Player Ellia Green

[mt.wellington]

Ellia Green

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Ellia Tiriseyani Green OAM (born 20 February 1993) is an Australian rugby union and rugby league player. He was formerly a member of the Australia rugby sevens team that won the gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. He also played for the New Zealand Warriors in the NRLW.

Assigned female at birth, Green was born in Suva, Fiji, and moved to Australia's Central Coast, New South Wales with his adoptive parents at the age of five. His adoptive father was Polish and died when Green was young. His adoptive mother, Yolanta, was English and died of cancer in 2018.

Green started Little Athletics at the age of six and excelled in sprinting. He spent 10 years in athletics, representing Australia in the 100m, 200m and long jump at the World Junior Championships, until his cousins convinced him to try rugby sevens. First playing for Warringah at club level and going on to debut for Australia in February 2013.

Green scored an 80-metre try against Canada in the three-match exhibition series at the Gold Coast Sevens, a match broadcast live on Fox Sports. Green was recruited by the Australian Rugby Sevens program after attending a Pathway to Gold Talent ID camp in Melbourne in 2012. Green was a sprinter, having previously represented Australia in athletics at the World School Games in Qatar in 2009 and scored the winning try after the siren against Canada at Twickenham in the Sevens World Series in May 2015. Representative Honours include Victoria. Green was a member of Australia's team at the 2016 Olympics, defeating New Zealand in the final to win the inaugural Olympic gold medal in the sport.

Before the 2020 Olympic Sevens took place, Green had been hampered by a knee injury for which he was not ruled out. Coach John Manenti left Green out of the squad, saying: "[it is the] toughest call of his career", adding: "[Green] just can't run as quick as [he] once could. Ultimately that's [his] weapon and strength are [his] X-factors and [he] just wasn't producing that with any consistency." Green, on Instagram said: "The past few days have been pretty long and dark since being told I haven't been selected for the Tokyo Olympics."

On 9 November 2021, Green announced his retirement from rugby sevens. He finished his career in the Sevens Series Rugby Sevens competition with 149 appearances (26th), 94 tackles, 141 tries (4th), 739 points (6th), 90 clean breaks (10th), and 244 runs (27th).

In September 2020, Green, along with Australia sevens teammate Evania Pelite, signed for NRL Women's Premiership (NRLW) team the New Zealand Warriors. Green was poised to sign for the Brisbane Broncos, however did not want to spend the four-week period operating under COVID-19 quarantine requirements in Queensland.

On his debut, Green scored a side-line try against the Broncos in the 8th minute. He did not score again, however remained a dangerous presence throughout the match on the wing. Green scored again in round three against the St. George Illawarra Dragons, and set up teammate Evania Pelite in a 10–22 win.

Green lives in the Sydney suburb of Lane Cove. He has a daughter with his partner Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts.

On 16 August 2022, Green came out as a transgender man. He did not change his name. The announcement made him the first Olympian to come out as a trans man. He retired from rugby to focus on his transition and said, "I knew I couldn't do hormone therapy or surgery during my career". He uses they/them and he/him pronouns.

 

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Green machine: the sevens star leading Australia’s charge on the road to Rio​

Liam FitzGibbon
December 11, 2015 - 1:57PM

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 04: Ellia Green of Australia in action against Russia during the Emirates Dubai Rugby Sevens - HSBC World Rugby Women's Sevens Series Cup Final on December 4, 2015 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

JUST get the ball to Ellia Green.

It’s a tactic that’s helped the Australian women’s sevens side surge into gold medal favouritism for next year’s Rio Olympics, and one the Pearls make no secret of.

“We know if we retain the ball enough and get it out to Ellia, she is going to gas someone 10 out 10 times,” Aussie forward Shannon Parry says.

“She’s a bit of a freak of nature in terms of her speed.

“Everyone knows our game plan but nobody’s been able to defend it yet.”

Parry describes Green as “the Carlin Isles of women’s rugby“, referring to the former track athlete and American football player turned fastest man in rugby.

Like USA sevens star Isles, Green has made the switch from the track to the rugby field with devastating effect.

Ellia Green skips out of a tackle to score against France during last weekend’s Dubai rugby sevens.

The former sprinter starred in Australia’s triumphant Dubai sevens campaign last week, scoring nine tries — at least one in each of Australia’s games — and being named player of the final.

It was the performance of a player now hitting the peak of her powers having only taken up rugby three years ago.

She was a schoolgirl sprinter with aspirations to become an Olympic track star when she drove her cousin to a rugby sevens talent identification day in 2012, and made a last-minute decision to join in.

Green, who ran at the World School Games in 2009, still misses the track some days. But she recognises giving up her first love might ultimately mean realising the dream of Olympic gold.

“Running at the Olympics was always my dream,” Green said.

“I had posters of all the track stars up on my wall and I’d look at them every day visualise myself running in the 100m and 200m for Australia.

“But athletics is a very tough sport to make it to the top and if you’re not the best in your country and getting the top times in the world, it’s very hard to make it.

“I’m lucky to have found another sport that I excel in as well and it’s a great environment, being around the girls every day compared to training by yourself all the time.”

The Aussie women next play during the Sydney Sevens in February before the next leg of the women’s even in Sao Paulo Brazil and they aren’t getting carried away with talk of Olympic favouritism.

“We’re number one now but who knows what could happen in Brazil,” Parry said.

“You’re only as good as your growth and we’re a team that’s always looking to improve and push the boundaries.”

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/rugby/green-machine-the-sevens-star-leading-australias-charge-on-the-road-to-rio/news-story/2baa82a2af874653c465a240279b9621

 

[mt.wellington]

Rugby sevens spotlight on: Ellia Green​

August 3, 2016

Ellia Green is a former track-and-field athlete who took up sevens in 2012. The Australian speedster is expected to be one of the stars of the Olympic Games in Rio and here she chats to RW about nicknames, braids and rapping…

I first picked a rugby ball up at the end of 2012. I was supporting my cousin, who was going to a Talent ID camp in Melbourne. I had no intention of playing but I got involved and got selected. Sadly, my cousin didn’t.
It took time to learn rugby’s etiquette. When I first scored a try and jumped around and threw the ball up in the air, Shontelle Stowers was like, “no, no, Ellia.” I also threw a ball at New Zealand’s Kayla Mcalister once because I didn’t like her high tackle. I’ve learnt now.
My coach Tim Walsh is amazing. I go to him for advice and he has great feedback. We were barely winning two years ago and now we’ve won the World Series!
I’m extremely competitive in the gym. I love it. I did a lot of Olympic lifting in athletics, so that helps. Tim is very competitive too. We have bicep curl competitions!

The joker: Green only took up rugby sevens in 2012
I look up to flyers like Seabelo Senatla and Carlin Isles. Their take-off speed and how they utilise space is incredible. I study their running styles in our sessions.
Perry Baker is really funny. I consider him a friend. He has a lot of fun and is the energy of that USA team.
I have lots of nicknames. It started as ‘Sonic Boom’, as I had hair like the computer character. Then it was ‘Bula’, as I was born in Fiji. Now it’s settled on ‘The G-Train’.
I like to rap. I spend my spare time making up rhymes. I’m always thinking up lyrics and can make up a song in five minutes. I’ll even rap messages at team meetings.
I’m a Sydney girl. I was so proud that the Sydney Sevens earlier this year sold out. Our families were there. It was just an amazing turnout and showed that support for sevens is huge in Australia.

“Five years ago I’d never have believed I’d be in this position”

We chant ‘ROAR’ when we go out on the pitch. It’s the Katy Perry song. We made up the acronym, Respect, Olympic dream, Accountability and Rough B*****s. We need to be aggressive on the pitch! We all buy into it.

There are so many great characters in the team. We call Chloe Dalton ‘Wikipedia’. She knows everything – she’s so smart. Shannon Parry is like the mum of the group. She looks after us. I’m the joker. If i was quiet, they’d probably think I was sick.
A try I scored against Canada in 2014 went viral. I ran in from 75 metres and it had hundreds of thousands of views online after a few hours. I did a stop-and-go on Magali Harvey and burned down the touchline. I was definitely surprised by the reaction. People have labelled us favourites for
gold in Rio. Yes, we won the World Series but that’s in the past. We have lots of things to improve on. Our biggest rivals for gold are probably New Zealand. There’s always a heated trans-Tasman rivalry. The Fijiana are also capable of doing it, they’re so physical and unpredictable. Canada, too, with Magali Harvey and Jen Kish, will be hard to beat.
As a former track-and-field athlete, it saddens me that athletics is tainted by drugs scandals. You are only cheating yourself. It’s a shame so much negative light is on the sport when the majority do it clean.
The Olympics will be a springboard for women’s sevens. It’s a step up for women’s sport, rugby and sevens in general. I’m getting loads of supportive messages. We’re being seen as role models, which is incredible. My advice would be to give sevens a go. Five years ago I’d never have believed I’d be in this position. Now I love the sport, the contact especially.

Sydney-sider: Green is a Sydney girl, but very proud of her Fijian heritage
At first I struggled playing a team sport. I’d been used to concentrating on myself. Communication is the key; you’ve got to keep talking on the pitch. When I was on the track it was lonely, just me and the coach.
My Fijian roots mean a huge deal to me. Fiji fans follow the sevens circuit around the world and are always rooting for me. It’s very touching. It reminds me of the young Fijian girl I was, barefoot on the beach.
I deliberately keep my braids. Some people on social media have said, ‘Chop that mop off’, but it makes me happy to feel them blowing in the wind when I’m running. They ain’t going nowhere!
My mum, Yolanta, is recovering from cancer. I lost my dad, a journalist, when I was young so now it’s just me, Mum and my brother. She is my strength, my courage, my guidance. When I was young, she wrote on my door, ‘You will be the greatest athlete in the world’. She said you have to believe in yourself.

Rugby sevens spotlight on: Australia's Ellia Green

Introducing Australian women's sevens flyer, Ellia Green, who will be competing in the 2016 Rio Olympics

www.rugbyworld.com

 

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View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkS751R05p4&ab_channel=WorldRugby​

 

[mt.wellington]

Warriors leave rivals Green with envy after signing rugby star​

Alicia Newton
Fri 18 Sep 2020, 12:00 pm

Australian rugby sevens star Ellia Green headlines a bumper squad assembled in makeshift fashion by Brad Donald to play for the New Zealand Warriors in the NRL Women's Premiership.

The Suva-born rugby flyer was poised to join premiers Brisbane for the competition but it is understood the 27-year-old did not want to spend the four-week period operating under the strict quarantine requirements in place across Queensland.

A sprint athletics champion from a young age, Green is regarded as one of the finest players on the rugby sevens circuit with her brute power and speed set to cause havoc throughout the month of October.

Green's signing is a huge coup for Donald and the recruitment drive hasn't stopped there with a strong mix of youth and experience committing to the Warriors' campaign.

Rugby sevens teammate Evania Pelite will also join Green at the Warriors, while the club will have a wealth of NRLW experience arriving from across NSW and Queensland.

Jillaroos five-eighth Kirra Dibb will switch to the Warriors after a season at the Roosters.

Quick fix for the chicks: Broncos sign seven, two in quarantine

Dibb is one of four former Roosters in the Warriors squad after new coach Jamie Feeney declared his intentions to make several changes for their campaign.

Australian PM's XIII captain Karina Brown and Broncos premiership-winner Tazmin Gray have also signed Warriors deals and will travel to Sydney ahead of the competition's start.

Former Roosters utility Simone Smith and outside back Shontelle Stowers will add speed out wide.

Donald has also used his prowess to lure Michaela Peck, Brianna Clark, Laken Paikai, Taimane Levu and Samantha Economos for the campaign - all of whom played under the national coach in the Australian PM's XIII side last year.

"I'm thrilled about the talent we’ve been able to secure to build around our five core Warriors players who have such made huge sacrifices to be involved in this year," Donald said.

"It has been hectic pulling the squad together in such limited time but we have a strong group we can build here to do the Warriors proud.

"Bringing in Ellia and Evania from their sevens rugby union background is going to add a special dimension and we’re able to draw on a good base of players who know what the NRLW premiership is all about."

The Warriors will be based in Narrabeen for their campaign and are expected to gather as a squad next week to begin training prior to the competition starting on October 3.

New Zealand-based contingent Madison Bartlett, Crystal Tamarua, George Hale, Kanyon Paul and Hilda Peters will be released from 14-day quarantine on Sunday.

Warriors 2020 NRLW squad​

• Stephanie Ball
• Madison Bartlett
• Karina Brown
• Brianna Clark
• Kirra Dibb
• Samantha Economos
• Crystal Tamarua
• Tazmin Gray
• Ellia Green
• Georgia Hale
• Naomi Kara
• Teaghan Hartigan
• Taimane Levu
• Laken Paitai
• Kanyon Paul
• Michaela Peck
• Evania Pelite
• Hilda Peters
• Shaniah Power
• Kayla Sauvao
• Simone Smith
• Shontelle Stowers
• Brad Donald (coach)

Warriors leave rivals Green with envy after signing rugby star

The Warriors have signed Australian rugby sevens star Ellia Green for the NRLW season after it had appeared she would be making her code switch with the Broncos.

www.nrl.com

 

[mt.wellington]

Rugby Star to Trans Pioneer: Ellia Green Opens Up About Victory in Sport & Life as a Transgender Man​

January 9, 2024

Former Olympian Ellia Green, known for their remarkable achievements in rugby sevens, including winning gold at the Rio 2016 Olympics and silver at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, has opened up about being the first ex-Olympian to come out as transgender.

In a recent conversation on the BBC LGBT Sport Podcast, Green who uses he/him and they/them pronouns, spoke with Jack Murley about their journey, including the deeply personal challenges they faced.

One of the pivotal moments in Green’s career was the disappointment of not being selected for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, a decision attributed to a loss of pace following a knee injury by Australia coach John Manenti. The exclusion was a significant blow for Green, who felt they had let down not only themselves and the team but also their late mother.

“It took me a long time to recover from that,” he tells Murley.

“It was more so disappointment in myself. I didn’t take that kind of failure well at all.”

“I had such a high expectation on myself and I think that after that, it was just about finding myself after such a huge part of my career had come to an end.”

Green shared how this setback was a turning point, leading to a period of self-discovery and the decision to begin their transition. They had planned the surgery well in advance, looking forward to it as a liberating milestone. Despite worries about the reaction from family and friends, Green’s anticipation for this new chapter in their life was filled with happiness and excitement.

“From a long time before, I had already been planning my surgery.”

“The plan didn’t work out in terms of making it to Tokyo, but I knew that I had this to really look forward to. I knew it was going to be the most liberating feeling that I’d ever felt.”

The public revelation of Green’s transition came in August 2022 at the Bingham Cup, a prominent event in LGBTQ+ rugby. In a powerful video, Green spoke about overcoming fears and encouraged others to live their lives authentically. Now approaching their 31st birthday, Green is active on social media, often sharing moments with their partner Vanessa and daughter Tutu. They are also involved in work related to diversity and inclusion, holding ambassador roles.

Green’s story resonates beyond their personal experience, as they hope to inspire and support others facing similar anxieties about transitioning, along with embracing their identity as a trans man and a father.

“Speaking so openly about something that’s so close to me and so private… as much as it gave me so much anxiety, it also gave me a lot of happiness,” he adds.

“I’m sure there are many other people out there that have similar anxieties about going through this process. And I knew if I had this opportunity to speak about something so openly, it could impact someone else’s life.”

Rugby Star to Trans Pioneer: Ellia Green Opens Up About Victory in Sport & Life as a Transgender Man - express Magazine

Former Olympian Ellia Green, known for their remarkable achievements in rugby sevens, including winning gold at the Rio 2016 Olympics and silver at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, has opened up about being the first ex-Olympian to come out as transgender.

gayexpress.co.nz