Latest news with #JosephAukusoSuaalii
BBC News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Suaalii 'soft-launch' hits the gossip columns
Australia's star back Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is in the gossip columns after posting images of himself on Instagram , externalwith Audrey Little, who plays for Sydney-based Super Netball side the is added rugby relevance to this pairing is the daughter of Wallabies' legendary centre Jason Little, who won 75 caps and two Rugby World Cup titles in a illustrious Test career.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Footy superstar Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii reveals his new romance - and there's a stunning twist
Wallabies star Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has confirmed he is in a relationship with rising netballer Audrey Little. The 21-year-old outside back made the announcement on Thursday night by going Instagram official, sharing photos of himself and Little together at a netball match and relaxing on the couch. It comes just weeks after Suaalii told reporters how his 'partner' had supported him through recovery from a fractured jaw, which kept him out of the closing stages of the Super Rugby season. Suaalii, who now lives alone in Sydney 's eastern suburbs, has always kept his personal life quiet, making this public reveal a rare look inside the young star's world. But the romance has an unexpected twist - Audrey Little is the daughter of Wallabies great Jason Little, a two-time World Cup winner and one of the most respected names in Australian rugby history. Jason Little played 75 Tests for the Wallabies between 1989 and 2000, scoring 21 tries and captaining his country once. Audrey Little has quickly emerged as a rising star in Australia's elite netball competition He debuted at age 19 and was part of the 1991, 1995 and 1999 Rugby World Cup squads, winning titles in '91 and '99. Little formed a world-class centre pairing with Tim Horan that helped define a golden era for Australian rugby. Jason also played domestically for the Queensland Reds and later the NSW Waratahs before heading to England to finish his career. There, he captained Bristol and helped take the club to its first Twickenham appearance in 14 years. Following retirement, Jason Little studied land management and established an industrial property development company in Sydney. He has been honoured in the sport, with the Horan–Little Shield introduced in 2015 to celebrate his legacy with Horan. His daughter Audrey is making waves in her own code, recently signing with the Giants after defecting from netball rivals NSW Swifts. Described as a strong and agile centre court player, Audrey brings the same dedication and work ethic to the court as her father once did on the rugby field. Fans celebrated the couple's 'hard launch' on Instagram as Suaalii showed off his tender side with this gift for his new partner The upcoming British & Irish Lions tour of Australia will be Suaalii's biggest rugby test to date The Giants have battled this Suncorp Super Netball season but it is hoped the recruitment of Little will reap rewards in the future Fans quickly congratulated the couple online after the relationship was made public. The news arrives at a key moment in Suaalii's career as he prepares to lead the Wallabies into the highly anticipated 2025 British & Irish Lions tour. Now in Wallabies camp in Newcastle, Suaalii is expected to be fit for the tour following his jaw injury. He signed a record-breaking $5.35million contract to switch codes from rugby league to union last year. That deal made him the highest-paid player in Australian rugby, and the face of the Wallabies' future. His selection for the British & Irish Lions series is locked in as Australia seeks to bounce back from a disappointing 2023 Rugby World Cup campaign. The Lions tour includes ten matches, highlighted by a three-Test series: July 19 in Brisbane, July 26 in Melbourne, and August 2 in Sydney. Coached by Andy Farrell, the Lions are aiming for their first tour win since 2013.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
O'Connor left out of Australia's Lions warm-up squad
The last of James O'Connor's 64 caps for Australia came in 2022 [Getty Images] Veteran fly-half James O'Connor looks set to miss out on facing the British and Irish Lions this summer after being left out of Australia's squad to face Fiji in their only warm-up match. The 34-year-old, who has made 64 appearances for the Wallabies, had been tipped to return to Joe Schmidt's squad for the first time in three years. Advertisement But number 10s Ben Donaldson, Tom Lynagh and Noah Lolesio have been picked over Crusaders' O'Connor. "Selection is always tight and there'll be players who are excited and those that are disappointed," Schmidt said. "There was a lot of healthy, robust discussion and we think we've selected a group that will work hard and connect well as a squad." New South Wales Waratahs back Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has been named in the 36-man squad after recovering from a fractured jaw. The 21-year-old had an operation on his jaw last month, sparking fears he would miss at least one of the Tests against the Lions. Advertisement Team-mate David Porecki has been recalled to the squad for the first time since captaining Australia at the 2023 World Cup, when the Wallabies failed to emerge from the group stage for the first time. La Rochelle lock Will Skelton is the only overseas-based player included in the Wallabies' squad. Australia squad Backs: Filipo Daugunu, Ben Donaldson, Jake Gordon, Len Ikitau, Max Jorgensen, Andrew Kellaway, Noah Lolesio, Tom Lynagh, Tate McDermott, Hunter Paisami, Dylan Pietsch, Harry Potter, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Corey Toole, Nic White, Tom Wright. Forwards: Allan Alaalatoa, Angus Bell, Nick Champion De Crespigny, Matt Faessler, Nick Frost, Langi Gleeson, Tom Hooper, Fraser McReight, Zane Nonggorr, Billy Pollard, David Porecki, Tom Robertson , Will Skelton, James Slipper, Darcy Swain, Carlo Tizzano, Taniela Tupou, Rob Valetini, Jeremy Williams, Harry Wilson.
BBC News
19-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
O'Connor left out of Australia's Lions warm-up squad
Veteran fly-half James O'Connor looks set to miss out on facing the British and Irish Lions this summer after being left out of Australia's squad to face Fiji in their only warm-up 34-year-old, who has made 64 appearances for the Wallabies, had been tipped to return to Joe Schmidt's squad for the first time in three years. But number 10s Ben Donaldson, Tom Lynagh and Noah Lolesio have been picked over Crusaders' O'Connor. "Selection is always tight and there'll be players who are excited and those that are disappointed," Schmidt said."There was a lot of healthy, robust discussion and we think we've selected a group that will work hard and connect well as a squad."New South Wales Waratahs back Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has been named in the 36-man squad after recovering from a fractured 21-year-old had an operation on his jaw last month, sparking fears he would miss at least one of the Tests against the Lions. Team-mate David Porecki has been recalled to the squad for the first time since captaining Australia at the 2023 World Cup, when the Wallabies failed to emerge from the group stage for the first Rochelle lock Will Skelton is the only overseas-based player included in the Wallabies' squad. Australia squad Backs: Filipo Daugunu, Ben Donaldson, Jake Gordon, Len Ikitau, Max Jorgensen, Andrew Kellaway, Noah Lolesio, Tom Lynagh, Tate McDermott, Hunter Paisami, Dylan Pietsch, Harry Potter, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Corey Toole, Nic White, Tom Allan Alaalatoa, Angus Bell, Nick Champion De Crespigny, Matt Faessler, Nick Frost, Langi Gleeson, Tom Hooper, Fraser McReight, Zane Nonggorr, Billy Pollard, David Porecki, Tom Robertson , Will Skelton, James Slipper, Darcy Swain, Carlo Tizzano, Taniela Tupou, Rob Valetini, Jeremy Williams, Harry Wilson.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
‘It's going to be pretty monumental': Harry Potter eyes Wallabies spot for Lions series
No, Harry Potter – the Australian rugby union winger – hasn't read the books. And the 27-year-old is unlikely to get to them anytime soon, given his focus on securing a precious place in the Wallabies' team for the coming tour of the British and Irish Lions. 'It's a massive, once-in-every-12-years event,' he says in the days before the first Wallabies squad of the year is named on Thursday. 'It's going to be pretty monumental.' Advertisement Related: The Breakdown | Trash-talk and rough sleeping: following the 2001 Lions' tour of Australia The Western Force player has perhaps the best name in Australian sport. But as cute as his moniker may be to non-rugby-following millennials, Potter cares more about how he is viewed by a man of more advanced years: Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt. The 59-year-old Schmidt has more eclectic literary tastes but it appears, as far as rugby goes, he likes Potter. Under Schmidt, the winger won his two Wallabies caps on the side's European tour at the end of 2024. Yet the competition among Australian outside backs hoping to play the Lions is intense. Even big money rugby league recruit Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, recovering from a broken jaw, is not guaranteed to start in a Wallabies team seeking to re-establish itself as a world power. Potter says he is nervous ahead of Thursday's announcement, when Schmidt will name a squad for the Test against Fiji, the precursor to the prestigious Lions series. 'A lot rides on getting selected in this next squad,' Potter says. 'It would be great to be in any Wallabies squad but I do feel like this one is an opportunity to beat what should be really the best team in the world.' Advertisement The grand tradition of the British & Irish Lions, where four formidable rugby nations combine to challenge the three southern hemisphere powers every four years, is not lost on Potter, who was born in the UK and moved to Melbourne as an 11-year-old. Despite his roots, in the Victorian capital he was quickly won over by his new nation. 'Having an Australian accent certainly makes you feel even more Aussie, even if the rest of my family have English accents,' he says. But in one area he didn't sway. After growing up in Bristol playing union, he found his new home did not have the same passion for rugby. On ovals in Melbourne's south-west he tried – but quickly gave up – Australian rules football. 'I was not so good at kicking and doing a bit too much tackling around the legs,' he says. So a young Potter would stick to his earlier sporting passion, even if that made the slim prospect of a professional sport career even slimmer. He admits progressing through Victorian pathways had left him far behind his peers by the time he turned up at Sydney University rugby union training as a first year environmental science student in was a bit random really – it was just a uni that I had applied for, and thought I'd go and check it out.' Potter thrived in one of Australian rugby's storied communities. From playing fly-half at high school, he shifted wider in the backline over a period he grew into and developed what is now a powerful 185cm frame. While he couldn't make firsts in colts (under 19s) in his first year, by his third season he was helping the students' senior first grade to the Shute Shield. Advertisement Related: Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii injury not as bad as feared as Wallabies get boost for Lions tour After injuries and Covid slowed his progress in Australian professional rugby, Potter took a chance in England with powerhouse Leicester in 2020. Within three years he was on the fringes of the England squad under Eddie Jones when he took up an opportunity to join the Western Force, partly motivated by the chance to represent the Wallabies. Although ankle surgery 14 months ago forced him to miss much of one Super Rugby season, impressive performances on the Force's October tour of South Africa secured a Wallabies call up. 'I was thinking they've got a lot of guys that they can now choose from in the outside backs and do they want to take a risk on another one? But I certainly felt like I did what I could, and put my best foot forward, and I'm grateful that they rolled the dice and took me.' Since then, Potter has elevated his game, and was named in the Super Rugby Pacific team of the year this season, even as the Force struggled to win matches. He finished near the top of the competition's leaderboards for clean breaks, metres gained and defenders beaten. 'Irrespective of stats, you always have your things that you're desperate to work on and feel like you could have gone better and wanting to improve,' he says. Advertisement Potter is now well-established within the Force setup, which includes a handful of former Sydney Uni teammates, even if they tease him about his choice of degree. 'A lot of them take that as an opportunity to think I'm some sort of left wing political activist. But I just studied the degree,' Potter says lightheartedly. 'Nick [Champion de Crespigny] likes to call me Greta Thunberg, but I'm trying to stamp that out of him because I don't think I'm quite there yet.' Though his contract is up at the end of this season, he is currently enjoying living in Western Australia with housemates, including Force hooker Tom Horton – another former Sydney University and Leicester player – and competing over who makes the best coffee. The group has also recently forced him to sit through all eight Harry Potter movies. 'It was an experience learning about all these things that I've been told in various jokes,' he says. While his parents once gave him the choice of changing his name, he has long ago become comfortable with it. 'It's a pretty funny name really, it's amazing how people will make jokes. I think, 'God, that joke's been made about 30 times', as I'm sure you hear with Snape jokes as well.' But as his status in Australian sport rises, he is happy to remain patient with those only now coming across the words on his birth certificate, written not long after the first book was released. After all, Potter says, it could be worse. 'I think Harry Potter is probably a better name than Ron Weasley.'
