New Zealand Warriors Women Explained

Fullname:New Zealand Warriors Rugby League Football Club[1]
Nickname:The Warriors, The Wahs
Founded:Club: 1995 as Auckland Warriors
Colours: Blue
Green
Red
White
Capacity:25,000
Ceo:Cameron George
Web:warriors.kiwi
Premierships:0
Spoons:0
Cap:9
Tries:3
Points:14
Current:2025 New Zealand Warriors Women
Homejersey:Image:New Zealand home jersey 1995.svg
Awayjersey:Image:New Zealand Warriors away jersey 2024.png

The New Zealand Warriors Women are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that will re-enter the National Rugby League Women's (NRLW) premiership for the 2025 season.[2] The Warriors women’s team are to be coached by Ronald Griffiths. [3] As with their men’s team, the Warriors women are based at Mount Smart Stadium in the Auckland suburb of Penrose.The Warriors women’s team previously competed in the NRLW for three seasons: 2018, 2019, and 2020.

History

In December 2017, the New Zealand Warriors expressed their interest in applying for a licence to participate in the inaugural NRL Women's Premiership. In March 2018, they were awarded one of four licences for the league's inaugural season, to commence in September of the same year.[4] Luisa Avaiki was named the coach of the side. [5]

The team competed in, and finished 3rd place in both the 2018 and 2019 seasons, the latter of which included the first ever standalone NRLW match held at Mount Smart Stadium.[6]

The team was impacted in 2020 by travel restrictions imposed to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Five New Zealand based players from the previous season elected to go through three weeks of quarantine isolation on arrival in Australia to prepare for the 2020 NRLW season.[7] The remainder of the Warriors squad consisted of Australian based players. The team was coached by Jillaroos coach, Brad Donald. [8] The side came in third place (from four) for the third consecutive year.

In June 2021, CEO Cameron George announced the team would not compete in the 2021 competition but plan to re-enter the competition in 2022. [9] This did not eventuate, however, with the NRL announcing NRLW expansion to 10 teams for the 2023 season that did not include the Warriors. [10] In August 2022, during a Members-Only meeting with CEO Cameron George, Owner Mark Robinson, Coach Stacey Jones, and Captain Tohu Harris. It was announced their intention to re-enter the competition for the 2025 season.On March 28 2024, NRL CEO Andrew Abdo announced the Warriors would rejoin the NRLW, along with a Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs team, in an expanded 12-team competition from 2025. [2]

Players

2025 squad

As at 3 August 2024, the New Zealand Warriors are yet to announce any player signings for the 2025 NRLW season.

Coaches

On 1 July 2024, the club announced the appointment of Ronald Griffiths as head coach of their NRLW team, for their return to the competition in 2025. Griffiths was appointed on a three-year deal.

Coach Season Span Win % Share %
align=left Luisa Avaiki 20182019 6 3 0 3 align=right 56 align=right 104 50.00% 35.00%
align=left Brad Donald 2020 3 1 0 2 align=right 48 align=right 60 33.33% 44.44%
Table last updated: 3 August 2024.

Seasons

SeasonRegular SeasonFinalsNines
PWDLFAPtsPos
20183102265823rd
20193201304643rd
20203102486003rd4th

Club records

Head-to-head records

Opponent First Meeting Win % Share
align=left 8 Sep 2018 3 2 0 1 align=right 38 align=right 38 66.67% 50.00%
align=left 15 Sep 2018 3 1 0 2 align=right 32 align=right 58 33.33% 35.56%
align=left 21 Sep 2018 3 1 0 2 align=right 34 align=right 68 33.33% 33.33%
align=left Totals !8 Sep 2018 9 4 0 5104 164 44.44% 38.81%
Notes

Player records

Lists and tables last updated: 3 August 2024.
Most Games for the Warriors

Most Tries for the Warriors

Most Points or the Warriors (10+)

Player 2024 Club !Points
align=left align=center 6 0 7 0 14
align=left align=center 3 3 0 0 12
align=left align=center 3 1 4 0 12

Most Points in a Season (14+)

Player Season !Points
align=left align=center 2020 3 4 0 0 12
align=left align=center 2020 3 4 0 0 12

Margins and streaks

Biggest winning margins

Biggest losing margins

Margin Score Opponent Venue Date
align=center 22 1032 Brisbane Broncos 21 Sep 2018
align=center 22 426 St. George Illawarra Dragons 22 Sep 2019

Most consecutive wins

Most consecutive losses

Notes and References

  1. Web site: View All Details . Companiesoffice.govt.nz . 18 March 2017.
  2. Web site: New NRLW teams announced for 2025 competition. 28 Mar 2024. NRL. 28 Mar 2024.
  3. Web site: Griffiths to coach NRLW side. Becht. Richard. 1 Jul 2024. Warriors.Kiwi. 1 Jul 2024.
  4. Web site: Geographic location the focus as NRL women's teams announced. NRL.com. Alicia. Newton. 27 March 2018. 27 March 2018.
  5. Web site: Vodafone Warriors appoint NRL women's premiership head coach. Becht. Richard. 28 Mar 2018. Warriors.Kiwi. 3 Aug 2024.
  6. Web site: Dragons surge past Warriors to keep NRLW title hopes alive. Rosser. Corey. 22 Sep 2019. NRL. 3 Jul 2022.
  7. Web site: Advance guard in isolation in Sydney. Becht. Richard. 5 Sep 2020. Warriors.Kiwi. 3 Aug 2024.
  8. Web site: Donald signed as Warriors NRLW coach. Becht. Richard. 27 Aug 2020. Warriors.Kiwi. 3 Aug 2024.
  9. Web site: Warriors out of 2021 NRLW but will return next year. Becht. Richard. 11 Jun 2021. Warriors.Kiwi. 15 Mar 2022.
  10. Web site: Everything you need to know: 2023 NRLW expansion. Newton. Alicia. 15 Jun 2022. NRL. 16 Jun 2022.