CAERLEON’S Georgia Rowe flies out to Australia for the Netball World Cup tomorrow – completing a remarkable journey from ‘couch potato’ with little interest in the sport to the elite level in just over three years.

Wales travel to Tasmania tomorrow morning ahead of the tournament at Sydney’s Olympic Park, which runs from August 7 to August 16.

And 20-year-old Rowe will be on the plane thanks to an extraordinary intervention from her father, followed by a lot of hard work and dedication.

Gary Rowe arranged with then-national coach Melissa Hyndman for his daughter to have a trial back in early 2012, when she was just 16.

“I wasn’t that into netball at school but I’ve always been tall and my dad got me into it when he spotted Melissa Hyndman’s car going past in the street and took down the number,” said the 6ft 5ins goal shooter.

“I went down for a trial and was told I had potential and it’s all snowballed from there.”

Dad Gary is delighted that his initial prompting has led to his daughter representing her country at world level.

“She was a couch potato just watching TV all day in her dressing gown and I thought she needed to do something with her height,” he explained.

“When I spotted Melissa Hyndman’s car I got home, made the call and Georgia was up for it.

“That was on a Monday; we met her on the Wednesday and within three months she was training with the squad and it all escalated from there.”

Rowe was first reserve for the Commonwealth Games last summer and the Cardiff Met student can’t wait to experience her first big international tournament.

“I was a non-travelling training partner last year for Glasgow 2014 so I just missed out by the skin of my teeth.

“Now finally I’m involved in my first World Cup and I’m so happy,” she said.

“I’m so excited. It’s a massive thing for me. All my family have been so supportive and they can’t believe it either.”

Dad Gary, mum Jacqueline, older sister Danielle and grandmother Tina are also heading Down Under to support Georgia.

“We travel on August 2 and we will see all the games,” said Gary, who has been feeding his daughter steak and eggs to build up her strength.

“We’re so proud of Georgia and when you look at the team photo it’s quite hard to believe that she is there. It will be a fantastic experience for all the family and we can’t wait.”

Wales, now coached by Trish Wilcox, have four warm-up matches in Tasmania before their World Cup group ties against Fiji, Uganda and Zambia in Sydney, starting on August 7.