Olympic gold medallists set to join NRLW

Dragons captain Raecene McGregor is looking forward to welcoming halves partner Tyla King back from Paris as one of three NRLW-bound stars from New Zealand’s Olympic gold medal winning Rugby 7s squad.

King, who played for St George Illawarra last season before returning to Rugby 7s for the Olympic Games, will be joined by Stacey Waaka, who scored the winning try for the Black Ferns in their 17-12 defeat of Canada, and Tenika Willison

Waaka has signed with the Broncos, while Willison will play for the Knights – and other Rugby 7s stars, possibly including members of the Australian squad, are expected to make the switch now that their Olympic campaigns are over.

“Tyla was huge for us last year, especially with the first time she had played league being in the NRLW,” McGregor said.

“She brings experience and leadership, so it is awesome to have her there. She is good for the young girls, and she is a cool head for me so it just awesome to have her around. She is just a great person.”

King, who is considered one of New Zealand’s greatest Rugby 7s players after 13 years in the Black Ferns No.7 jersey, made her Kiwi Ferns debut at the end of last season and was a member of the team which beat the Jillaroos in Melbourne.

She was crowned the 2023 World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year for her feats with the Black Ferns before joining the Dragons.

Waaka has played for the Black Ferns since 2015, and ensured herself and King joined a select group of athletes to win gold medals at back-to-back Olympics when she scored her seventh try of the Paris Games in the final.

With Waaka, Willison and possibly other Black Ferns Rugby 7s players making the switch to the NRLW, Kiwi Ferns captain Georgia Hale said they would bolster the ranks of the Test team ahead of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup in Australia.

“We saw that with having Tyla come into our Kiwi Ferns framework, and she definitely added to our campaign, so we are looking forward to her having a future in rugby league,” Hale said.

“I’m sure she will be the first of many, and it is nice to see that the Kiwi girls are actually leading the way in that space.

"I think that is something that New Zealand is proud of, just how closely our professional teams rub shoulders so that may be a gain for future success.”

NRL GM of player pathways Brad Donald said the recruitment of Rugby 7s players in recent seasons had helped lift the standards in the NRLW.

Charlotte Caslick played for Sydney Roosters in 2020, while the Warriors signed Australian team-mates Ellia Green and Evania Pelite during the same season when they were based in Australia due to COVID travel restrictions.

Pelite joined the Titans and Emma Tonegato, who scored the winning try for Australia in the final of the 2016 Olympics in Rio, returned to league after the 2021 Tokyo Games.   

"It's going to be great to have these Kiwi girls come across," Donald said of King, Waaka and Willison.

“They have been professionals for a number of years, so they have actually got the jump in terms of their physical development and their skill development, in many cases.

“They will bring a whole new level of professionalism to their teams. That's what happened with those other players like Evania."