The Chargedown 2026 | Special Episode: International Flair, Double Champs, and Premier 15s Stars
Welcome back to the boardroom—or rather, the Surfboard—for a very special episode of The Chargedown. This week, Mat Vowles and Jack Wunsch are shifting the spotlight entirely to the women's game with a massive feature on the BentSpoke Premier 15s competition. Joining the lads at the table are two of the competition's brightest stars: Wests flanker Allie Booker and Royals' English import Ella-Mae Fereday. Hailing literally from the town of Rugby in England, Royals prop Ella-Mae Fereday opens up about trading the Leicester Tigers for a stint down under, earning herself a spot in the extended ACT Brumbies Women’s squad. The towering front-rower dives into her sporting background as an elite open-water swimmer, her rugby-mad family roots, and her absolute love for whipping up a top-tier creamy pasta off the pitch. Representing the sky blue and maroon of Wests, Allie Booker brings the local Canberra flavour. A junior product who went all the way to lifting the senior silverware during Wests' dominant 2025 season—where they dropped just a single regular-season match—Allie is a certified double champion after also claiming a Rugby League title in the very same year. The ATO worker and former national number-four BMX rider chats about her transition from the bike track to the pitch, while hilariously admitting she is still figuring out some of rugby's finer rules. The boys put both guests through their paces with a high-stakes "Spin the Wheel" challenge, before launching into the ultimate competitive club quiz. Every correct answer counts as we start ranking the local clubs based entirely on the brains of the players they send into the studio! In this episode: * The International Import: Ella-Mae Fereday on leaving Leicester for Canberra, swimming marathons, and hailing from the birthplace of the game. * The Double Champion: Allie Booker on Wests' dominant silverware run, her BMX national ranking, and navigating life between league, union, and the ATO. * Studio Games: A chaotic round of Spin the Wheel and the debut of the definitive Chargedown Club Quiz Leaderboard.
