Rigby’s star on the rise with Perth Glory role

Margaret-River’s Natasha Rigby is quickly rising through the soccer ranks, with her first season representing Perth Glory in Australia’s W-League about to come to a head.

She has won the praise of coach Bobby Despotovski as the women’s team approaches its last home game of the season this Sunday, with semifinals set to follow.

Speaking to the Times ahead of this weekend’s game, Rigby said her first season with Glory had been an amazing experience and she was looking forward to some of the biggest games of her car-eer.

“I’m super grateful for this opportunity and I’ve loved every minute of it,” she said.

“The girls I play with are absolutely incredible.”

Rigby found her feet playing with the Margaret River Strikers as just one of two girls on a team from ages 11-13.

She then moved to a girls’ team with the Margaret River Hot Shots and went on to represent the State in its under-15 and under-17 teams.

After moving to Perth to study Sport Science at the University of Western Australia, Rigby joined the university’s club and the State League’s Queens Park women’s team.

Glory snapped her up last year after she impressed in a preseason match in playing for WA against the team she now represents.

Despotiovski said Rigby had proven herself a dedicated, down-to-earth athlete.

“We brought her in late in the pre-season … and all of a sudden everything happened very fast,” he said.

While usually a right-back defender, Despotovski had Rigby fill a gap in the team and switched her to left-back.

“She’s doing very good … and absolutely, in the long run she’ll be a more rounded athlete and will be able to play both positions, giving her more opportunity, possibly in overseas teams,” he said.

Glory sits third on the women’s ladder and will go up against Adelaide United on Sunday evening at Dorrien Gardens in Perth.