Last updated 19:36, June 13 2018
Tertius Pickard
New Zealand's Honey Hireme scores a try during the 2017 women's Rugby League World Cup final. She has signed for the Dragons in the NRL women's premiership.
New Zealand's Honey Hireme scores a try during the 2017 women's Rugby League World Cup final. She has signed for the Dragons in the NRL women's premiership.
Dual international Honey Hireme and Kiwi Ferns teammate Raecene McGregor will play for the St George Illawarra Dragons for the inaugural NRL women's rugby league championship.
The Sydney club confirmed their signing on Wednesday.
The Dragons website reported that Hireme, "a mainstay for the Kiwi Ferns for the past decade, was the Player of the Tournament at the 2013 Rugby League World Cup and followed it up last year when she finished as the World Cup's leading try scorer (13 tries)."
"Nicknamed 'Honey Bill Williams', she also represented the Black Ferns at the 2014 Rugby World Cup and the Women's Sevens at the 2013 Sevens World Cup."
McGregor – who scored four tries playing at fullback and five-eighth at the last Women's World Cup – has also represented Australia in football and rugby sevens.
Hireme and McGregor were among 20 female marquee players named by the New Zealand Rugby League for the new four-team women's competition set to start in September.
The NZRL said the players were identified from the 2017 Rugby League World Cup Kiwi Ferns squad and will be considered 'marquee' in selections by the four NRL teams. All other New Zealand and Australian players that aren't identified as 'marquee' will be contracted as 'free agents'.
New Zealand marquee players will receive comparative extra benefits to Australian marquee players. These will be finalised once the NZRL Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) have been negotiated.
The 20 players are: Aieshaleigh Smalley, Amber Kani, Annetta-Claudia Nuuausala, Apii Nicholls-Pualau, Georgia Hale, Hilda Mariu, Honey Hireme, Kahurangi Peters, Kimiora Nati, Krystal Rota, Lilieta Maumau, Louisa Gago, Maitua Feterika, Ngatokotoru Arakua, Nita Maynard, Raecene McGregor, Racquel Anderson, Shontelle Woodman, Teuila Fotu-Moala, Kailey Faye Thompson.
Meanwhile, the Dragons have also signed 18-year-old Jillaroos international Rikeya Horne, an outside back, and Jessica Sergis, who made her Australian test debut last year.
The free agency signing period ends on June 30.