1
‘A very talented athlete’: Sonny Bill’s sister Niall Williams switches codes
By AAP
New Zealand rugby sevens star Niall Williams has followed brother Sonny Bill in hopping codes, joining Gold Coast for the upcoming NRLW season.
Williams, 34, will join the Titans at the completion of the World Rugby Sevens Series next month as the NRLW's 10 franchises continue assembling their 24-player rosters ahead of the May 24 deadline.
Williams was a member of the Black Ferns side that collected silver in rugby sevens at the 2016 Rio Olympics and followed up with gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
A neck injury ruled her out of the Tokyo Olympics, but she was part of New Zealand's bronze-medal side at last year's Commonwealth Games in Brisbane.
In rugby sevens, the versatile Williams plays either in the forwards or the backline. She has also captained New Zealand in touch football.
Williams' brother Sonny Bill became a household name during his premiership-winning NRL career with Canterbury before switching to rugby union and realising his All Blacks dream.
Titans coach Karyn Murphy said Niall Williams was intent on forging her own legacy in rugby league.
"Niall might have a famous surname but she is a very talented athlete in her own right with nearly 20 years of representative experience," Murphy said.
"Niall will bring an incredible amount of experience and professionalism to our squad, and her extreme athletic ability, speed and agility is why she is a very versatile player that will make a valuable contribution to our team."
The Titans endured a tough first season under Murphy in 2022, managing only one win and finishing bottom of the ladder.
Gold Coast will hope Williams' leadership can help them turn the tide when the new season begins in July.
"In extension to her playing ability, her values, passion and energy for the community aligns hand-in-hand with our club's purpose and I'm so excited for Niall to reach new heights on and off the field with us here at the Titans," Murphy said.
Shaylee Bent, Taliah Fuimaono and Kaitlyn Phillips are among the other players joining Gold Coast for their third NRLW campaign.
Trending on RugbyPass
2
Wallaroos captain reflects on Black Ferns’ success with sevens stars
3
Springboks flyhalf's latest injury worry
4
Initial Immanuel Feyi-Waboso injury update does not sound promising
5
Latest Comments
Great read on a fascinating topic.
Couple of questions related to Bristol and Black Ferns.
They were properly hammered and struggled to score many points at all in the two European matches preceding the demolition of Leicester. Was it lack of ambition in those matches or a better opponent? This Tigers mob has been less than the sum of their parts since their ugly GP win under Borthwick.
I went to Twickenham with a large group of parents and young ladies from Barnes RFC to watch NZ v England last season. The dads among us were deeply frustrated by how inflexible the Black Ferns were with their strategy to run and not kick and they were duly put to the sword.
Pretty clearly, there is more depth and quality in the England squad and, whilst on any given day (and with the help of a red card), NZ might sneak one the strategy can go horribly wrong given the level of passing and catching skill in the women's game. Was Smith very lucky and it's the wrong way to play big games or was he showing us the way forward? I'm not at all sure.
Go to commentsI can't see them getting to the final of the Champons Cup.
Go to comments