The 2023 NRLW season is approaching and another dose of expansion delivers more opportunities for Aotearoa wahine. Cowboys, Tigers, Sharks and Raiders are the new teams locked in, while the return of Aotearoa Warriors for NRLWahine is a near-certainty in the coming years. The four new teams all have wahine from Aotearoa in their squads and teams who have taken part in previous NRLWahine seasons have also been busy recruiting the best rugby league talent from Aotearoa.

NRLWahine teams have also been busy recruiting rugby union talent from Aotearoa. Before highlighting the shifting nature of professional women's sport, it is important to note that may of these ladies have backgrounds in both codes. For some this goes back to their youth but for many wahine, they have been juggling league and union as recently as this year.

Prior to her breakout mahi at the Rugby League World Cup for Aotearoa Kiwi Ferns, Mele Hufanga was often playing both codes on the same weekend for example. This is due to a lack of professional footy opportunities in Aotearoa, although this is highlights how special these wahine are. Most of the NRLWahine listed here are multi-sport athletes and this should be celebrated.

Mele Hufanga vs England #KiwiFerns #RLWC2021 pic.twitter.com/9Rp5GiluRS
— The Niche Cache (@thenichecache) November 17, 2022

Aotearoa is the land of footy abundance and as women's sport develops, the best athletes will be drawn to competitions that have the best professional opportunities. Whether it is purely financial, contract structure or basic empathy for the needs of female athletes; sports/leagues/competitions who provide the best environment for wahine will attract the best talent.

This is why many wahine have moved from rugby union in Aotearoa to NRLW. This could quickly change if professional systems in Aotearoa for wahine are prioritized, but for now the best professional opportunities for dual-code wahine are in NRLW. This season has a hefty wave of talent from rugby union, but this started last season with Gayle Broughton moving from Black Ferns Sevens to NRLW with Eels.

Broughton is now signed to Broncos, along with Hufanga who was playing in Super Rugby Aupiki early last year. Tafito Lafaele made her Black Ferns debut last year and has now joined Broncos which delivers another intriguing theme for NRLWahine signings. The moves of Black Ferns Sevens players Niall Williams (Titans) and Tyla Nathan-Wong (Dragons) whipped up plenty of headlines, however there are bunch of signings from rugby union that crept under the radar.

Lafaele is a perfect example of this as there aren't many headlines about her joining NRLWahine. Raiders signed Cheyelle Robins-Reti from Black Ferns which sits between the headline grabbing moves and Lafaele's sneaky shift. The undercover level features Alexis Tauaneai and Cortez Te Pou who were signed by Dragons after leaving rugby union in Aotearoa, to pursue rugby league in Australia.

Tauaneai is a Wainuiomata junior who played for Bulldogs in the NSW Women's Premiership this year. As part of the NSW City team, Tauaneai earned 'Player of the Tournament' honours at the Women's National Championship last week and was named at prop in the 'Team of the Tournament'.

While not NRLWahine related, Ahi Ka Aotearoa halfback and Tawa junior Tamara Ruaporo was named at halfback in the TOTT. Ruaporo and Tauaneai played for Wellington Pride in last year's Farah Palmer Cup. Tauaneai was the best player at a tournament featuring teams from around Australia and Ruporo was the best halfback.

Alexis Tauaneai (Wainuiomata) try for NSW City at Women's National Championship#NRLW #NRLWahine pic.twitter.com/SsqocMlJUW
— The Niche Cache (@thenichecache) May 22, 2023

Te Pou left Hawke's Bay rugby union to join the same Bulldogs team as Tauaneai and is now part of the Dragons squad. Te Pou played FPC for Hawke's Bay and while these players have minimal professional opportunities in Aotearoa, FPC is proving to be a lovely recruitment farm for NRLWahine.

These new NRLWahine signings are part of a funky group of players who enter NRLW without being part of a Kiwi Ferns squad. This group also has rugby league wahine who are stepping up to NRLW for the first time such as Alexandrea Kiriwi (Roosters), Mackenzie Wiki and Kerehitina Matua (Raiders).

The NRLWahine perspective is also curious about Cowboys squad members April Ngatupuna and Tiana Raftstrand-Smith. Both have been in Queensland teams previously with Porirua's Ngatupuna playing Under 19s and Auckland's Raftstrand-Smith playing State of Origin last year but wasn't named this year. Both would bolster Kiwi Ferns stocks and perhaps eligibility changes could be a factor, maybe none of this matters and they keep following the Queensland path.

Leianne Tufuga also left rugby union in Auckland to pursue league in Sydney and the powerful winger has already played two seasons of NRLWahine for Roosters. Tufuga now moves to Tigers as their only NRLWahine signing for this season.

Kerehitina Matua continues to shine after cracking the Cook Islands World Cup team through her mahi with Manurewa. Matua spent this year playing for Mounties in the NSWWP before being snapped up by Raiders.

Capri Paekau joins Eels, having already represented Maori Ferns as an 18-year-old. Paekau is from Te Awamutu and has been playing dummy half for Rabbitohs in NSWWP this year.

Players in NRLW who have not been in Kiwi Ferns squads...

Cowboys: April Ngatupuna, Tiana Raftstrand-Smith
Broncos: Gayle Broughton, Tafito Lafaele
Titans: Niall Williams
Roosters: Alexandrea Kiriwi
Eels: Capri Paekau
Tigers: Leianne Tufuga
Dragons: Tyla Nathan-Wong, Cortez Te Pou, Alexi Tauaneai
Raiders: Mackenzie Wiki, Cheyelle Robins-Reti, Kerehitina Matua

Another example of the talent and maturity of these wahine is how Autumn-Rain Stephens-Daly and Abigail Roache slide between Super Rugby Aupiki and NRLWahine. Stephens-Daly played for Knights last season before featuring in the Wellington Poua team earlier this year, now she joins the Cowboys squad. Roache was impressive at the World Cup for Kiwi Ferns and then she played Super Rugby Aupiki for Chiefs Manawa. Now Roache joins Knights in NRLWahine.

Knights also picked up Laishon Albert-Jones after she elevated from Richmond in Auckland to Kiwi Ferns and World Cup footy. Albert-Jones played for Mounties in NSWWP and there is a small chance that Albert-Jones joins forces with Roache as play-makers for Knights this season. Albert-Jones covered lock for Mounties and a lack of NRLWahine experience is likely to have these two Auckland wahine hunting any opportunity they can get.

The funkiest signing may be Teuila Fotu-Moala returning to NRLWahine footy with Roosters. Prior to taking a break from this level, Fotu-Moala was one of the best forwards in women's rugby league and she has spent the past few years grinding in NSWWP. Roosters haven't just added a forward of Fotu-Moala's calibre to their squad, they also signed Amber Hall from Broncos who is the best edge forward in the world right now.

Those two join Taniwharau junior Mya Hill-Moana who has already established herselt as one of the best middle forwards in NRLW at 21-years-old. Along with Kiwi Ferns World Cup player Otesa Pule, Roosters have assembled an exciting group of NRLWahine forwards.

Shannon Muru is locked in for her first season of NRLWahine with Eels. Muru has previously been in Kiwi Ferns and Tonga squads after switching from rugby union to league in Auckland. Muru played for Richmond and Mt Albert before linking up wiht Bulldogs in NSWWP. Harata Butler joins Sharks for her first season of NRLWahine footy. Butler has already played Kiwi Ferns and Maori Ferns via Papakura.

Players in NRLW who have been in Kiwi Ferns squads...