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Eighteen-year old league player, Tanaia Herniman of Silverdale, is packing her bags for Sydney, having signed a contract with the Manly Sea Eagles U19 team.
Also signed is Maia Crutcher from Whangarei – both play for Hibiscus Coast Raiders.
The pair will take part in the Tarsha Gale, New South Wales’ premier women’s rugby league competition.
Tanaia says a Sea Eagles scout approached her when she was playing with the inaugural Ahi Kā Aotearoa team, on the Gold Coast in May.
The offer was later confirmed, and her one-year contract begins in November.
Although Tanaia has only played league for two years, she was in the Raiders highly successful tag team for seven years.
This season, she has been training in Whangarei with coach Mike King and the Raiders team twice a week, as well as running, cardio and gym work.
Tanaia is grateful and excited about the Sea Eagles opportunity, although says it is daunting to be moving away from home to a part of Australia that she doesn’t know.
The fact that she will share the experience with her friend MC (Maia) is a big plus.
A potential career in the sport beckons, with scouts for the NRL Women’s premiership having a close eye on the Tarsha Gale games.
“But my ultimate goal is to play for my country,” Tanaia says.
