{"id":228534,"date":"2025-10-20T22:50:10","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T22:50:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/228534\/"},"modified":"2025-10-20T22:50:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T22:50:10","slug":"ali-lauitiiti-celebrates-daughters-rise-with-the-warriors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/228534\/","title":{"rendered":"Ali Lauiti\u2019iti celebrates daughter\u2019s rise with the Warriors"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rugby league legend Aliimatagi \u2018Ali\u2019 Lauiti\u2019iti says he is filled with pride as his daughter Ivana commits her future to the New Zealand Warriors after a standout debut season in the National Rugby League Women\u2019s Premiership (NRLW).<\/p>\n

Nineteen-year-old Ivana made six appearances this year and emerged as one of the breakout stars in the Warriors\u2019 return to the competition. She scored two tries, averaged 105 metres per game, and delivered the NRLW\u2019s tackle of the year in the team\u2019s round 11 win over the Wests Tigers.<\/p>\n

Lauiti\u2019iti, a former representative for the New Zealand Kiwis and Toa S\u0101moa, says watching his daughter pull on the black jersey for the first time was a special moment for their family.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, as a father, as a parent, I\u2019m really excited,\u201d he tells Tuilagi William Leolahi on Pacific Huddle. \u201cIt\u2019s always good to see your kids do well and pursue what they dream to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

The proud father says he reminds his daughter to stay grounded, keep learning, and show gratitude.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re there to learn but also to continue to better yourself in whatever field you\u2019re in,\u201d he says. \u201cGod\u2019s given her talent, it\u2019s another opportunity to showcase but also to thank Him always and acknowledge Him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lauiti\u2019iti played for the Warriors for six seasons before moving to England to represent the Leeds Rhinos and Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, where he won five Super League titles before retiring in 2015. He represented New Zealand and S\u0101moa in the early 2000s.<\/p>\n

His accolades include being named the NRL\u2019s second-rower of the year in 2002 and being inducted into the Leeds Rhinos Hall of Fame in 2024. Lauiti\u2019iti returned to the Warriors in 2024 as the team\u2019s chaplain and says faith continues to keep him grounded while also fostering cultural values and resilience in others.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Ali Laiti’iti defends the ball for the New Zealand Warriors against the Parramatta Eels in 2001. Photo\/Photosport<\/p>\n

\u201cJesus, faith, church, family, those are the things that are true to me. I\u2019m not perfect, I fall many times, but that\u2019s what keeps me grounded,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s how you\u2019ve been brought up, the respect factor, being selfless, acts of service. Those are the things that are strong in our culture, and it\u2019s important we stay true to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

He says understanding identity and values is vital for young Pacific athletes. \u201cIt\u2019s always important to know where you come from. You can get lost in the limelight, but knowing who you are and where your parents come from, that\u2019s important.\u201d<\/p>\n

A family legacy<\/p>\n

Ivana will remain with the Warriors for the next two years following her outstanding rookie season. They are the first father-and-daughter duo to both play for the Warriors, and Ivana marked her debut with a try against the North Queensland Cowboys, mirroring her father, who did the same 26 years earlier.<\/p>\n

In an interview with Stuff, Ivana thanked coach Ron Griffiths for her extended contract and acknowledged her roots with the \u014ct\u0101huhu Leopards.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Ivana Lauiti’iti represents the New Zealand Warriors against the Canterbury Bulldogs in August 2025. Photo\/Photosport\/James Gourley<\/p>\n

\u201cComing from local grassroots footy, it\u2019s cool to show that you don\u2019t have to move away to chase opportunities,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m excited for the next two years, I\u2019ve learned heaps, and I\u2019m grateful to have had my first season with this team.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the weekend, Ivana played for the Kiwi Ferns in their thrilling 22-20 win <\/a>against Fetu S\u0101moa in the Pacific Championship opener<\/a>. The Ferns will face the Australian Jillaroos on Sunday, 2 November at Eden Park.<\/p>\n

Outside of rugby, Lauiti\u2019iti runs a family coffee cart, Kofe Bro, inspired by his wife\u2019s love of coffee.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a good time just to hang out with my girls,\u201d he says. \u201cHopefully I can teach them a little bit, but probably more so they were teaching me.\u201d<\/p>\n

His message to young Pacific players is simple: dream big, stay humble, and put faith first. \u201cIf you have a goal or whatever you aspire to be, go get it,\u201d he says. \u201cBe true to yourself, carry the values of your family and your village, and if you\u2019re a believer like me, the Lord is our foundation, our light and our strength.\u201d<\/p>\n

Watch Ali Lauiti’iti’s full interview below. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Rugby league legend Aliimatagi \u2018Ali\u2019 Lauiti\u2019iti says he is filled with pride as his daughter Ivana commits her…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":228535,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[64,63,761,762,158,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-228534","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nrl","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-national-rugby-league","11":"tag-nationalrugbyleague","12":"tag-nrl","13":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=228534"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228534\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/228535"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=228534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=228534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=228534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}