[3] Southwell said she was inspired by the Australian gold medal winning rugby sevens team at the 2016 Olympic Games.

[5] In 2020, Southwell made history by becoming the first female player to sign a contract with the Newcastle Knights.

[6] In November 2021, she was announced as a development player for the Knights' NRL Women's Premiership side.

[9] She won a gold medal with the Australian sevens team at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

[10][11][12] In August, she officially joined the Knights' NRLW top 24-squad after gaining an exemption from the NRL due to being underage.