A fan favourite in NRLW and Kiwi circles, Georgia Hale’s newest adventure will take her to England after she signed with the Leeds Rhinos.
Joining an already talented roster with the likes of Amy Hardcastle also joining, Hale has had a glowing career to date.
Hale, 27, made her debut for the Kiwi Ferns in 2015 before coming vice captain, continuing to represent her country over the next few years.
Hale was a member of the New Zealand Warriors inaugural NRLW side in 2018, winning both Young New Zealander of the Year the 2020 Veronica White Medal during her time in the New Zealand setup.
2021 saw Hale move to the Gold Coast Titans inaugural NRLW side and as Hale looks ahead to joining the Leeds side, she feels like the buzz and vibe at the club is perfect for her.
“It’s so nice to be here and to join the club,” Hale said.
“I arrived last week and have met the staff and the girls and there is a really good buzz around the place.
“I was over here for the World Cup last year so that was a nice opportunity to meet people and see what the Rhinos are about.”
To make things easier for Hale, her partner Sam Lisone plays for the Leeds men’s side, so being at the same team allows them both to spend more time together and chase their footy dreams.
My partner, Sam Lisone, is obviously over here too so it was a good opportunity for us both to represent the Rhinos and move overseas and still chase our footy dream,” Hale continued.
“It’s fantastic that the game allows us to do that.”
Current coach of the Leeds women’s side, Lois Forsell, played against Hale at the 2017 Rugby League World Cup and is chuffed to have a player with her experience join the club.
“We have been really excited at the prospect of Georgia coming over,” Forsell said.
“I think she is going to add loads of quality to our squad, particularly in leadership and just the fact that she has played in the top tier in the NRLW and internationally is massive for us.
So it’s great to have someone with that sort of experience and skill around the place and we can see from even these early days that she will add a lot of value.”
