Women’s rugby league pioneer Ruan Sims cannot wait to watch Dragons recruit Emma Tonegato return to the code this weekend for Round 1 of the NRLW season.
Speaking on Wide World of Sports’ NRLWrap, Sims described Tonegato’s homecoming to league as something not-to-be-missed.
“Emma Tonegato is the kind of talent that is one in a generation,” she said.
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“She is fantastic.”
Sims played alongside a 19-year-old Tonegato with the triumphant Australian Jillaroos at the 2013 World Cup, before the former Wollongong junior switched to the Australian rugby sevens program.
After an illustrious eight-year career with the Australia women’s rugby sevens team, which included an Olympic gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, the now 26-year-old is set to tear up the postponed NRLW competition.
“She is fast, she is powerful, she is skilful. She is going to absolutely set this competition alight,” Sims said.
“I am so excited to see this competition at fullback throughout the year, but I am really, really pumped to see Emma back in the 13-a-side game and I think she will dominate.”
Fellow panellist Allana Ferguson added: “I was chatting to her (Tonegato) just yesterday and she is really excited to play so that in itself just for her to be keen to get back out there on the rugby league field, it’ll be awesome.”
The St George Illawarra Dragons will meet a very experienced Gold Coast Titans side on Sunday at McDonald Jones Stadium in the midday (AEDT) game that kicks off the Round 1 double header.
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