Latest news with #MillieElliott
The Guardian
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
NRLW's growing maturity shows in players unafraid to defy expectations
The Roosters' Jasmine Strange is chatting candidly on a podcast clip posted to TikTok about her period. 'Every fourth game we play, we are on our period,' she tells the shocked host of Burro's Backyard, who confesses that he thought 'maybe the sport chicks don't get them'. Kennedy Cherrington and her sister Rueben open up on their own podcast on everything from Māori culture and the Treaty of Waitangi, to their thoughts on the Run it Straight challenge, to the grief of losing their brother. Millie Elliott regularly speaks out on disability inclusion, body image and pay parity for women's sport in the media and on her podcast with fellow player Keeley Davis. With the NRLW poised for its eighth season, there is a maturity to the competition that has stretched beyond the field and taken root in the hearts and minds of the players. As the competition grows – from four teams in its inaugural season in 2018 to 12 teams in 2025 – so too do the platforms of the players. That they are using these platforms to educate men about the realities of menstruation in elite sport and to share important messages about culture and grief, shows the confidence and security that they feel in their roles – both as players and as advocates for women's rugby league and women's sport more broadly. Much like rugby league itself, there is an unashamedly in-your-face attitude about the NRLW players, which defies expectations that continue to plague many other women's sports – that the players are polite, grateful and 'ladylike'. But there is nothing polite about rugby league – it is a sport born from mud and blood, that invokes the smells of sweat and Deep Heat. A game of the people that has never set much store by manners. As the crowds continue to build, with the first game of the women's State of Origin series this year delivering yet another record crowd, the attitudes of the NRLW players appear to be working for them. This season will also feature the very first Magic Round for the competition, held in the rugby league heartland of Newcastle, which will offer further growth and recognition for the players. Centralising all the teams in one location for the round will naturally draw more media, providing the players more chances to showcase their personalities as well as their skills, and take opportunities in interviews to speak their minds and highlight issues that are important to them. It is not just its players, but also in the competition itself where rugby league continues to go its own way. While the AFLW and WBBL have shied away from double headers in their respective men's competitions, the NRLW has seen them as opportunities, scheduling 33 double headers in the 2025 season – 18 of which will feature the same home and away teams in the men's and women's fixtures. Sign up to Australia Sport Get a daily roundup of the latest sports news, features and comment from our Australian sports desk after newsletter promotion Both approaches have benefits, but the NRL's method aligns more closely with a one-club mentality, where fans of the men's team can be drawn to arrive at the ground earlier, get more value for money by seeing an extra game and understand the excitement of women's rugby league where they may never have chosen to attend a game otherwise. This is particularly important because rugby league fans are usually born, not made. While cricket fans in NSW and Victoria choose a BBL club to support and other states have one team each to default to, NRL fandom is a multigenerational love affair, entangled in family lore and deeply woven into the souls of those who fill the stands at each game. Bringing more fans into the women's game requires harnessing that passion and pulling it over – making these fans understand that this team belongs to them as well. Without double headers, the women's teams can be left stranded and locked out from a core that isn't truly aware of what it is are missing. With the 12-team era of the NRLW about to begin, the maturity of the competition is something worth getting excited about. It is one where players understand their value and feel confident and secure in speaking out about what matters to them. While they are not yet paid comparably to their male counterparts – and indeed their pay also falls short of many other women's sporting codes in Australia – the sustainable growth of the competition and the way the women's teams have been integrated into the rugby league ecosystem provides hope for the future. With this maturity comes a great deal of strength and the makings of an incredible legacy.
News.com.au
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
NRLW stars reveal huge issue no one speaks about
An NRLW player has spoken about a topic that most people don't even consider when it comes to their job as professional athletes. Millie Elliott — formerly known as Millie Boyle — is currently expecting her first child with fellow NRL star husband Adam Elliott. The 27-year-old rugby league star, who typically plays for the Sydney Roosters, was speaking to The Jimmy and Nath Show with Emma ahead of Wednesday's State of Origin game two when she revealed a unique experience only female players have to deal with. Elliott, who has played at the Origin level in the past, was asked what it was like to play the sport at an elite level while experiencing her menstrual cycle off the back of fellow NRLW star Jasmin Strange speaking publicly about it. 'It bloody sucks,' Elliott said. 'Especially because there are some days that are worse than others and if you wake up on one of those and it's not timed properly … even training on your period, let alone when you have a game. 'Surely there is something we can do.' Emma Chow, a host on the show, pointed out it wasn't just the physical side of things when it came to a person's period. It was also pointed out the physical toll of taking birth control and even skipping a period. Elliott said one small change that has been made is that women play in darker colour shorts. Appearing on the podcast Burro's Backyard, fellow Roosters player Jasmin Strange asked why nobody talked about the fact that NRLW players would play every fourth game while menstruating. 'That is a lot — 25 per cent of the games we play, we are on our period,' she said. 'You know how you talk about me being in the fight in the grand final? Guess what I was on? 'My period.' She said a lot of women take the pill in order to be able to 'skip' their period, but this can only be done a certain amount of times.
News.com.au
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
NRL star Millie Elliott reveals what happened two weeks into dating
An NRL superstar has revealed the make or break moment with her now husband when the couple were just two weeks into dating. Millie Elliott — formerly known as Millie Boyle — who is currently expecting her first child with fellow NRL star husband Adam Elliott has revealed their relationship got off to a rocky start. Elliott, who typically plays for the Sydney Roosters, was speaking on Triple M's The Rush Hour about how the pair grew up together on the New South Wales South Coast. 'But about two weeks into us dating we went to Miami Marketta,' she said, referring to a popular night market in Queensland. 'I got a green chicken curry, which I'll say I've never had a green chicken curry since. And I sh*t the bed — three times in one night.' She said she'd never had food poisoning so severe in her life. But the Jillaroos star said she didn't 'feel that bad' as it was 'so out of her control'. 'And then it was to the stage where I was just crawling from the shower to the toilet. And I thought, 'You know what, if we can get through this, we can get through anything',' she said. 'And look at us. Happy as ever.' She said she initially shared the piece of information with her co-hosts in confidence but they pushed for her to share it on the show. Her Newcastle Knights player husband tuned in to the show, taking to the comment section to have his say on the situation. 'Tbh three could be a porky I stopped counting,' he commented. And, it turns out the couple isn't the only one to have found love in this way. 'I have a very similar story! Well done,' one said. Another tagged their mate, commenting; 'It is normal see.' The couple announced they were expecting their first baby together, due in September, ahead of the Australia v England match in Las Vegas in March — meaning she was set to miss the 2025 season. Elliott informed officials two weeks ago that she and her husband were expecting a baby in September and while she won't be in action on the footy field in 2025, she plans to return after she has recovered from childbirth. 'We're really excited and looking forward to the next chapter,' she told Code Sports at the time. 'At the end of last season, we decided it would be nice to have a baby. We're very grateful we've reached this stage of the pregnancy.' Elliott has continued to do her media work for Channel 9 and intends to honour the final two years of her contract with the Roosters in 2026 and 2027. Elliott's husband, Adam, has five-year-old son Lennox from a previous relationship.
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Footy star reveals the VERY unhygienic and embarrassing thing she did in bed THREE TIMES when she started dating NRL hard man
Rugby league star Millie Elliott has revealed an awkward and unforgettable moment from the early days of her relationship with husband Adam Elliott. Speaking candidly on Triple M's The Rush Hour, Millie shared the story with good humour and brutal honesty, admitting she 's*** the bed three times in one night' just two weeks into dating Adam. 'I have known Adam for a very long time,' she told listeners. 'We actually grew up together on the South Coast.' The pair reconnected in 2021 and quickly became one of rugby league's most recognisable couples. But things didn't exactly start smoothly. 'Two weeks into Adam and I dating, we went to Miami Marketta,' she said, referring to a night market on the Gold Coast. 'I got a green chicken curry - and I've never had one since.' That dinner triggered one of the worst nights of her life. 'I s*** the bed three times in one night,' she admitted. 'I just thought, what is happening? We're two weeks into dating.' Despite the embarrassment, Millie found herself laughing about the ordeal. 'I have never had food poisoning that bad ever in my life.' 'It got to the stage where I was crawling from the shower to the toilet. Just crawling. 'If we can get through this, we can get through anything. And look at us now - happy as ever.' Her husband posted on the Instagram video of the revelation, saying it could have been more than three times. 'Tbh 3 could be a porky, I stopped counting,' he joked. The couple's love story began in 2021 and quickly caught public attention after an incident at a Gold Coast restaurant led to Adam's exit from the Canterbury Bulldogs. Despite the headlines, their relationship strengthened, and Millie captioned a photo at the time: 'Lost a milli. Gained a Millie.' In October 2022, Adam proposed on the beach with a ring based on his great-grandmother's. They married a year later at Shoal Bay Country Club, jumping off the pier in their wedding attire. In early 2025, the couple announced they were expecting their first child. The news was shared in a joyful beachside video filmed by Adam's young son. Millie Elliott, formerly Boyle, has built an extraordinary rugby league career of her own. She debuted with the Brisbane Broncos in 2019 and won back-to-back NRLW titles. She then captained the Newcastle Knights to their maiden title in 2022. In 2024, she joined the Sydney Roosters and clinched her fourth premiership, becoming the first NRLW player to win titles with three different clubs. Currently, Millie is taking a 12-month break from the game as she prepares for motherhood. She remains active in the sport as a Channel 9 presenter and Westpac ambassador. Her plan is to return to the NRLW in 2026 to honour her contract with the Roosters.
Herald Sun
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Herald Sun
Millie Elliott's incoming baby may stop her from playing, but not the Origin feeling
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRLW. Followed categories will be added to My News. Thursday night will have a similar feel for Millie Elliott despite playing a very different role. She will still do up her boots, have a mean look towards any Queenslander, even take the field wearing a bit of blue. But her pregnancy means the NSW enforcer will be carrying a microphone up the field instead of the classic Steeden. The front-rower missed her first Origin clash since 2019 last Thursday, and a very large part of her desperately wants to scratch that itch and represent her state. But she also knows having the year off to give birth to her first child is just as important. Millie Elliott (formerly Millie Boyle) would be playing in Wednesday's State of Origin match if she wasn't 5 months pregnant. Picture: Sam Ruttyn Millie Elliott played for the NSW Women's Origin team for 2019-2024. Picture: Tim Hunter. 'If this was retiring me, it would be a little different,' Elliott said. 'I'm going back to footy, and there are so many mums that have done the same thing, come back and play their best.' Elliott is just one of many NRLW stars who are currently pregnant, missing both State of Origin and the 2025 season. And upon reflection, she admits there is no right time for the female players to have children. 'I feel like it's never the right time no matter what you're doing, especially in rugby league,' Elliott said. 'You want to try and do it so it's not in the middle of the season. 'But my husband (Adam) is also a player, so trying to find the right balance that works for both of us is how we try and manage it.' Millie Elliott (formerly Millie Boyle) would be playing in Wednesday's State of Origin match if she wasn't 5 months pregnant. Picture: Sam Ruttyn Taking the field as a commentator for Nine's coverage of the State of Origin, Elliott has used her time away from the field to transition into a media personality. Not only working on various rugby league programs across Nine, Elliott also hosts the Say Less podcast with Roosters teammates Keeley Davis and Olive Kernick. Never having the ambition to head into the media while playing, the 26-year-old is trying to keep as busy as possible, before her child is expected in September. Millie Elliott playing for the Jillaroos. 'I don't like being bored, I always like being busy,' she said. 'I love being productive and around people, so whether that's on the footy field or in another work environment, it's something I enjoy doing. 'There is going to be plenty of downtime when the baby comes.' The one person excited for the downtime and the arrival of the newborn is her partner, Knights lock Adam. Adam Elliott and Millie Elliott at the beach over Christmas 2 months ago. Adam and Millie Elliot married in October last year. Picture: Instagram With Millie on the road more often than not for her new media gig, husband Adam has been left to hold down the fort alone in Newcastle. Many will remember the scenes of Adam watching Millie win her inaugural NRLW premiership with Newcastle, and despite her not playing at the moment, the 30-year-old still watches on proud of her new journey. 'He loves it,' Millie said. 'My success is his success and he is always proud of me and pushes me to do whatever I want to do. 'He is on his own often but we know it's for a bigger reason than right now.' Originally published as Millie Elliott's incoming baby may stop her from playing, but not the Origin feeling
