The Black Ferns Sevens are poised to unleash a not-so-secret weapon at their upcoming World Cup campaign in the form of teenage phenom Jorja Miller.
The Cantabrian has been earmarked for greatness since she was 15, carving up her competition at the Condor Sevens over the past couple of years with Christchurch Girls High School.
Miller was awarded a Black Ferns Sevens contract at the start of the year and after missing a spot at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games with a knee injury, the Timaru native has a point to prove in South Africa, as part of the 12-woman squad named to defend the Cup.
The 18-year-old admitted her heady ascent from schoolgirl star to national selection has left her pinching herself.
"Even last year, I was still looking up to the girls and seeing them at the Olympics, and now to be travelling with them - it's just crazy to think," Miller - sporting a mammoth grin - told Newshub,
"They've just been that team that everyone wants to be a part of growing up as a little girl, so it's been crazy to be named in the team and going away with them.
"I still can't believe it. When I get over there, maybe it will be more real."
Miller caught the eye of the wider rugby public with a series of YouTube clips that ignited the buzz around her, showcasing her rare combination of pace, power, exceptional offloading abilities and a lethal step in both directions.
Miller's precocious talents have had her on the radar of captain Sarah Hirin, who almost runs out of superlatives, when describing what she's seen so far from the youngster.
Hirini caught her in action first hand at the Black Ferns camp, where Millar left an indelible impression on the decorated skipper.
Perhaps the ultimate compliment is an admission from Hirini - an Olympic champion and bonafide sevens great - that the privilege of sharing a field with Millar would be all hers.
"She's been awesome," she said. "She had her first trial games and was absolutely amazing.
"To be able to play alongside her, that's an honour for me. We've been watching her probably since she was 13 or 14 years old.
"You can see her excitement."
Miller's decision to relocate from Timaru Girls High School to further her game in Christchurch has clearly paid dividends, helping her catch the selectors' attention.
She was named in Canterbury's Farah Palmer Cup squad last year, but her injury curtailed her campaign.
After a demanding rehabilitation period, Miller returned to full fitness just in time for the national trials, where she immediately lived up to the hype that preceded her.
"An injury for a young lady like that is really hard to take, especially when sport is your life," said Black Ferns coach Cory Sweeney.
"We've seen some of those battles of the lows and the highs, and to see her progress back to playing over the past couple of weeks and watch her against some of the best players in the world highlighted how good she is. She deserves a spot in this team."
There's no hint that Miller's selection is part of any developmental project to ease her into the next level, with Sweeney admitting he'd be comfortable thrusting her straight into the furnace.
And the jovial Miller insists she's ready to meet both her coach's expectations and her own lofty ambitions by doing it all for the love of the game.
"It's all just more pressure that I put on myself," she said. "It's a simple game, and just going out, having fun and expressing myself makes it all a lot easier."
The Black Ferns Sevens kick off their Cup defence against Colombia on September 9.
