One of the busiest athletes in Goulburn just got a little bit busier.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Sassie Economos, who plays hockey for Tuggeranong and the Canberra Chill, league tag with the Goulburn Bulldogs, and rugby league for the Canterbury Bulldogs, was recently named in the Prime Minister's XIII to travel to Fiji next week.
"[I was] pretty stoked," Economos said.
"I went to a camp on the Gold Coast and they said there's opportunities for girls to go into the PM's XIII and to Fiji, but there were 40 girls in that camp so I wasn't really expecting it."
Coach of the Goulburn Bulldogs' league tag side, Matt Worboys, said that Economos' selection was well-deserved.
"[I'm] not particularly [surprised]," Worboys said.
"Sass is a very talented sportswoman across multiple sports. I play touch [football] with her and she excels at that, and she's been successful at hockey.
"Just the way she runs the football, you can see she brings the tackle game to her league tag game and it really helps the other girls out with her experience."
Selection in the PM's XIII has not come without complications. Economos is currently in the Canberra Chill team, which is competing in the new Hockey One tournament.
Due to the flexibility of the Canberra team management, Economos will be able to travel to Fiji and only miss one Hockey One fixture, against the Perth Thundersticks on October 12.
During the trip, the PM's XIII will play one match against the Fijian PM's XIII side.
While in Fiji, the players will also travel to a number of villages around Suva and presenting an education program on domestic violence.
The Fiji Women's Crisis Centre (FWCC) presented data in 2013 which showed that 72% of Fijian women experience one or more types of domestic violence in their lifetime from their husbands or partners.
The opportunity to fight domestic violence is one that Economos cares for deeply.
"I am a schoolteacher at Mulwaree [High School], obviously we hear about domestic violence," she said.
"It's definitely something I feel quite passionate about because I think it is a major issue in country towns and developing countries."
Once the trip is over, Economos intends to throw herself back into Hockey One and, following its conclusion, will look ahead towards the 2020 rugby league season.
With her talent and commitment to any sport she plays, Economos' stock will surely continue to rise.
The Australian Prime Minister's XIII will take on the Fijian Prime Minister's XIII on Friday, October 11, at the ANZ National Stadium in Suva, Fiji.
While you're with us...
Did you know the Goulburn Post is now offering breaking news alerts and a weekly email newsletter? Keep up-to-date with all the local news: sign up here.