Thirteen tries in nine games. Those numbers aren’t a stretch of form from Jayme Fressard or a run to the finals from Daniel Tupou.
They belong to the 2022 Tarsha Gale Cup’s leading try scorer, Otesa Pule.
After an astonishing 2022 season in the Tarsha Gale Cup, which she capped off with Premiership victory and a 50-metre try in the decider, 19-year-old Pule was rewarded with selection in the Kiwi Ferns squad for the World Cup.
She has continued her brilliant form to lock down a spot in the Roosters NRLW side.
Otesa Pule Tarsha Gale Cup Highlights
But the success didn’t happen overnight. Pule’s rugby league journey kicked off at a young age, when her passion for the game began to grow.
“I started playing every weekend with my mates… I actually didn’t know that when I first started playing that there could be a future for me to play professionally,” she explained.
The revelation came in 2018 when she watched the inaugural NRLW season unfold, inspiring the young teenager to chase her dream of playing rugby league professionally.
“I thought maybe one day I’d like to do that,” she recalled from her time watching the first Roosters women’s team.
Fondly casting her mind back to when she first signed with the Roosters, Pule described how surreal it was to have an NRLW contract.
“I couldn’t believe it was actually happening, it actually took a bit of time for me to process it,” she admitted.
Pule received the opportunity to refine her craft for two seasons in the Tarsha Gale Cup, developing her game and learning the ins and outs of professional rugby league.
“I was signed for the 2021 NRLW season but I didn’t play [first grade] because I still had a lot to learn.
“Looking back now I have learnt so much.”
Reflecting on her introduction to professional sport, Pule says that her time at the club has been crucial in teaching her a more technical side to playing in the second row.
“The position I play, I thought it was all about just hitting the ball up but it’s not, it’s about running holes and you have to think about where to run… it’s way more strategic,” she said.
Her tireless work paid off, eventually earning an NRLW debut in the 2022 season. However, Pule admits that it did come as a surprise.
“I was really shocked because I thought that other girls were going to play over me because we had such a strong team last year. I was lost for words. I had to grind really hard in pre-season and show him [Strange] how badly I wanted to play.”
Impressing coaches with her form during the season, Pule received the call-up to represent the Kiwi Ferns at the Rugby League World Cup.
“I was not expecting it at all, I’ve always wanted to play for New Zealand but for the Silver Ferns netball team,” she joked.
But the real surprise for her was the number of games she played during the year, appearing in 20 matches across the Tarsha Gale Cup, NRLW and World Cup competitions.
“I was more shocked with the year I had to be honest because I wasn’t expecting to go through that much footy,” she explained.
Pule remembers the World Cup as an amazing conclusion to what had been her best year of rugby league yet, treasuring the opportunity to represent her country alongside her teammates and create lifelong memories with loved ones as well.
“I had some family that lived in the UK, so they all came and showed their support.
“That was an experience that I really enjoyed, getting to represent my home country and feel so much support from everyone.
“I enjoyed pulling on that jersey every time I got to play. The girls within the team were really welcoming and helped us young players out so much.”
However, her undivided attention is on the task at hand – playing her best footy possible in 2023.
“It’s going well, I’m just hoping that I can keep doing what I’m doing and maintain my spot in the 17,” she said.
With the Pacific Championship in the back of her mind, Pule is determined to relive the feeling of representing New Zealand and aims to earn her spot with a strong season.
“I’d love to make the Kiwi Ferns team again this year for the upcoming Pacific Championship matches.”
