Rising star Relna showing Gen Next what's possible

In the first ever NRLW Indigenous Round, Raiders young gun Relna Wuruki-Hosea isn't just stepping onto the field, she is stepping into history.

Her team may be still looking for its first win of 2025 but with her first try of her career under her belt the 19-year-old is confident a breakthrough is on the cards.

“I feel like the girls, we’ve been working so hard at training and I think we do have more to give in the next couple rounds and I feel like a win is what we deserve," she told ljmpta.com after a hard-fought loss to the Broncos in Round 6.

"From all the hard work we’re putting in day in, day out, even when we lose by a lot, we come into training, and we still show positive vibes. Everyone is just lifting each other up and that is the vibe that we need.” 

For Wuruki-Hosea, who proudly represents both her Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander heritage, the occasion was deeply meaningful as she crossed in the 47th minute at GIO Stadium.

Coming from Badu Island in the Torres Strait, an island that populates under 800 people, she did her culture and home proud.  

“It means a lot to me. Obviously, the fam on the island and just the whole of Torres Strait is really proud, and they really do lift up people who make it to the big stage that are Torres Strait or Aboriginal," she said.

“We don’t see a lot of young Indigenous girls coming through and I feel like I sort of set the example for them that it is possible. If you want to make it, then you’ve just got to work hard."

Wuruki-Hosea’s family was right there to witness her milestone moment, having moved down from far North Queensland to support her NRLW journey.

“I think I made my family really proud that’s up at home. But my mum also moved down," she said.

“Mum wanted to come down to Canberra to support me, but I am more of an independent girl, so I was like, 'No mum, you don’t need to', and she was like 'no I want to come support', so I was like 'OK, that’s fine'."

Wuruki-Hosea’s rugby league story started like many others with a love of sport and a fierce competitive spark.  

“I started playing when I was 10, but before that I was playing basketball and my mate asked if I wanted to come play league," she said.

"She told me they were playing against the boys, and I was like 'yeah, I want to hit the boys',” Wuruki-Hosea recalled. 

After moving to Brisbane at age 11, her talent began to shine.

Without a league program at her school, she sought out club footy and representative opportunities. Her path soon led to Queensland trials, national championships, and eventually, a life-changing phone call from Raiders NRLW coach Darrin Borthwick. 

“I just sort of went up the ranks, and then Bortho found me at nationals last year which was really good," she said.

"At first, I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I think I still need a couple more years in developing'. But one of the games I played at nationals, it was just a really good game and then after that, I got the call from Bortho and he just laid everything out, and I was like, 'Yeah, I’m down, I want to do this'."

Despite receiving a development contract offer from the Titans, she chose to back herself and go straight into Canberra’s top 24 squad. 

Voted the 2024 Harvey Norman Women’s ‘Weapon of The Year’, Wuruki-Hosea’s transition from under 19s representative footy to NRLW has been a challenge, but one she has embraced.

“It’s a big switch from playing under 19s. You sort of think you have everything under control in under 19s, but it is a really big switch going from that to NRLW," she said.

With her story only just beginning, Wuruki-Hosea is already inspiring others just by being herself as a proud Torres Strait and Indigenous women.

For every young girl watching her score, smile, and soar in Indigenous Round, she is proving one powerful truth: "It’s possible.”