The 37-year-old veteran spoke with the WBSC after Australia’s final game of the Women’s Softball World Cup Group Prague Opening Round. “I still enjoy the game as much as I did when I made my debut in 2009,” she said.
Australia’s veteran outfielder Jade Wall celebrated her 150th appearance for the Aussie Spirit, Australia’s Women’s National Softball Team, during the team’s final game of the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Group Prague 2026 Opening Round on Friday – a 6-4 defeat at the hands of unbeaten Chinese Taipei. Wall has featured in four out of Australia’s five games so far during the tournament.
Born on 20 April 1989 in Nambour, Queensland, Wall began playing softball at the age of nine with the Hervey Bay Cheetahs. She joined the national team pathway programme as a 17-year-old and made her international debut in 2009 on a North American tour that included the Canada Cup.
“I debuted in 2009, and it’s been a long journey,” Wall said. “But it has been incredibly special. There have been so many highs and so many moments that I reflect on. Every time I put on this jersey and sing the national anthem, it means so much. There’s nothing better than representing your country.”
Photo: Jade Wall posing with her family at Svoboda Park in Prague
While the Women’s Softball World Cup is part of softball’s qualification pathway towards the LA28 Olympic Games, Wall’s longevity could also put a home Olympic Games within reach. With Brisbane set to host the 2032 Olympics, the veteran outfielder remains hopeful that Baseball/Softball will be included in the programme when a decision is made in the next nine months.
At 37, Wall is not ruling anything out.
“We’ll see how long the body lasts, but I still enjoy the game as much as I did when I started back in 2009,” she said. “With LA28 around the corner, I have no intention of slowing down.”
Having finished seventh at the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup 2023/2024 and set to be hosts of the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Finals 2027, Wall believes the future of the Aussie Spirit programme is bright.
“In Australia, we’re seeing great depth of talent coming through,” she said. “Historically, we’ve had a strong foundation and a proud record of representing Australia on the world stage. We have high expectations for this group and a lot of confidence in the current roster.”
Australia completed the Group Prague Opening Round with a 3-2 record, finishing behind unbeaten Chinese Taipei (5-0) and Canada (4-1), while placing ahead of Italy (2-3).
The Aussies will now face Italy in Saturday’s Play-Offs, with the winner advancing to play the loser of the Chinese Taipei-Canada matchup for the second ticket to the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Finals 2027.
For Wall, the focus remains firmly on the next challenge.
“Tomorrow [Saturday], it has to be one game at a time,” she said. “Tonight we’ll recover and reset. Every day since we arrived has been exciting, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow. We need to win the first game before we even think about the second.”
Wall’s milestone is part of a memorable summer for the Aussie Spirit programme. Earlier in the season, two Australian stars – Ellen Roberts and Tamieka Whitefield – celebrated their 100th international appearances during the Haarlem Softball Week in the Netherlands, one of the team’s key preparation events ahead of the Women’s Softball World Cup.
The Women’s Softball World Cup Group Prague Day by Day
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