Front-rower Billy-Jean Ale’s New Zealand debut was a long time coming – and she had the rare



distinction of playing against and for the Kiwi Ferns in 2019.







The Mount Albert Lions product was a development player in the Kiwi Ferns’ 2008 World Cup-



winning squad, but the 17-year-old did not take the field.







She represented Samoa against Australia in Apia in 2011.







After featuring in trial matches against the fledgling Warriors women’s team in 2018, the Akarana



Falcons rep earned a contract for the club’s sophomore NRLW campaign. She played in all three of



the Warriors’ 2019 fixtures – two off the bench and one starting at prop – and averaged 66.3 metres



and 12.3 tackles per game.







As one of only two survivors from the 2011 Test against the Jillaroos, Ale was an interchange in Fetu



Samoa’s mid-2019 Test against the Kiwi Ferns. The 28-year-old scored Samoa’s only try of the first



half in a 46-8 loss, as well as making 51 metres and six tackle-breaks.



Ale’s NRLW efforts propelled her into the Kiwi Ferns’ squad for the end-of-year Test against the



Jillaroos. She made four runs, four tackle-breaks and 11 tackles in 30 minutes off the bench in a 28-8



loss in Wollongong.







Younger sister Mary-Jane Ale was 18 th player for the Kiwi Ferns against the Jillaroos in 2016, the



same year she lit up the NRL Auckland Nines with the New Zealand team.