Will Cartwright: 'We want to win it in front of a home crowd'

It was not all that long ago Will Cartwright’s career was heading in a different direction. This weekend he will play at his first home HSBC SVNS Series leg in Perth.

Along with his now-Australia Men’s Sevens teammate Ethan McFarland, the pair were completing their exams to qualify as electricians in 2024.

Now they are two of four men’s players to have made their debuts for Liam Barry’s team on the Series this term.

“We were both sparkies back up in Brisbane, so this is different to, you know, crawling around roofs,” Cartwright told svns.com.

“Late 2024 I finished my last exam (to qualify as an electrician) and then got a call from (Queensland) Reds to go into the academy. So quit then and basically gave the whole year to focus on rugby. I just thought, if I don’t do it, I’ll regret it.

“It’s the dream. I’m not too keen to get back on the tools in Queensland’s 35 degrees heat. It’s pretty easy motivation for me; I don’t think you could find me complaining much about anything I’m doing right now.”

Another twist of fate saw Cartwright get into the Australia Sevens programme. Invited to take part in a training week hosted by team veteran Henry Hutchinson, the 22-year-old impressed and translated his form from Queensland grade competition superbly.

He even played in a team with Australian sevens legend Maurice Longbottom and claimed one of the handful of contracts on offer.

Three legs into his debut season, Cartwright and his teammates are placed fifth overall in the standings. Six points adrift of South Africa and France, a home tournament could provide the opportunity for Australia to stand on the podium for the first time since Dubai. And for Cartwright, playing in Perth this weekend is tantamount to achieving a childhood fantasy.

“I remember going to the Gold Coast sevens when I was younger, watching Charlotte Caslick and a few other boys, like Henry Hutchison, and I suppose it’s a ‘pinch-me’ moment that I’ll be on the field playing in front of the stands,” Cartwright said.

“Obviously we want to win it in front of a home crowd. That would be a dream come true.”