‘Stepping up’: Dietrich Roache’s rise from ‘intense’ rookie to leader

At 24 years young, Dietrich Roache jokes he’s already one of Australia’s “older guys” on the HSBC SVNS Series.

But when you consider the age profile of these rookie Aussie men missing veteran duo James Turner and Henry Paterson, Roache’s claim for elder status isn’t far off.

The Tokyo Olympian has been thrust into senior leadership since his return from an ACL injury that ruled him out of the entire 2024/25 campaign.

Speaking ahead of the Singapore leg, Roache told RugbyPass it’s a role he’s relished both on and off the field since returning to play in Dubai last year.

“100 per cent, I love taking on that responsibility,” Roache said.

“I’d consider myself a quiet guy but Moz (Maurice Longbottom) and Hutch (Henry Hutchison) have been giving me advice and chatting with me, and I’m definitely opening up more personally and feel I’m more approachable.

“I’m probably not as intense as I was when I was a bit young and more comfortable as a leader, especially with these young boys coming through.”

Pleasingly for Aussie fans, Roache has also picked up from where he left off on the Series.

Two assured legs in Dubai and Cape Town gave the playmaker valuable minutes in his, though back-to-back weekends on the Series have been a conditioning reality check.

“I’m feeling good, obviously pretty happy with Dubai but I felt like I personally and also as a team we ran out of steam in Cape Town,”

“The body definitely felt it backing up for that second week, but we’ve put in extra work in training and we’re feeling prepared.

“We had a pretty tough conditioning block even with a little mental break for Christmas and the young boys came back after New Year’s really well.

“It’s an exciting group and they keep you young – when it’s time to work they push you all the way. They’re keeping the standards high and stepping up.”

Competition for jerseys will be at an all-time high when Australia name their side for Singapore – a venue where they have never tasted Cup Final success.

While the women’s circuit has only featured the National Stadium since 2024, Australia’s men have been trying to break their Singapore duck since 2002 with their best finish coming back in 2018 as runners up to Fiji.

“I think we’ve just struggled to get out the gates sometime – we either struggle to get out or go well early and then crash out. It’s just about constituency,” Roache said of Singapore.

“We know the quality of games is a lot higher – we saw in Dubai and Cape Town how teams do well one week and are down around seventh or eighth the next – and Singapore will be tough too.”

One player who might help tip the scales Australia’s way is young Wallace Charlie – the Torres Strait speedster making waves on the SVNS Series.

At 19, Charlie is already equal fifth on the RugbyPass SVNS MVP leaderboard following a blistering start to the Series and will be key to Australia’s hopes of a breakthrough title in Singapore.

“He’s a freak, he’s so talented,” Roache said of Charlie.

“We actually carpool together from the Shire and I’ve been getting to know him quite well

“We’ve all seen what he can do on-field from juniors but he’s becoming more confident and comfortable at this level.”

Roache also noted the importance of performing in Singapore and building momentum ahead of Australia’s home Series leg in Perth next month.

“We’re 100 per cent focused on Singapore but obviously playing at home is at the back of everyone’s minds.

“Not going to lie, I’ve been out for a year and I know how good that vibe in Perth is in front of our fans.

“We always want to do well in Perth and we want to replicate that but we’ve got a job to do (in Singapore) first.”