She is, granted, in her first year with Southern United and in her first year as a student at the University of Otago and is generally a bit of a fresh face on the local sporting scene.
But she has also played football since she was 5, took her first steps at national league level when she was 15, and captained the Central squad last season.
The Palmerston North native has settled seamlessly into both her new team and new city as she embarks on a science degree, majoring in psychology, at the University of Otago while helping Southern United fight to rise up the national rankings.
"I’ve really enjoyed it," Rankin said yesterday.
"It’s been really cool living in Dunedin this year. Very different but very enjoyable. It’s been a lot of fun."
Perhaps it is not quite as much fun at this time of year, when many of the Southern women are balancing exam commitments with their football.
But Rankin (18) has been buzzing since being selected in the squad and getting an opportunity to play each week.
"It’s been really good. Everyone is so lovely and has great attitudes towards training and then the games.
"It’s just a really good environment to be part of.
"The girls who have had a lot of experience with Tech and then the Royals have been great, and playing with them has been really beneficial and fun."
Rankin has not even held a grudge from last year, when she was with the Central team that went winless as Southern won the rejigged South Central Series.
"They were a really tough team, but we always liked playing Southern because it was always really good competition."
The central midfielder, who played for University in winter, is especially keen to see how her new squad goes this weekend.
Southern has been on a nice little run and sits fourth in the national league.
But that sound is the stampeding boots of Western Springs.
The Aucklanders are second with six wins and a draw from eight games, and they opened the season with a 6-1 shellacking of Southern.
"It was quite tough, especially since we’d had very little preseason," Rankin said.
"Now that we’ve had a good little run, it will be a really good game and exciting to see how we play against them this time, compared to the start of the season.
"It will show our improvement from the start to now, I guess."
Rankin does not have any set ambitions in football.
"I haven’t really thought too much about it. I’ve just always really enjoyed playing football so I want to just keep playing for as long as I enjoy it."
In other games this weekend, Northern Rovers host Auckland United, Central hosts Canterbury United Pride, and unbeaten Eastern Suburbs is at home to Capital.
