Australia’s Dragons sign young Wainui star

By Frank Neill

Wainuiomata’s Alexis Tauaneai has been signed to play for the St George Illawarra Dragons in Australia’s National Rugby League Women’s 2023 premier competition.

Alexis has been playing both Rugby League and Rugby, where she has performed outstandingly. In 2021 she was the College Sport Wellington Rugby Player of the Year and last year she was the College Sport Wellington Rugby League Player of the Year.

Alexis played for the Wainuiomata Rugby League Club last season, gaining selection for the Wellington Rugby League nines team, where she won the most valuable player award and was selected in the tournament team.

She was also selected for the Upper Central Stallions Rugby League under 18 team and the under 18 Samoa team which competed in the Pacific Youth Cup on 15 October.

Alexis was named Most Valuable Player in the New Zealand under 18 Rugby League Clubs team, which defeated the New Zealand secondary schools team by a massive 50-0 on 23 October 2023.

She also had an impressive year on the Rugby field.

She played for the Samoan Barbarians at the World Schools Sevens tournament, played for the Wellington Samoa under 18 Rugby team, and was named as the under 18 girl Rugby Player of the Year by the Wellington Rugby Union. She also represented Wellington in the Pride Women’s Rugby team.

She was captain of the Wainuiomata High School Women’s Rugby team, which was runnerup in the premier 1 competition.

As well as playing for her school, Alexis played in the Wainuiomata Rugby Club women’s team and was named the team’s most valuable player.

Wainuiomata hosted the start of the 2023 Wellington Premier Rugby League season hosting all eight premier teams at Fredrick Wise Park on 25 April.

The home team won its first match, defeating Randwick 4432 to kick the season off.

The Wainuiomata Lions did not