An impressive second NRLW season with the Warriors earned 25-year-old back-rower Kaiyah Atai selection in the Kiwi Ferns’ 2026 squad. A Cook Islands international since 2022, Atai switched eligibility to New Zealand and looks to make her debut at the upcoming Rugby League World Cup.

A defensive workhorse averaging over 28 tackles per game, Atai's strong performances throughout the season at both loose forward and second row earned her the club's Player of the Year award, one better from her 2025 Rookie of the Year award.

The Richmond Rovers product was appointed captain of the Warriors side for their final four games of the 2026 season, after initial captain and Fern Apii Nicholls was sidelined with injury.

Atai is the daughter of two-time World Cup-winning Kiwi Fern #48, Sharlene Atai (née Johnson), making her the first daughter of a former Kiwi Fern to earn selection for the Kiwi Ferns squad.