Zis is the moment: Eleni primed to do her Greek heritage proud
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After discovering rugby league during a family visit to Greece, Atlanta high school student Eleni Zis is set to represent her birth nation against the United States in Las Vegas.
Zis, who grew up in the Greek village of Levidi, in Arcadia, with an oval shaped ball gifted by her American-born mother Joanne, fell in love with rugby league after watching Greece beat Serbia to win the women’s 2022 European B Championship.
While she plays rugby union at school, Zis has been training with the Atlanta Rhinos alongside members of the USA Hawks men’s and women’s teams who will play against Greece at Silverbowl Park on Friday (local time).
The February 28 double-header and a standalone USA v Greece men's Test on Wednesday will be live streamed on NRL.com and NRL YouTube.
“In Greece, [women’s] rugby league only started a few years ago so I didn’t know about it growing up but my mum and one of her best friends had played union in college back in the US and they told me stories about it,” Zis said.
“I got a rugby ball when I was young and it has always been a part of me, so when we moved to the United States I wanted to find a place to play rugby.
“I started with a co-ed team and eventually worked up to an all-female team, but I always had that dream of playing for Greece.
“When I went to Greece in the summer, I saw some of their league games, and I was thinking that I wanted to be on that field with them.”
After advising Greek Rugby League Federation officials of her ambition, Zis contacted the Atlanta Rhinos and has been able to train with the USARL club while continuing to play rugby union with her Atlanta Valkyries school team.
The 18-year-old is currently applying for scholarships with US colleges to play rugby union but is hoping league can gain a foothold in high schools and universities.
“I have been trying to prepare myself for league with the available resources that I have here,” she told NRL.com.
“Here in the US, the rugby population is small and if there is rugby it is usually union – not league.
“It has crossed my mind to try and form a club in college so rugby league can get more exposure in America and other schools partake in that so we can transition, hopefully, to an NCAA team.”
With Australia’s world champion Jillaroos playing England at Allegiant Stadium on Saturday, Zis believes Americans will be shocked and impressed by the physicality and skill of women’s rugby league.
“I think they will be very amazed because a lot of women here have been wanting to play American football, but they haven’t gone there yet,” she said.
“They love the aggression, and rugby league is a very easy sport for them to understand because it is similar to American football with the phases (sets of tackles), so it is something they can relate to.
“I think that once they see it, they will fall in love with it and hopefully we can start getting some more exposure in America for rugby league.”
As the only US-based player in the Greek team, Zis is yet to meet her teammates but she will have plenty of support from her father Nikolaos’s family in Greece, as well as school friends in Atlanta.
“When I got the email from coach Terry saying that he wanted me on the team I think the whole neighbourhood heard me because it has been a dream of mine since I discovered rugby to want to represent my country,” she said.
“It was one of the happiest days of my life. I told my family in Greece and basically, the whole village knows, and they are all super excited and are going to tune in.
“The US in most of their sports teams dominate so it is really exciting to test our abilities against them.
“I have been practicing with the Atlanta Rhinos and there are a couple of players in both the men’s and women’s USA teams, so it is going to be a really cool match up.
“I would love to continue expanding my knowledge of the game and hopefully continue to represent Greece.”
Greece women
Angelina Ballas (North Sydney), Marilena Girlemi (Aris Eagles), Sam Glumac (Mounties), Stephanie Glumac (Mounties), Sofia Kitsaneli (Aris Eagles), Georgina Kalomenopoulou (Aris Eagles), Klaudia Koule (Athens Raiders), Rania Koutsikou (Cardiff Demons), Asimina Mastoraki (Aris Eagles), Nicola Munday (Brisbane Norths Rugby Union), Lisa Paloukis (West Belconnen), Ella Panagiotopoulos (Belconnen Sharks), Hayley Papa (Toukley), Effie Skouroliakou (Aris Eagles), Sotiria Skouroliakou (Aris Eagles), Maggie Stavrianou (Athens Raiders), Lavinia Taukamo (Redfern All Blacks), Meleanna Waters (Mascot), Eleni Zis (Atlanta Rhinos).
