Oneata Schwalger (born 4 July 1985) is an Australian rugby union and rugby league footballer who plays for the New South Wales Waratahs in the Super W. Primarily a prop, she is an Australia international and previously played for the St George Illawarra Dragons in the NRL Women's Premiership.

Oneata Schwalger
Personal information
Born (1985-07-04) 4 July 1985 (age 38)
Apia, Samoa
Height175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight89 kg (14 st 0 lb)
Playing information
Rugby league
PositionProp
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2018 St George Illawarra 3 0 0 0 0
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2015 Women's All Stars 1 0 0 0 0
Rugby union
PositionProp
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2020 NSW Waratahs 4 0 0 0 0
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2014 Australia
Source: RLP
As of 16 November 2020

Background edit

Born in Apia, Samoa, Schwalger was raised in Porirua, New Zealand. In Porirua, she played rugby union for Norths and rugby league for the Porirua Vikings. Her brother John is a former All Black and her cousin, Tim Lafai, is a Samoan rugby league international.[1]

Playing career edit

Rugby union edit

In 2007, Schwalger moved to Australia and played rugby union, first in Perth and later in Melbourne. In Melbourne, she played for the Melbourne Unicorns.[2]

In 2014, Schwalger represented Australia at the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup in France.[3]

In 2020, she played for the NSW Waratahs in the Super W competition.[4]

Rugby league edit

In 2015, Schwalger represented the Women's All Stars against the Indigenous All Stars, becoming the first player based outside of Queensland and New South Wales to play for the side.[5]

In 2017, she joined the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks NSWRL Women's Premiership team and was selected in the Australian train-on squad.[6][7]

In 2018 and 2019, she represented the Combined Affiliated States at the Women's National Championships.[8][9]

On 13 June 2018, she signed with the St George Illawarra Dragons NRL Women's Premiership team.[10] In Round 1 of the 2018 NRL Women's season, she made her debut for the Dragons in a 4–30 loss to the Brisbane Broncos.[11]

References edit

  1. ^ "Lafai's cousin among Dragons' women's recruits". St George Illawarra Dragons. 13 June 2018.
  2. ^ "Oneata Schwalger goes from Porirua rugby family into the NRL big league". Stuff.co.nz. 11 September 2018.
  3. ^ "WRWC 2014: Disciplinary update". World Rugby. 14 August 2014.
  4. ^ "Schwalger awarded first ISCA Scholarship in new partnership". NSW Rugby. 13 January 2020.
  5. ^ "Victorian to represent Women's All Stars". Melbourne Storm. 9 February 2015.
  6. ^ "WNRL Team List v Raiders". Cronulla Sharks. 7 March 2017.
  7. ^ "Trailblazing Victorian eyeing World Cup". NRL. 11 August 2017.
  8. ^ "Women's Nationals the perfect Origin appetiser". NRL. 29 May 2018.
  9. ^ "Line-ups named for Women's National Championships". NRL. 22 May 2019.
  10. ^ "Marquee quartet further boosts Dragons' Women's Premiership squad". St George Illawarra Dragons. 13 June 2018.
  11. ^ "Late mail: Women's Premiership (Round 1)". St George Illawarra Dragons. 9 September 2018.

External links edit