre | super1 = [[NSW Waratahs Women|Waratahs]] | superyears1 = 2019–21 | superapps1 = | superpoints1 = 0 | super2 = [[Matatū (rugby union)|Matatū]] | superyears2 = 2022 | superapps2 = 3 | superpoints2 = 0 | super3 = [[NSW Waratahs Women|Waratahs]] | superyears3 = 2023–25 | superapps3 = | superpoints3 = 0 | repteam1 = {{ruw|AUS}} | repyears1 = 2019–25 | repcaps1 = 24 | reppoints1 = 46 | module = {{infobox rugby league biography | embed = yes | position = {{rlp|FB|HB|CE}} | club1 = {{nowrap|[[St. George Illawarra Dragons Women|St. George Illawarra Dragons]]}} | year1start = 2026 | year1end = present | appearances1 = 0 | tries1 = 0 | goals1 = 0 | fieldgoals1 = 0 | points1 = 0 | updated = {{date|{{REVISIONTIMESTAMP}}|DMY}} }} }}
'''Arabella McKenzie''' (born 1 March 1999) is an [[Australians|Australian]] [[rugby league]] & [[rugby union]] player. She has represented [[Australia women's national rugby union team|Australia]] at an international level and competed at the delayed [[2021 Rugby World Cup]] in [[New Zealand]].
== Early life == McKenzie grew up in [[Lightning Ridge, New South Wales]], a small outback town roughly {{convert|700|km|mi}} northwest of Sydney.<ref name="Mitchell22" /> She completed her secondary education as a boarder at [[Frensham School|Frensham]], Mittagong.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-10-18 |title=Boarders selected for national teams |url=https://www.theland.com.au/story/4989643/boarders-selected-for-national-teams/ |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=The Land |language=en-AU}}</ref> According to ESPN journalist Brittany Mitchell, "McKenzie grew up with the [[Steeden]] in her hands as opposed to the [[Gilbert Rugby|Gilbert]]", referring to the fact that she was "a rugby league fan from a young age who dreamed of playing for the [[St. George Illawarra Dragons Women|St. George Dragons]]." She was inspired to switch to union after watching TV coverage of the [[Australia women's national rugby sevens team|Australia women's sevens team's]] gold-medal run at the [[Rugby sevens at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament|2016 Summer Olympics]].<ref name=Mitchell22>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/rugby/story/_/id/34722913/rugby-world-cup-2021-wallaroos-700kms-west-sydney-big-stage-bella-mckenzie-winding-journey |title=From a town 700kms west of Sydney to the big stage, McKenzie's winding journey to the World Cup |first=Brittany |last=Mitchell |website=ESPN.com |date=4 October 2022 |access-date=23 October 2022}}</ref>
== Rugby career ==
=== 2017–19 === McKenzie represented Australia at the [[2017 Commonwealth Youth Games]] in [[Nassau, Bahamas]], less than a year after she switched her focus from league to union.<ref name="Mitchell22" /> Australia won the gold medal final in [[rugby sevens]] against Canada.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Arabella McKenzie |url=https://www.minervanetwork.com.au/team-members/arabella-mckenzie |access-date=2022-02-06 |website=www.minervanetwork.com.au}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Bacic|first=Angela|date=2019-02-22|title=Debutants galore for Waratahs|url=https://thewomensgame.com/news/debutants-galore-for-waratahs-519694|access-date=2022-02-06|website=The Women's Game}}</ref>
McKenzie made her debut for the [[New South Wales Waratahs#Women's team|Waratahs]] in the [[2019 Super W season]].<ref name=":1" /> She then made her international debut for [[Australia women's national rugby union team|Australia]] against [[Japan women's national rugby union team|Japan]] in 2019.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2019-07-13 |title=Buildcorp Wallaroos defeat Japan in opening Test match in Newcastle |url=https://australia.rugby/news/2019/07/13/buildcorp-wallaroos-defeat-japan-in-opening-test |access-date=2022-02-06 |website=australia.rugby |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-07-12 |title=Four debutants in Nestor's Wallaroos |url=https://thewomensgame.com/news/four-debutants-in-nestors-wallaroos-528083 |access-date=2022-02-06 |website=The Women's Game}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Decent |first=Tom |date=2019-07-11 |title=Teen sensation set to make Wallaroos debut against Japan |url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/teen-sensation-set-to-make-wallaroos-debut-against-japan-20190711-p526ff.html |access-date=2022-02-06 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}}</ref>
=== 2021–22 === McKenzie was named [[Super W]] Player of the Year at the 2021 [[New South Wales Waratahs|NSW Waratahs]] Awards.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2021-10-08|title=Izaia Perese and Arabella McKenzie earn top honours at 2021 NSW Waratahs Awards|url=https://nsw.rugby/news/izaia-perese-and-arabella-mckenzie-earn-top-honours-at-2021-nsw-waratahs-awards-2021108|access-date=2022-02-06|website=nsw.rugby|language=en}}</ref> She contributed to the [[New South Wales Waratahs#Women's team|Waratahs]] fourth straight Super W Title in [[2021 Super W season|2021]], after scoring a total of 15 points in the final against the [[Queensland Reds#Women's team|Queensland Reds]]. She was named Player of the final.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2021-07-03|title=Waratahs win fourth straight Buildcorp Super W Title|url=https://wallaroos.rugby/news/2021/07/04/WARATAHS%20WIN%20FOURTH%20STRAIGHT%20BUILDCORP%20SUPER%20W%20TITLE|access-date=2022-02-06|website=wallaroos.rugby|language=en}}</ref>
At the end of 2021, McKenzie signed with [[Matatū (rugby union)|Matatū]] for the inaugural season of [[Super Rugby Aupiki]] in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mitchell|first=Brittany|date=2021-11-04|title=Wallaroos duo make switch to sample New Zealand 'intensity' before World Cup|url=https://www.espn.com/rugby/story/_/id/32547786/wallaroos-duo-make-switch-sample-new-zealand-intensity-world-cup|access-date=2022-02-06|website=ESPN.com|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Williamson|first=Nathan|date=2021-11-03|title=Arabella McKenzie, Michaela Leonard link up with Matatu for Super Rugby Aupiki|url=https://www.rugby.com.au/news/arabella-mckenzie-michaela-leonard-link-up-with-matatu-for-super-rugby-aupiki-2021113|access-date=2022-02-06|website=www.rugby.com.au|language=en}}</ref>
McKenzie was named in Australia's squad for the [[2022 Pacific Four Series]] in [[New Zealand]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Williamson |first=Nathan |date=2022-05-19 |title=Wallaroos announce squad for Pacific Four |url=https://wallaroos.rugby/news/wallaroos-announce-squad-for-pacific-four-2022518 |access-date=2022-06-18 |website=wallaroos.rugby |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Woods |first=Melissa |date=2022-05-19 |title=Nine new Wallaroos for Pacific Four rugby |url=https://7news.com.au/sport/rugby-union/nine-new-wallaroos-for-pacific-four-rugby-c-6857873 |access-date=2022-06-09 |website=7NEWS |language=en}}</ref> She was once again named in the [[Australia women's national rugby union team|Wallaroos]] squad for a two-test series against the [[New Zealand women's national rugby union team|Black Ferns]] at the [[2022 Laurie O'Reilly Cup|Laurie O'Reilly Cup]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-02 |title=Wallaroos name 32-player squad |url=https://www.espn.com/rugby/story/_/id/34332701/wallaroos-name-32-player-squad |access-date=2022-08-14 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-02 |title=Maya Stewart, Emily Robinson, and Asatasi Lafai named in Wallaroos squad to face Black Ferns |url=https://nsw.rugby/news/maya-stewart-emily-robinson-and-asatasi-lafai-named-in-wallaroos-squad-to-face-black-ferns-202281 |access-date=2022-08-14 |website=nsw.rugby |language=en}}</ref> She also made the team for the delayed [[2021 Rugby World Cup|2022 Rugby World Cup]] in [[New Zealand]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Williamson |first=Nathan |date=2022-09-07 |title=Wallaroos confirm Rugby World Cup squad |url=https://www.rugby.com.au/news/wallaroos-confirm-rugby-world-cup-squad-202296 |access-date=2022-09-15 |website=www.rugby.com.au |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Worthington |first=Sam |date=2022-09-07 |title=Rugby stars to play two World Cups in a month |url=https://wwos.nine.com.au/rugby/world-cup-news-australia-wallaroos-squad-named-for-2022-tournament-in-new-zealand/871b6c3a-ce93-400f-abee-0019e35668fe |access-date=2023-01-03 |website=wwos.nine.com.au |language=en}}</ref>
=== 2023 === McKenzie made the Wallaroos side for the [[2023 Pacific Four Series]], and the [[2023 Laurie O'Reilly Cup|O'Reilly Cup]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Williamson |first=Nathan |date=2023-06-15 |title=Wallaroos welcome back overseas stars for Pacific Four |url=https://wallaroos.rugby/news/wallaroos-squad-pacific-four-oreilly-cup-mckenzie-leaney-chancellor-2023613 |access-date=2023-06-22 |website=wallaroos.rugby |language=en}}</ref>
===2026=== On 28 January 2026 she signed for [[St. George Illawarra Dragons Women|St. George Illawarra Dragons]] on a one-year deal<ref>{{cite web|website=Dragons.com.au|date=28 Jan 2026|accessdate=19 Feb 2026|author=|title=Dragons sign Wallaroos star Arabella McKenzie|url=https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2026/01/28/dragons-sign-wallaroos-star-arabella-mckenzie/}}</ref>
==Personal life== McKenzie served as a care worker for What Ability, an Australian disabilities service that uses sportspeople in that role, from 2020 until leaving for New Zealand to play in the inaugural 2022 season of Super Rugby Aupiki. During this time, she worked with a severely [[Autism|autistic]] man near her age in Sydney, and according to a 2022 ESPN interview, now considers him and his family to be "kind of like my second family down here in Sydney", even having his name of Sammy tattooed on her. In that same interview, she added, "He's just taught me so much about myself. He doesn't know who I am or what's going on and his level of autism is pretty severe, so it's just cool to hang out with him and do fun things like go to the beach hangout, cafes, chill and he's just changed my perspective on life."<ref name=Mitchell22/>
== References == {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://wallaroos.rugby/players/arabella-mckenzie Wallaroos Profile]
{{St George Illawarra Dragons women's squad}} {{Australian 2021 Women's Rugby World Cup Squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McKenzie, Arabella}} [[Category:1999 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:21st-century Australian sportswomen]] [[Category:Australia women's international rugby union players]] [[Category:Australian expatriate rugby union players in England]] [[Category:Australian expatriate rugby union players in New Zealand]] [[Category:Australian female rugby league players]] [[Category:Australian female rugby union players]] [[Category:Harlequins Women rugby players]] [[Category:People from the Orana (New South Wales)]] [[Category:Rugby league players from New South Wales]] [[Category:Rugby union fly-halves]] [[Category:Rugby union players from New South Wales]] [[Category:St. George Illawarra Dragons (NRLW) players]] [[Category:Sportswomen from New South Wales]]