Revealed: Sydney’s most powerful NRL WAGs of 2020
They were the wives and girlfriends of some of Australia’s most popular sporting stars but these woman are just as successful, if not more so, than their partners. Here’s our top picks of the most influential WAGs right now. SEE WHO MADE THE LIST
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You might think of a WAG as a high-maintenance, spray-tanned woman with a ferocious love of shopping and an incredible ability to ride on the coat-tails of her famous sportsman partner.
But that stereotype doesn’t apply to these women, whose success has often eclipsed their husbands’ sporting careers.
Here’s our most powerful NRL WAGs.
TERRY BIVIANO
Terry Biviano epitomises what it is to be the wife or girlfriend of a sportsman — glamorous, ambitious, supportive and in a strong 13-year relationship with the love of her life, former Rooster Anthony Minichiello.
The shoe designer, who has never been seen looking anything but immaculate, is loved and respected by all other WAGs.
“Mini” and “The Biv” ooze style, status and power, solidifying Biviano’s status as Queen WAG, despite her husband having retired from the sport six years ago.
BONNIE HINDMARSH, LANA TAYLOR AND ERIN CAYLISS
The power trio that is Bonnie, Lana and Erin have combined their skills to become Three Birds Renovations — one of the country’s most exciting and successful firms.
Bonnie (married to Nathan Hindmarsh), Lana (married to Jason Taylor) and Erin (married to Nathan Cayliss) have been friends for two decades, have nine kids between them and in 2014 quit their jobs to create their now lucrative company.
These women wanted to be known for their work, not who they were married to.
With a combined social media following of almost 700,000 and lengthy waiting lists for their services, they have well and truly achieved that.
CHLOE MAXWELL
After being discovered at age 16 by her current agent, Chic Model Management’s Ursula Hufnagl, Maxwell went on to work for all major Australian fashion magazines and landed the cover of Vogue Australia twice.
The mother-of-two lived in NY where she walked the runways of Paris and Milan alongside Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista and Helena Christensen.
After returning, she secured the prestigious Jeans West campaign and soon after became known as the “Jeans West girl”.
Maxwell was a VJ on Channel V, hosted Fox8’s Premiere and Arena TV’s Stylebyte, hosted Channel 7’s Wild TV and co-hosted Channel 10’s The X-Factor, was a presenter on Ten’s E News, hosted TV game show It Takes Two and was a regular presenter on the Matty Johns Show. In 2004 she was even nominated for an AFI Award for her performance in the Australian feature film, Under The Radar.
This was all before meeting and marrying former Sharks and Wallabies great Mat Rogers.
Their son Max has been diagnosed with autism and they now run the successful 4ASDKids on the Gold Coast.
TARA RUSHTON
While both Tara and husband Cooper Cronk are known for shunning the media spotlight (the pair have never shared a photo of their two-year-old son Lenny on social media), Rushton is still considered one of the country’s most powerful NRL WAGs, having built an illustrious career in the Australian media industry.
Prior to setting down in Australia, where she landed a coveted gig as a sports journalists with Fox Sports and married Melbourne Storm and Sydney Roosters star Cronk, Rushton was one of our top modelling exports and travelled the globe working for clients including Guess.
KATE WATERHOUSE
Before meeting her husband, former Roosters player Luke Ricketson, Kate was well known as a part of one of Australia’s most renowned racing families.
However, since tying the knot with Ricketson in 2012 in Italy and welcoming two daughters, Waterhouse, a former journalist, is now considered one of our top fashion influencers.
She has worked for local and international fashion brands including net-a-porter and luxury labels including Lexus and Amex.
She is invited to every event on the social scene and is best known for sitting in front row of Australian Fashion Week and her racing commentary work on Channel 7.
GABI ROBSON
Her husband, former Parramatta Eels player Jeff Robson, might not have been a household name when he retired in 2017, but she is kicking huge goals in the legal world.
The mother-of-one shuns the spotlight and has rarely talked about her career but Gabi Robson has been practising as a lawyer for two decades, has her masters degree and is currently a Crown prosecutor. She works for the DPP, dealing with police and victims of crime including sexual assault victims.
PHOEBE BURGESS
Phoebe Burgess has probably endured more media attention than most of her fellow WAGs, thanks to her tumultuous relationship with former Rabbitohs player and ex-husband Sam Burgess.
Away from her ex, the former journalist and mother-of-two has managed to forge a career as a successful influencer and is rumoured to have made just shy of half a million in endorsement deals last year with brands including Johnson and Johnson and Ostelin. The fashion savvy mother-of-two has recently signed with Nespresso, L’Oreal, Specsavers and l’occitane.
CATHRINE MAHONEY
Cathrine Mahoney, formerly married to NRL immortal Andrew Johns, is undoubtedly one of the most well-connected, well-liked Australian WAGs.
Mahoney, who worked as a publicist for Nova 96.9, has since gone out on her own and founded podcast So I Quit My Day Job, which has fast attracted thousands of listeners.
The endearing, self-deprecating mother-of-one is loved and adored by everyone she meets and has had the power to lure some of our biggest stars to feature on her podcast.
KIRSTEN KING
After gaining her pilates certification in the United Kingdom, King — the wife of former Melbourne Storm player Matt King — bought Fluidform pilates in Surry Hills.
It is now the go-to spot for the likes of Pip Edwards, Pia Miller, Buddy Franklin and Georgia Fowler and teaches players from the Sydney Roosters, South Sydney, Newcastle Knights and the Manly Sea Eagles.
The mother-of-three has since opened a new studio at Clovelly and launched Fluidform At Home, which has been booming since COVID-19 restrictions took hold.
HEIDI BRYANT
Branded by all who know her as the nicest WAG going around, Heidi, a mother-of-two and wife of former Manly player Mark Bryant, was an operating theatre nurse and has since become the go-to girl for all things cosmetic for WAGS and their pals.
In just two years, Heidi, who is friends with everyone and has no enemies (rare in the WAG world) has built a hugely successful cosmetic and skin health company called HB Aesthetics, and is often booked out three months in advance.
JODI GORDON
Home And Away turned Neighbours actor Jodi Gordon was married to Roosters great Braith Anasta for three years until they abruptly split in 2015.
A household name in Australia and a fixture on the Sydney social scene, Gordon, who has 251,000 social media followers, made a name for herself on Home And Away prior to meeting Anasta and has since landed a gig on Neighbours.
Gordon, who shares an five-year-old daughter with Anasta, famously had a public falling-out with Queen WAG Biviano in 2015.
KATE KENDALL
Kate Kendall was considered Sydney’s most high profile and successful pilates instructors prior to meeting and dating NRL legend and immortal Andrew “Joey” Johns in 2016.
The pair welcomed a baby girl named Alice in 2018 and Kendall, who has an impressive 35,000 Instagram followers, remains co-founder and director of yoga at Paddington’s Flow Athletic, one of Sydney’s most popular yoga studios.
KAYLA BOYD
The wife of Brisbane Bronco Darius, with whom she has two daughters, Kayla has used her status to forge a career as a female motivator.
She is best known for hosting women empowerment events and in 2015 launched a lifestyle blog Adored By Kayla Boyd in 2015, which focuses on fashion, fitness, style and wellness.
Kayla is studying for a diploma in life coaching and recently launched a series of events Australia-wide called “Find Your Fierce”, which help women overcome life’s challenges.
TESSA JAMES
Described as a “quiet achiever” among her peers, we were first introduced to Tessa James when she appeared as Anne Baxter in long-running soapy Neighbours and Nicole Franklin in Home And Away.
She began dating former Sydney Roosters, Gold Coast Titans, Manly Sea Eagles and Melbourne Storm player Nate Myles in 2009, with the couple recently moving to the US so James could pursue her acting career.
Behind the scenes, James, who counts Lara Worthington as one of her closest pals, has been plugging away at creating her recently launched business JWC, an expansion of James Wellness.
Her interest in holistic wellness and health came from being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2014.
The 29-year-old has created a community for people to talk about all things holistic wellness and clean beauty.
ZOE MARSHALL
Zoe Marshall was going to make it in the world of media, with or without her husband, Wests Tigers player Benji Marshall.
The 36-year-old has worked in the industry for more than 12 years, having co-hosted four radio shows in both New Zealand and Australia, as well as hosting travel, cooking and wellness shows.
Since giving birth to the couple’s first son, Fox, Marshall has created “What Women Want” live events that bring women together with a focus on rediscovering identity and purpose.
She has also launched “The Deep” a podcast that explores who are we when no one is looking. It went into the top 10 on the Apple charts within the first two weeks.
ELLE WATMOUGH
Elle Watmough has become a bit of a jill-of-all-trades in recent years, having worked in hospitality, for a funeral home and flipping houses.
Married to former Manly player Anthony Watmough, Elle also became known for candidly documenting her fertility struggles, which won her a strong legion of followers and fans.
The 31-year-old underwent numerous rounds of IVF over a four-year period after becoming engaged. They have since welcomed a daughter named Jagger into their family.
Despite still both having full-time jobs, the pair are now putting their energy into renovating and selling properties.
JEMMA BARGE
Jemma Barge, 27, who has been dating Roosters caption Boyd Cordner for two years, has also been carving out a career in the media since 2014.
She landed a job as an intern at The Today Show six years ago, before being offered a job as the meet and greet producer at Weekend Today in 2015.
At the end of 2017 the attractive blonde moved into a producing role and worked across Today Extra, The Today Show and Weekend Today before leaving to pursue a gig at Channel 10 as the production co-ordinator for Studio 10.
HARMONY A’BELL
Despite only modelling for two years, 20-year-old Harmony is one of Chic Model Management’s busiest models. She is engaged to Roosters rising star Nat Butcher, with the pair set to marry in October. A’Bell has fronted campaigns for Seafolly, Glassons, Mink Pink, Tigerlily, Cotton On and Free People and has appeared in editorials for Grazia.
“Harms” is also a passionate supporter of the body positive movement.