Latest news with #WaiariaEllis
RNZ News
20-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Rugby: Wallaroo Waiaria Ellis says New Zealand was 'the best place to debut'
Waiaria Ellis started on the wing for the Wallaroos against the Black Ferns Photo: Kerry Marshall / Western Sydney schoolgirl Waiaria Ellis debuted for the Wallaroos last weekend, playing for her country against her other home side. The Laurie O'Reilly cup match between the Black Ferns and the Wallaroos at Sky Stadium meant the Australian pocket rocket became the second-youngest debutant in Wallaroos history at 17 years and 305 days. Ellis, who is nicknamed 'Baba', was just 60 days short of Caitlyn Halse's record set in 2024. "I wasn't expecting to debut so soon. I thought that I would have had a few more training camps and that, because I'd been to a few, but I just wasn't expecting it, so it's literally so surreal," Ellis said. "There's definitely no better place to debut, to be honest. Like, just being Māori, then being able to debut in New Zealand and versing New Zealand was pretty crazy, but it was amazing." The Castle Hill High Schooler started in the number 14 jersey on the same wing as Katelyn Vaha'akolo. The Black Ferns clinched a 37-12 win over the Aussies. Waiaria Ellis looks for a gap Photo: Kerry Marshall / Her mum flew over the Tasman to the capital, and her koro, nan, and aunty drove down from Tūrangi. The Ngāti Tūwharetoa descendant said that having the backing of her family was everything. "I'm just so proud to be Māori. Our culture, our connection to the land, and just my family. Family is a lot to us. It is important." Her dad Ben Ellis played in the NRL for St George Illawarra and captained the New Zealand Māori Rugby League team in 2008. Her sister Ruby-Jean Kennard-Ellis has also played in the NRLW for the Parramatta Eels. The young Ellis looked up to both her dad and her big sister. "My dad helped coach me and everything, and he played in the NRL as well. He knows a lot about footy and he's just helped me a lot with everything in my career. "But then, a few years ago, my sister debuted for Para, Parramatta NRLW, and she was the first junior Parramatta player to play for the women - the first junior one to come through the path - she was actually a very big idol of mine, I looked up to her." She also praised her teammate Caitlyn Halse, who is another strong contender for the number 15 jersey. "She's very, very good, and she's so young, like, she's just a year older than me but she's achieved so much, and, she's just such a great player." Ellis hasn't been playing the 15-aside game long but owes her nifty playmaking ability to rugby league - the sport she has been playing since she was five years old. She has also worn the green and gold in junior Australian gymnastics, Oztag, and schoolgirls sevens. Waiaria Ellis sized up against Jorja Miller who scored a stellar try in the O'Reilly Cup, Black Ferns v Wallaroos match Photo: Kerry Marshall / In just her second year on the rugby pitch, she scored a spot in the NSW Waratahs Super Rugby Women's team at 16. The Waratahs won the Super W championship back-to-back, defeating the Queensland Reds 43-21 this year. "Super W season is one of my favourites. The girls are just really good to be around." With a Wallaroo cap under her belt, Ellis wants to see where her rugby career can take her. "Australia has given me everything, all my opportunities and stuff. So I feel like that's who I should be representing." "But also, if I was in a black jersey, I'd be very proud to be in a black jersey as well - both I'd be very grateful for if I ever had to swap for anything." And the utility back isn't limiting her options. "I definitely would want to give sevens a crack." But for now, Ellis' focus is impressing selectors for the Women's Rugby World Cup in England. "Obviously I do other sports and stuff, but I've just been really concentrating on 15s, just because that's, like, the World Cup is literally the pinnacle of our sport. Everyone wants to achieve that, so that would be pretty amazing." Waiaria Ellis chasing down Portia Woodman-Wickliffe Photo: Masanori Udagawa/Photosport Wallaroos head coach Jo Yapp said in a pre-match statement that the coaching staff are "all really pleased for Waiaria." "She has an excellent skillset and her youthfulness has a great effect on the playing group. We are confident in her ability to take the next step at this level." Australia is hosting Wales in a two-test series on 26 July in Brisbane and 1 August in Sydney in preparations for the Rugby World Cup. A squad of 32 will be selected for the World Cup following the match in Sydney, then will jet off for the UK on 11 August. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
The Guardian
10-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Wallaroos name teenage sensation Waiaria Ellis to debut against Black Ferns as World Cup looms
A big-stepping 17-year-old former gymnast has been drafted into Australia's women's rugby team, as the Wallaroos hope to end a 28-match losing streak against New Zealand as part of preparations for next month's World Cup. Waiaria Ellis – at 17 years and 305 days – will become the second youngest Australian player when she takes the field against the Black Ferns in Wellington on Saturday. The winger has played rugby league, Oztag and touch football in her youth, and has established a reputation for speed, agility and ball-playing since debuting for the Waratahs last year as a 16-year-old. Ellis was selected in an Australian representative team in gymnastics in 2022. It was the same year she played her first game of 15-a-side rugby union, highlighting her meteoric rise. This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'. '[Wallaroos coach Jo Yapp] said she has a lot of confidence in me just to go out there and back myself,' Ellis said. 'I've been learning heaps off the girls, so I know that they've got my back, and I've got theirs.' The teenager, whose family has Australian and Māori connections, will become the second youngest debutant after her Waratahs teammate Caitlyn Halse, who was 63 days younger when she debuted last year. Ruby Anderson, 18, also made her Wallaroos bow against the USA earlier this year as Yapp continues to introduce new faces into the squad with one eye on the 2029 World Cup to be hosted in Australia. Ellis often goes by 'Baba', a nickname coined by her parents. 'As I started playing sport, my coaches couldn't really say Waiaria so my parents would just be like, 'yeah, just call her Baba,' and it's just stuck,' she explained. Yapp said Ellis has displayed a 'real maturity' in her time in Wallaroos camp. 'She's a really exciting young player with a great skill set, so she's very deserving of this opportunity.' On the field, Ellis caught the eye with her display against Samoa's national team Manusina for Australia A two weeks ago where she scored a try and looked elusive. After this week's New Zealand clash, the Wallaroos have two matches at home against Wales before their first World Cup fixture in Manchester against Samoa on 23 August. Their final group game is against the imposing English in Brighton on 7 September. Sign up to The Breakdown The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewed after newsletter promotion A group of six Australian rugby sevens representatives, including Maddison Levi, aborted plans to play for the national team in the 15-a-side format this year, but Tia Hinds – who will start at fly half against New Zealand – and outside centre Charlotte Caslick are committed to the transition and remain in contention for the World Cup squad. The Australians are ranked sixth in the world, but must improve if they are to compete with women's XV juggernauts England and New Zealand. Those teams have won the past eight World Cups, while Australia prioritised developing its women's sevens program over the traditional format. The Wallaroos lost to the Black Ferns 38-12 in May, extending their record against New Zealand to 28 losses from 28 games. Yapp, who will step down as coach after the World Cup, said there was still a gap between the nations. 'We're just making sure that every time we play them, we're improving on our performance against them,' she said. 'We're excited to see how the girls step up on Saturday.' Wallaroos: Faliki Pohiva, Tania Naden, Bridie O'Gorman, Kaitlan Leaney, Michaela Leonard, Siokapesi Palu (c), Ashley Marsters, Tabua Tuinakauvadra, Layne Morgan, Tia Hinds, Desiree Miller, Trilleen Pomare, Charlotte Caslick, Waiaria Ellis, Faitala Moleka. Substitutes: Adiana Talakai, Lydia Kavoa, Asoiva (Eva) Karpani, Annabelle Codey, Piper Duck, Emily Chancellor, Samantha Wood, Cecilia Smith.
Perth Now
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Wallaroos include another teen in World Cup build-up
Former gymnast Waiaria Ellis is set to become the second youngest Test debutante in Wallaroos history after being named to face New Zealand as the Australian team continues their World Cup build-up. The 17-year-old has been included on the wing as the Wallaroos look to snap a 28-game winning streak by the Black Ferns when the teams meet in Wellington on Saturday. The Wallaroos have been edging closer to a maiden victory over the world champions, losing their May encounter in Newcastle 38-12. At 17 years and 305 days, Ellis falls short of the previous record set last year by Wallaroos teammate Caitlyn Halse (17 years and 242 days), and joins 18-year-old Ruby Anderson in a trio of teens to have debuted in the last 12 months under coach Jo Yapp. A former junior Australian representative gymnast, Ellis started her rugby journey with the Blacktown Scorpions in 2022 and has come through the state and national system in both sevens and XVs. "We're all really pleased for Waiaria, she has been involved in our camps for a while now and came out with us to WXV in South Africa last year," Yapp said. "She has an excellent skillset and her youthfulness has a great effect on the playing group. We are confident in her ability to take the next step at this level." Lock Annabelle Codey will play her first Test match in 631 days - coincidently at the same venue she played her last - after being included on the bench while backrower Piper Duck is in line for her first Test since July last year. Halfback Samantha Wood (back) and prop Lydia Kavoa (calf) are also on the bench after returning from injury through the Australia A side. Former sevens star Charlotte Caslick will start at outside centre with Georgina Friedrichs (personal reasons) unavailable, while Tia Hinds will start at flyhalf with Faitala Moleka switching to fullback. Faliki Pohiva and Tania Naden are back in the starting front row. Following the New Zealand Test, the Wallaroos host Wales on July 26 in Brisbane and August 1 at North Sydney Oval. A squad of 32 will then be selected for the World Cup, departing for the United Kingdom on August 11 with their first match against Samoa on August 23 in Manchester. Wallaroos: Faliki Pohiva, Tania Naden, Bridie O'Gorman, Kaitlan Leaney, Michaela Leonard, Siokapesi Palu (c), Ashley Marsters, Tabua Tuinakauvadra, Layne Morgan, Tia Hinds, Desiree Miller, Trilleen Pomare, Charlotte Caslick, Waiaria Ellis, Faitala Moleka. Res: Adiana Talakai, Lydia Kavoa, Asoiva (Eva) Karpani, Annabelle Codey, Piper Duck, Emily Chancellor, Samantha Wood, Cecilia Smith.
ABC News
03-07-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Wallaroos pick 17-year-old Waiaria Ellis ahead of New Zealand and Wales Tests
Teenager Waiaria Ellis has been given the chance to push her case for a World Cup call-up after being named in the Wallaroos' 32-player squad for upcoming Tests against New Zealand and Wales. Seventeen-year-old Waratahs fullback Ellis and Queensland Reds winger Caitlin Urwin were the only two uncapped players to feature in the Wallaroos' squad. Their inclusion follows strong displays for Australia A in last Saturday's 50-22 victory over Samoa in Canberra. Ellis toured with the Wallaroos in South Africa last year but was unable to earn a Test cap, while Urwin joins the national squad for the first time. Western Force star Samantha Wood and Waratahs quartet Annabelle Codey, Piper Duck, Brianna Hoy and Maya Stewart have also been included in the Wallaroos' squad following the recent Pacific Four series. Wood, Duck, Hoy and Stewart all return from injury in a boost ahead of the Rugby World Cup in England, which starts in August. Codey earns a recall to the Wallaroos squad for the first time since 2023, while Siokapesi Palu will continue to captain the side with Emily Chancellor as her vice-captain. The Wallaroos take on the Black Ferns in Wellington on July 12 for their second O'Reilly Cup clash of the year. They will host Wales on July 26 in Brisbane and August 1 at North Sydney Oval. A squad of 32 will be selected for the World Cup following the clash at North Sydney before the Wallaroos depart for the United Kingdom on August 11. The Wallaroos' first World Cup match is against Samoa on August 23 in Manchester. Wallaroos squad: Katalina Amosa, Bree-Anna Browne, Charlotte Caslick, Emily Chancellor, Annabelle Codey, Lori Cramer, Piper Duck, Waiaria Ellis, Ashley Fernandez, Caitlyn Halse, Georgina Friedrichs, Tia Hinds, Brianna Hoy, Asoiva Karpani, Lydia Kavoa, Kaitlan Leaney, Michaela Leonard, Ashley Marsters, Desiree Miller, Faitala Moleka, Layne Morgan, Tania Naden, Bridie O'Gorman, Siokapesi Palu, Faliki Pohiva, Trilleen Pomare, Cecilia Smith, Maya Stewart, Adiana Talakai, Tabua Tuinakauvadra, Caitlin Urwin, Samantha Wood AAP
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wallaroos pick youngster as World Cup prep builds
Teenager Waiaria Ellis and Queensland Reds winger Caitlin Urwin have been given the chance to push their case for a World Cup call-up after being named in the Wallaroos' 32-player squad for upcoming Tests against New Zealand and Wales. Urwin and 17-year-old Ellis were the only two uncapped players named in the Australian national rugby women's squad, with the duo given their chance after producing a strong display for Australia A in last week's 50-22 victory over Samoa. A solid hitout from Australia A in Canberra 💪Thanks for the game, @Manusina_SWR 🤝#Wallaroos — Wallaroos (@WallaroosRugby) June 28, 2025 Ellis toured with the Wallaroos in South Africa last year but was unable to earn a Test cap, while Urwin joins the national squad for the first time. The pair join Western Force star Samantha Wood and Waratahs quartet Annabelle Codey, Piper Duck, Brianna Hoy and Maya Stewart as fresh faces in the squad following the Pacific Four series. Wood, Duck, Hoy and Stewart all return from injury in a boost ahead of the Rugby World Cup in England, which starts in August. Codey earns a recall to the Wallaroos squad for the first time since 2023, while Siokapesi Palu will continue to captain the side with Emily Chancellor as her vice-captain. The Wallaroos take on the Black Ferns in Wellington on July 12 for their second O'Reilly Cup clash of the year before hosting Wales on July 26 in Brisbane and August 1 at North Sydney Oval. A squad of 32 will be selected for the World Cup following the clash at North Sydney before the Wallaroos depart for the United Kingdom on August 11. The Wallaroos' first World Cup match is against Samoa on August 23 in Manchester. "We're excited about the squad selected with players returning from injury and the likes of Caitlin Urwin and Waiaria Ellis deserving of their opportunity to take the next step with us this year," Wallaroos coach Jo Yapp said. "New Zealand will provide another physical challenge and playing Wales twice on home soil leading into the World Cup will lay a good foundation ahead of the tournament." The world No.6 Wallaroos started the Test year with a 43-7 win over Fiji on May 3. They got beaten 38-12 by world No.3 New Zealand, before rebounding to beat world No.9 US 27-19. World No.2 Canada handed Australia a reality check with a 45-7 thrashing in Brisbane, but the Wallaroos will start as favourites when they host world No.10 Wales across two matches. WALLAROOS SQUAD: Katalina Amosa, Bree-Anna Browne, Charlotte Caslick, Emily Chancellor, Annabelle Codey, Lori Cramer, Piper Duck, Waiaria Ellis, Ashley Fernandez, Caitlyn Halse, Georgina Friedrichs, Tia Hinds, Brianna Hoy, Asoiva Karpani, Lydia Kavoa, Kaitlan Leaney, Michaela Leonard, Ashley Marsters, Desiree Miller, Faitala Moleka, Layne Morgan, Tania Naden, Bridie O'Gorman, Siokapesi Palu, Faliki Pohiva, Trilleen Pomare, Cecilia Smith, Maya Stewart, Adiana Talakai, Tabua Tuinakauvadra, Caitlin Urwin, Samantha Wood.
