At Youi, we take the time to listen. We get to know people and find out what matters to them; what makes them an individual. We do it with our customers and now we’re proud to do the same through our Stories of Change series.
Raecene McGregor: Top of the world to uncontracted star and back again
Raecene McGregor is a genuine sporting all-rounder, who represented NSW and Australia in soccer, touch rugby, and Rugby Sevens. But it’s in rugby league, wearing the Kiwi Ferns and various NSWRL and NRLW jerseys, that she’s made her name as one of the code’s most influential players.
Born in Sydney to New Zealander parents, Raecene grew up playing touch rugby. She was aware of rugby league but the opportunities in the women’s game didn’t exist at the time. “I really enjoyed playing touch growing up,” she says. “I wasn’t able to play rugby league because I was a girl, and the pathways just weren’t there,” she explains.
However, her passion for league burned bright. “Once I turned 17 it was just something I couldn’t let go,” she says.
Raecene started her rugby league career in 2016, playing in the NSWRL Women’s Premiership for the Greenacre Tigers. “I was pretty fortunate to have great people around me,” she recalls.
“I had really good coaching staff based in Sydney. They gave me heaps of tips and kept us training in a little group before we had an opportunity to go over to New Zealand and have a trial.”
Passionate about Māori heritage
Although Australian-born, Raecene was passionate about representing her Māori heritage, playing league in New Zealand. “I’ve always wanted to play for New Zealand,” she explains.
“Aussie-based Kiwis had an opportunity in 2017 to try to play for New Zealand in the Women’s Rugby League World Cup, which was the first time ever. I had a game a couple of weeks after the trial, and it all pretty much started from there,” she adds, as she was chosen to represent New Zealand.
Rugby league success continued for Raecene and in 2018 she joined the St. George Illawarra Dragons ahead of the inaugural NRL Women’s Premiership. In 2019, she joined the Brisbane Broncos and later that year she was a key member of New Zealand’s Rugby League World Cup 9s winning team and was named Player of the Tournament.
Raecene was a standout player for the Māori All Stars in a 2020 pre-season game against the Indigenous All Stars. She switched to the Wests Tigers for the 2020 NSW Women’s Premiership season, and in October 2020 she won her second NRLW premiership with the Broncos. Her on-field success and status was recognised that year when she was named one of the top three players in the world by the NRL.
Uncontracted for 2021 season
Despite superb form and accolades continuing to roll in for Raecene, she was devastated when she went uncontracted for the postponed 2021 NRLW season. “It was heart-breaking and disheartening,” she admits.
“It was hard being clubless – it was a pretty dark time. Lot of tears and a lot of emotion, especially coming off such a good season and not being picked up – it hurt a lot,” she shares.
However, in typical fashion, Raecene refused to let this setback hold her down and she went on to win Player of the Match in the Māori All Stars 2021 victory over the Indigenous All Stars. This set her up for selection to the Sydney Roosters ahead of the 2022 twin premierships.
‘More to life than footy’
Despite superb form and accolades continuing to roll in for Raecene, she was devastated when she went uncontracted for the postponed 2021 NRLW season. “It was heart-breaking and disheartening,” she admits.
“It was hard being clubless – it was a pretty dark time. Lot of tears and a lot of emotion, especially coming off such a good season and not being picked up – it hurt a lot,” she shares.
However, in typical fashion, Raecene refused to let this setback hold her back and she went on to win Player of the Match in the Māori All Stars 2021 victory over the Indigenous All Stars. This set her up for selection to the Sydney Roosters ahead of the 2022 twin premierships.
Last minute call up to Roosters
“It was fortunate I got to play Māoris the following year,” she says. “A couple of coaches saw that game and saw that I was ready to go, so I got a last minute call up from the Roosters. I’m forever grateful to them for giving me the opportunity to come back when I wasn’t wanted.”
Raecene picked up where she left off and continued with her on-field and award-winning successes. She was a key player as the Roosters won their maiden title, then went on to claim the 2022 NRLW Dally M Medal in the August-September competition.
She was also named in the NRL’s NRLW Team of the Year and in the Dream Team announced by the Rugby League Players Association. She also took home the RLPA’s Players’ Champion Award.
To cap off a dream year in 2002, Raecene played alongside her sister Page in New Zealand’s win over Tonga, and they both went to England at the end of the year as members of NZ’s Kiwi Ferns World Cup squad.
“It was pretty crazy,” she admits. “It felt like a dream, it didn't feel real at one point. I’m really grateful to the Roosters for giving me that opportunity and picking me up. I was really lucky to get those achievements playing off the back of really good people and being in a really good system.”
Advice to rising stars
She adds that it was the first time in a long while that she played with her sister, who had been playing Rugby 7s. “It was awesome for my family to finally see us get back together,” she adds.
She credits her parents with a lot of her sporting success. “My hat goes off to them,” she says. “They were big supporters in my life with anything I did. Whether it was soccer or touch or anything I'd decided to play, they were always there for us. “The support that was given to me and my sister drove us to want to play – they were awesome,” she adds.
Her advice to women’s rugby league players coming through is to “stick at it, work hard and do the little extras. That’s what I didn’t focus on as much when I was growing up – I just played because I enjoyed it.
“There are pathways. If you start young and get those little things right, you’ll get to the end goal,” she concludes.
