How a coffee order made Parramatta the next NRLW superstar
Parramatta’s mission to find a replacement for injured full-back Botille Vette-Welsh was completed within minutes of drinking a sugary caffeine drink in a cafe west of Sydney earlier this year.
When Gayle Broughton, the former New Zealand rugby sevens star who collected gold medals at last year’s Tokyo Olympics, flew to Sydney to meet the Eels, it didn’t take long for her to sign on the dotted line.
“They told me to have a caramel latte, no sugar, coconut milk,” laughed Broughton.
“And if the coffee shop doesn’t have coconut milk, I usually opt for whole-wheat milk, and that’s how Parra got me.”
However, as fate would have it, Broughton and Eels were a match made in heaven from the start with the 26-year-old finishing in the Black Ferns neighborhood full-time earlier this year to move to Australia.
Broughton is considered one of the best seven rugby players in the world with his footwork and vision poised to light up the NRLW in the coming seasons.
He has one goal in mind to reunite with his brother’s family in western Sydney while also switching codes after watching the likes of Emma Tonegato, Charlotte Caslick, Ellia Green and Evania Pelite, who have played against Broughton, recently.
Broughton could have played for the Eels in the 2021 season earlier this year, but opted to stay in Australia and begin his transition to rugby league via the Harvey Norman NSW Premiership with the Mounties.
Along with learning the differences in code, Broughton returned to part-time work for the first time in a decade, getting up at 4 a.m. to drive a forklift for eight hours before getting ready for training in the afternoon.
“It’s been half way so far but I’m really liking the ride at the moment, maybe it’s a really good wake-up call about how good it is that I have things in a full-time environment,” he said.
“I learned more about myself, more about my character with more challenges. I can’t wait to write a book about it all.
“I needed a little change in my life, that was the biggest point of all this. I wanted to challenge myself in this space and there’s no better way to do that then move from a professional rugby environment to a semi-professional rugby league environment.
“And I know I have the opportunity to come early, but I respect this game and I want to learn the challenges early. I knew the Harvey Norman competition was the best opportunity to do that.”
Broughton was one of the first seven rugby majors to enter club NRLW from New Zealand and he does not expect to be the last.
He hopes his move can be a catalyst for others to follow in the future.
“I think this is an opportunity and a path to take, I’m not the only union girl who loves rugby league in New Zealand,” she said.
“I’m a big fan of the season that just passed. You have a feeling which team will win, but then it goes the other way around and that’s the thrill of it all.
“I feel like it’s not even scratching the surface. It’s going to take it to another level and I want to get into it.”
As for his future in the rugby league beyond this season, Broughton seems poised for the long haul with the possible call-up of Kiwi Ferns as a top destination on his bucket list.
“It’s my big dream to represent another black jersey, but I have a lot of respect for this game and don’t want to get ahead of myself,” he said.
“I want to play in the World Cup, not necessarily the upcoming one but the end one… it’s a gray area at the moment but it’s definitely in the books.”
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