Sharni Williams OAM (rugby 7s) helped Australia to a historic Triple Crown in 2022 – the World Rugby Sevens Series title, Commonwealth Games gold in Birmingham and the Rugby Sevens World Cup in South Africa where she was named player of the match in the final against New Zealand.

Sharni has been playing top-level rugby sevens for well over a decade but the 50-tournament 300-match veteran has no intention of hanging up the boots just yet. She was co-captain of the team that won the inaugural Olympic gold medal in Rio in 2016. At her second Olympics in Tokyo – where she received special approval to wear a rainbow head gear to celebrate inclusive nature of the sport – the team lost in the quarter finals and she is looking to end her decorated career on a high with a second Olympic gold in Paris.

Sharni played hockey for the Canberra Strikers and the Hockeyroos were on her radar but stopped enjoying the sport and when she got asked to play rugby, she gladly accepted the challenge. She made her debut in the Wallaroos (15-a-side) jersey against New Zealand in 2008 before making the switch to Sevens at the inaugural Women’s Sevens World Series in 2012.

Williams was also part of the team that won silver at her first Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in 2018, going down to New Zealand 17-12 in the final.

Off the pitch, Sharni is a qualified motor mechanic and changed her name to Sharni Smale after marrying partner Mel Smale in 2023.