Australian rugby sevens stars Ellia Green and Evania Pelite join Kiwi Ferns and Jillaroos in Warriors NRLW squad
September 18, 2020 •06:58pm
Australian rugby sevens stars’
Ellia Green and
Evania Pelite are dramatic late inclusions in a “multi-national” Warriors NRLW squad.
The 2020 campaign has been ravaged by Covid-19 long before the season has started with only five players heading to Australia where the team will be based in 2020 because of trans-Tasman travel restrictions.
Brad Donald, who coached the Australian Jillaroos to victory over the Kiwi Ferns at the 2017 Women’s Rugby League World Cup, has named a squad of 21 women with four development players.
Donald, who replaced former NRL premiership winner
Slade Griffin due to him remaining in Auckland because of Covid-19 restrictions, has secured four Jillaroos internationals in the squad the Warriors described as “multi-national”.
Green and Pelite are former Australian Olympic gold medal-winners with the rugby sevens team.
They had both been expected to turn out for the Brisbane Broncos but quarantine complications have caused a last-minute switch.
The pair did not want to spend two weeks in isolation in Queensland.
With all but five of the squad being Australian based players, Donald and the Warriors have done well to recruit players of the quality of
Kirra Dibb,
Karina Brown,
Tazmin Gray and
Simone Smith who have all played for the Jillaroos.
Women in sport
Donald reserved special praise for the sacrifice of the New Zealand-based contingent of
Madison Bartlett,
Kanyon Paul, Hilda Peters, Crystal Tamaru and last year's captain
Georgia Hale who have put their lives on hold to get to Australia.
The group exit quarantine tomorrow before the full squad assembles in Sydney on Sunday.
“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," Donald said.
“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.”
Also included in the squad is the Tokoroa-born
Shontelle Stowers who has played rugby union for the Wallaroos and for the Australian sevens side as well as dabblingin rugby league for the Roosters and New South Wales.
Stowers has previously represented the Warriors at the NRL Nines in Perth back in February.
Ellia Green of Australia scores a try during the 2020 Sevens tournament in Hamilton.Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images
Many of the Australian players have been plucked from the New South Wales Premiership and Queensland's Holcim Cup.
The development players who will join the group are Abii Church, Tyla Gambell, Tahlia Hunter and Patricia Raikadroka.
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