As the Jillaroos prepare to celebrate 30 years since their first Test, NRL.com is shining the spotlight on some of the unheralded players who played a key role in the rise of women’s rugby league. This week in our Jillaroos Journey series is Jillaroo No.104 Poi Birtles.
Poi Birtles (nee Clarke) travelled across the Tasman in September 2009 with a mix of apprehension and excitement.
The New Zealand-born talent was preparing to make her international rugby league debut for the Jillaroos against her home country.
While honoured to do so in Auckland, Birtles, who was playing alongside her sister Teina, was concerned about the reception she’d receive from the home fans.
“I saw another side of the Kiwi supporters that day,” Birtles told NRL.com. “They saw Māori women playing for the other side and were calling us plastic.
“They were saying we should be playing for the Kiwis, take the green and gold jersey off, you’re a Māori. But they had no understanding of why you play for a team and why I played for Australia.”
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Still only 19 years old at the time, Birtles was rattled by some of the criticism, but she’ll never forget the support she received from her teammates.
Having lived in Sydney for more than five years and taken up rugby league until after family moved across the Tasman, the centre viewed herself as Australian.
It was a view shared by her Jillaroos teammates, who both accepted her as Australian and celebrated her Māori heritage.
“Receiving that heat from the sidelines, it was my teammates who had my back,” Birtles said. “They said ‘You’re here to play for the green and gold, we’ve got your back’.
“They told me to block out the noise and helped me see why I should be playing for Australia.
“Our leaders Lisa (Faiola) and Tahnee (Norris) made sure it was a safe space and we were comfortable speaking up and expressing ourselves. Having those older heads guide us on and off the field was a big part of my journey with the Jillaroos and the staff were so welcoming. I knew these people cared about me.”
Birtles’ experience isn’t a one-off. From their inception, the Jillaroos have prided themselves on celebrating the diverse backgrounds of every player that has pulled on the jersey.
It’s a vision that started when NRL Hall of Famer, and proud Māori woman, Veronica White first pulled on the jumper in 1995 and continues through to today. Faiola has Tongan heritage, while current stars Tiana Penitani Gray and Sarah Togatuki are also proud of their Pasifika background.
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The multicultural nature of both the Jillaroos and rugby league as a whole is on display on the team’s official honour board. Each player’s culture is reflected by a flag next to their name, with a range of countries represented.
Papua New Guinea, Italy, Tonga, Samoa and Fiji are all present, as are the Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islands and Māori flags.
Birtles said that celebration is a key reason why the Jillaroos have achieved the success they have in recent years, with players from all walks of life coming together to pursue a common goal.
“The reward of wearing the Jillaroos jersey came from the effort and time I spent with the team,” Birtles said. “We had that connection with all the girls from different backgrounds.
“All of us coming together gave me hope that it doesn’t matter where we came from, we were all Australian and were wearing the green and gold to play for each other and our nation.”
Birtles’ time in the Jillaroos jumper came as the side was making great strides both on and off the field.
With the help of legendary NRL trainer Ron Palmer, whose daughter Jess was in the team, a renewed emphasis was placed on training, preparation and recovery.
While resources were still lacking, the new approach helped Australia break a decade-long drought to defeat New Zealand in Birtles’ debut. It was the Jillaroos first win over the Kiwi Ferns since 1999 and laid the foundation for the breakthrough victory in the 2013 World Cup final.
Many past players view it as the turning point for women’s rugby league and the moment the sport’s trajectory accelerated towards the position it is in today.
“We didn’t back down,” Birtles said. “We didn’t allow them to dominate us. From that moment we had the belief in each other that we could beat them.
“That belief stayed and we wanted more. We knew we could do more, they were beatable. It was a big moment for us to actually beat the Kiwis and build that belief.”
Birtles stepped away from the Jillaroos soon after her debut to start a family but she was not lost to rugby league for good.
Her eldest daughter is in the Tigers junior pathway and she has helped introduce the sport to countless girls in Sydney and regional communities.
While she always remained interested in the sport, Birtles’ impact took off after she moved to Coonabarabran in 2020.
Her son’s under 8s team needed a coach and Birtles was quick to step in.
The Coonabarabran Unicorns were one of many struggling bush footy clubs at the time, but Birtles’ dedication has seen them become a case study in how to turn a team around.
Poi Birtles receiving the NRL’s Women in League Award with NRL Ambassador Clinton Toopi in Coonabarabran, NSW in 2023.
The former Jillaroo received the NRL’s Women in League Award at the 2023 Community Awards for her work with the Unicorns and the Far West Academy, where she has coached alongside with current Australian coach Jess Skinner.
Birtles now works for the NSWRL as a community engagement officer and hopes to inspire the next generation of junior girls and boys.
“We started from the basics,” Birtles said. “We paired everything back and started again. We taught the kids how to tackle, then to catch the ball, then to run the ball.
“That’s how we started to grow our small community club. Then other volunteers wanted to get involved and know more about rugby league, so I told them to come down to training and they started running training sessions as well.
“It’s unbelievable seeing the girls come through and the buy-in we’ve had from those emerging players. Being an ex-player and becoming a coach, you can form that relationship with them where they can see anything is possible.
“That helped us create an environment where the girls felt safe and had a sense of belonging. Because of that, more girls wanted to come into this space and now for Jess to be in her current role, even more girls want to get involved.”