Botille Vette-Welsh will be the central star in the Wests Tigers’ first-ever NRL Women’s Premiership team, with new coach Brett Kimmorley eager to stack a team around her that can immediately challenge for the 2023 title.
Vette-Welsh has been playing for the Tigers in the state comp.
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The New Zealand-born fullback, 26, missed this year’s NRLW proceedings after a cruel ACL injury pushed her onto the sidelines. Vette-Welsh, who has shone for Australia and New South Wales, is a glittering jewel to build around for any team.
There are also whispers Jess Sergis and Kezie Apps—both of whom rank among the best in the women’s league—could join Kimmorley’s project after playing their NSW Premiership seasons in orange this year.
McGregor sisters Raecene and Page have also been mentioned as prospects.
Only Vette-Welsh is locked for the squad though.
She has played seven top-flight games since 2018, jumping from the Roosters to the Dragons before returning to the Roosters, and joining the Eels in 2022.
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Injury has stopped her from really racking up time in the NRL Women’s competition, but her game-breaking status speaks for itself whenever she takes the field.
Since 2019, the Rugby Sevens graduate has played State of Origin, thrice played for the Māori All-Stars between 2019 and 2021, and represented Australia five times in the Nines and full-team formats in the 2019 international season.
The Tigers join the NRLW as the league blows out to 10 teams.
In 2023, the competition will play nine rounds before finals and welcome Wests, Cronulla, North Queensland, and Canberra into the fold. The league will begin around two months before NRL finals.
The Newcastle Knights enter the expanded competition as the team to beat after 17-year-old halfback Jesse Southwell guided them to title glory in the 2022 edition.
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