Once in a women’s league, Australian rugby 2022 Olympic gold medalist Ellia Green is back in action — but now plays for the men’s side.

Green had played for Australia in the 2016 Rio Olympics, winning a gold medal in the Women’s Rugby Sevens Tournament, but later retired in 2022.

The 32-year-old had a record as the top try scorer with 141 tries and 739 points, ranking him among the top scorers in Australian rugby history.

He shocked many with his decision to shift from the women’s side in 2021 and join the men’s league, making history as the first Olympian to change his career path and fit into the opposite gender.

Ellia’s comeback was characterized by various challenges, including battling mental health struggles that led to his retirement.

In the wake of these events, Green revealed the silent battle he had endured, trying to hide his identity, and how it had seriously affected his career — including being left out of the Tokyo Olympics.

“I spent months in a dark room, but I held on because I knew once my rugby career ended, I would finally live in the identity I was meant to,” he said.

Since joining the Sydney Convicts, the rugby star claims his life has changed both on the field and outside in his normal duties.

“This comeback has given me so much more than just playing again. It has restored that sense of family and community that rugby always gave me. I feel like I’ve found myself again,” he said in an interview.