Sisters Page and Raecene McGregor have both signed on to play for the Dragons in the 2023 NRLW season. Photo / NZ Rugby League
By Billie Eder, Stuff
When sisters Raecene and Page McGregor (Ngāti Whātua) played against each other in round three of the NRLW last year, they put family ties to one side. Winning was all that mattered.
This year, the Kiwi Ferns representatives finally get to combine forces, after Raecene signed with the Dragons for the 2023 season, joining sister Page at the club with which she debuted back in 2018.
“I spoke about it with my old coach from the Roosters, Strangey [John Strange] about moving over to the Dragons, just wanting to play with my sister. It was a big chat there, it wasn’t something that I took lightly,” Raecene said.
No-one is more excited about Raecene’s switch than Page, who is 18 months younger than Raecene and preparing for her second year in the NRLW.
“We haven’t gotten to play week-in, week-out together since we were little. We played soccer together, we played touch [football] together, and then we went our separate ways. I went rugby and she went to league, and now that I’ve come back across [to league] I’m super stoked that she’s decided to put the Red V on for the season.”
No-one is happier about Raecene McGregor's switch to the Dragons than sister Page, who plays at centre for the club. Source / Instagram
Raecene, the 2022 Dally M Medal winner and 2022 World Cup Golden Boot recipient, is a massive signing for the Dragons who have a squad full of up-and-coming players in 2023.
“That’s why I’m just glad to have her on board, because I’ve always looked up to her,” Page said. “Having her in the same team now, I’m going to be drawing from her.
“Her knowledge, starting from 2018 to where she is now, she’s only getting better and stronger [mentally] so it’s going to help me and the rest of us young girls. We’re definitely going to be looking up to Rae, and I just can’t wait to start training.”
The Dragons aren’t the only club to have signed a sister act for the upcoming season, which begins on Saturday, July 22.
The Wests Tigers, who will make their NRLW bow this year, last week signed twins Emily and Sophie Curtain, who were part of the club’s Harvey Norman premiership-winning team last year.
“We were very excited when the club spoke to us and said they wanted both of us,” Emily said.
“To be able to stay at one club for a long time, and hopefully together, it’s pretty exciting, and it’s a massive opportunity for the club to have an NRLW [team], I think we’re the first twins to play in the NRLW, as far as I am aware, so I think that’s pretty cool as well,” Sophie said.
“When we are on the field, we know what each other are going to do, and we typically play complimenting positions as well. Emily’s a halfback, and if I’m playing hooker or lock, I feel like it benefits us knowing how each other play because we’re linked in our positions.”
The Eels have signed sisters Kennedy and Rueben Cherrington, while the Knights landed Hannah and Jesse Southwell. The Raiders have two sets of sisters in their team for 2023 - Chante and Zahara Temara and Ashleigh and Felice Quinlan.