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Michaela Blyde signs NRLW deal for 2025
By Ned Lester
Black Ferns Sevens star Michaela Blyde has put pen to paper on a deal with New Zealand’s rugby league team, the Warriors, who are set to return to the NRLW in 2025.
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Having represented New Zealand in sevens since debuting at the age of 17 back in 2013, Blyde has become one of the faces of the SVNS series with her elite pace seeing her score just shy of 250 tries.
The 28-year-old boasts two World Rugby Women’s Sevens Player of the Year awards and two Olympic gold medals in her uber-impressive resume.
“A lot of excitement has been going through my mind,” Blyde said.
“I’ve been looking forward to this day for the last few months. To sign with the Warriors was a little bit of a surprise for me to be honest but nonetheless, I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity the One New Zealand Warriors are offering me.
“I’m excited to be a part of something that’s growing super, super quickly and you’d be silly not to want to be involved in it.
“The Warriors are a team I grew up watching on TV. My family are rugby but when we knew the Warriors were playing on TV we’d change the channel to watch them and support them.”
The Warriors have missed each of the last four NRLW seasons but are finally set to return in the upcoming season. Blyde’s excitement was shared by Warriors CEO Cameron George.
“This is so exciting, a real landmark day for the club and for the game attracting a player of Michaela’s exceptional calibre to move from rugby union to join our NRLW squad,” George said.
“It says so much about the excitement the NRLW and rugby league generally is generating on the New Zealand sporting landscape.”
A number of Black Ferns Sevens stars have been broadening their horizons in the NRLW, with Tyla King, Stacey Waaka and Gayle Broughton all code-switching for recent campaigns.
Shot Michaelah! Can’t wait to see her carve up with the mighty Wahine.
Massive signing.
Huge loss, especially with the retirement of PWW and the injuries to Waaka and Kaka, still the silver lining is that it serves as an opportunity for someone else to make a name for themselves.
I understand her decision though. She's been in the sevens program for 11 years and is getting married soon, so probably needed a break and to stay in the same place for a while, which makes the Warriors a perfect fit. She's only signed for a year so hopefully she'll return to the sevens program after the 2025 season and make the next Olympics. Sadly the NRLW season's schedule likely means that fighting for a spot at the women's RWC next year is off the table. Really excited to see her carve up the comp though, she'll be fire. On of the best players out there regardless of gender.