NRL holiday pics: Proposals, pregnancies parties and matching tattoos
Proposals, pregnancies, parties and the odd AK-47 – this is how NRL and NRLW stars are enjoying their first off-season in three years unaffected by Covid.
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From European adventures to bucks parties, pregnancies, engagements and weddings, NRL stars took full advantage of their first unshackled off-season in three years.
With Covid restrictions lifted and a marathon season behind them that stretched well into November courtesy of the World Cup, players hopped on planes en masse to enjoy their summer breaks.
The fears of NRL off-season atrocities seemed to evaporate as players opted for travel and catching up on events postponed through Covid.
Here’s what they got up to:
MATT BURTON
Matt Burton and his girlfriend, Zoe Warwick, took advantage of some time off after Australia’s World Cup win, enjoying a whirlwind tour through Europe. The pair visited Paris, took a gondola ride in Venice, visited the Trevi Fountain and the Colosseum in Rome, before a Dubai stopover on the way home.
JESS SERGIS & KEZIE APPS
It was a huge European tour for two of the NRLW’s biggest stars. Jess Sergis and Kezie Apps won the World Cup in England before embarking on a monster trip that included stops in London, Paris, Zurich, Berlin, Prague and Amsterdam, and may have included the pair getting matching margarita tattoos.
Sergis also took time out to go skiing in Canada.
JACKSON HASTINGS
Before he swapped Concord for Newcastle, Jackson Hastings took a detour via Los Angeles. With his English girlfriend, Amelia, Hastings took in an LA Rams NFL game and posed in front of the Hollywood sign before returning home to take up a fresh challenge with the Knights.
DANIEL SAIFITI
Newcastle prop Daniel Saifiti and his partner, Mikenzie McManus, announced they were expecting a baby boy in 2023. “Our dreams have come true. We are so incredibly grateful and excited to meet you little man,” McManus wrote on Instagram.
DANE GAGAI
After three failed attempts due to Covid, Newcastle centre Dane Gagai and his fiancee, Kelly Turner, finally tied the knot. Accompanied by their sons, Cruz and Dante, the pair celebrated in front of family, friends and a host of footballers, in an emotional ceremony at Byron Bay that included an emotional Welcome to Country from local Indigenous elder, Brian Kelly.
THE CLEARY FAMILY
Talk about a close family. As if winning back-to-back premierships wasn’t enough, Ivan and Nathan Cleary took off for a family holiday in Bali. With mum Rebecca, sisters Indi and Milaya and brother Jett, the Clearys headed for Indonesia for some sunshine and relaxation. While there, they caught up with former Panther and Catalans player Tyrone May, who holidayed in Europe with Nathan and is a close friend of the family.
KURT CAPEWELL
Broncos star Kurt Capewell stayed in Queensland for his break, getting in a spot of fishing up north in Burketown, and heading home to Charleville where he visited his old school.
“Awesome to squeeze in a morning with the kids up at St Mary’s Charleville. It’s been a while since I graced these walls with my academic prowess but not too much has changed since I was a student. Thanks to all the teachers and staff who were so accommodating on short notice!” he posted.
SCOTT DRINKWATER
It was a big off-season for North Queensland fullback Scott Drinkwater. First he proposed to his partner Oshah in Malibu and then, shortly after their engagement, the high school sweethearts announced they were expecting their first child in April. “Mum, Dad and Baby Drinkwater coming in April 2023”, he wrote on Instagram.
Caption: Scott Drinkwater and his fiancee, Oshah Ianson, get engaged in Maui.
JAEMAN SALMON
After collecting a premiership win with Penrith, Jaeman Salmon, jetted off to Guatemala where he and friends hiked up the Acatenango and Fuego volcano, which was active at the time in a once-in-a-lifetime moment.
ISAAH YEO
Fresh from Australia’s World Cup win, Penrith co-captain Isaah Yeo popped the question to long-time partner Ashleigh Camenzuli. The couple were holidaying in Grindelwald in Switzerland with their daughter, Haven Autumn, when Yeo proposed. They also visited Rome, Paris and London.
BLAYKE BRAILEY, CONNOR TRACEY AND TEIG WILTON
It seems as though Cronulla teammates Blayke Brailey, Connor Tracey and Teig Wilton couldn’t get enough of each other during the season. The trio headed to the US where they visited Yosemite National Park and watched the University of Southern California Trojans in a college-football game. Wilton and Brailey also made a trip to New York City, while Tracey extended his visit into Central America, ticking off Panama, Mexico and Guatemala.
CAMERON MUNSTER
You would’ve thought winning a World Cup would top your off-season bucket list. But not for Storm star Cameron Munster, who was enjoying his off-season break in Italy when he got down on one knee and proposed to his long-time partner, Bianca McMahon. The pair captured the moment at the idyllic Lake Como on Instagram, along with their son, Jaxon Kian, and captioned it “Leaving Italy with extra baggage. Hi fiance.”
WILL PENISINI
What a year for Eels sensation Will Penisini. A grand final with Parramatta, followed by representing Tonga in the World Cup. The young centre then took advantage of being in the northern hemisphere to take a trip through Europe, taking in the sights before Christmas.
RYAN MATTERSON
Parramatta grand final forward Ryan Matterson didn’t travel too far from home, compared to some of his fellow NRL stars, instead opting for some time in the sun at the Whitsundays with his mum. Matterson did some snorkelling, enjoyed some boating and a bit of beach footy.
TOM TRBOJEVIC
The Manly fullback split his off-season into two parts. First, he and partner Kristi Wilkinson toured through Europe where they spent time at the Amalfi Coast in Italy, the Swiss Alps, up through Paris where they climbed the Eiffel Tower and took in some art at the Louvre, and made a dash over to London and the All England club at Wimbledon.
A couple of weeks after his European adventure, Trbojevic was spotted in Bali enjoying some down time before returning to Sydney where he is focused on helping restoring Manly’s pride under new coach Anthony Seibold.
JARROD CROKER
It’s been a tough couple of years on the injury front for Canberra Raiders captain, Jarrod Croker. But it didn’t stop him and wife Brittany welcoming their second child, Tate James Croker, just before the couple celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary. “Rory is excited about his baby brother, Tate James Croker born 27.9.22. Mum and bub doing well,” Croker posted.
HUDSON YOUNG
The Raiders forward was an unlucky omission from the Kangaroos’ World Cup squad but certainly didn’t waste his off-season, flying to the US for some time away. Starting on the west coast, Young caught a Lakers game at the crypto.com stadium in LA, riding the roller coasters at Six Flags and hanging out at Santa Monica pier before heading to Las Vegas, where he posed up with an AK-47 at a gun range. From there, Young and his crew headed east, visiting New York before going down to Miami to catch a Heat NBA game.
NICK COTRIC
He was spotted in a red jersey instead of the lime green, but don’t fear, Raiders fans. Nick Cotric was just embracing his Serbian heritage in the off-season as the Canberra winger headed to Europe where he linked up with Red Star Belgrade’s rugby league team, getting a private tour around the Crvena Zvezda Stadium, where he donned the red jersey.
JAMES TEDESCO
It was a big off-season for Sydney Roosters star James Tedesco. It started with him captaining the Kangaroos to World Cup glory in England, continued with a trip through Europe with his fiancee, Maria. Then Teddy jetted off to Las Vegas for his bucks party before he and Maria tied the knot in the Hunter Valley in front of family and friends that included Roosters teammates and groomsman Mitchell Moses. Tedesco also celebrated his 30th birthday on January 8 before heading to Fiji for the couple’s honeymoon.
ISABELLE KELLY
Fresh off helping the Jillaroos to their Women’s World Cup win in the chilly north of England, the superstar centre jetted off for some sunshine and sand in December, captioning her post “coconuts for Bali”.
NAT BUTCHER
Just weeks after playing in front of a packed house at the opening of the Sydney Roosters’ new home ground at Allianz Stadium, Nat Butcher and his wife Harmony were just two faces in the crowd at the SoFi Stadium as the Dallas Cowboys beat the LA Rams. He got to meet Rams offensive lineman Brian Allen. The couple also visited New York and Hawaii while in the States.
ZAC LOMAX
Despite being just one of three players to attend St George Illawarra’s end-of-season presentation night, Dragons centre Zac Lomax and his girlfriend, Australian swimmer Tahlia Thornton, still managed time for two getaways over the off-season. First they jetted off to Hawaii in September, before taking time out to holiday in Western Australia, visiting Perth and Rottnest Island over the Christmas break.
MOSES SULI
St George Illawarra Dragons centre Moses Suli got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend, Georgina Tomasi, over Christmas. Suli had been in England with Tonga for their World Cup campaign.
ISAIAH PAPALI’I & DYLAN BROWN
Former Eels teammates Isaiah Papali’I and Dylan Brown caught up in Switzerland following New Zealand’s World Cup campaign. Papali’i had toured through Europe with his girlfriend, netballer Elle Temu, visiting the sights in Italy before braving the Swiss alps. Temu captioned the post with a quote from Papali’i: “Do you reckon there’s another Samoan up here”.
LATRELL MITCHELL
It wasn’t hard to figure where Latrell Mitchell was heading after the season. The South Sydney superstar went straight to his happy place, his farm near Taree, to be with his family, reconnect with country, enjoy a spot of fishing and do some farm work.
CAMERON MURRAY
South Sydney captain Cameron Murray took advantage enjoyed a good break following Australia’s World Cup campaign. Murray met up with his girlfriend, Miranda Cross, and made their way through Europe, enjoying hot springs and cooking lessons in Tuscany, taking in the Moulin Rouge in Paris and visiting the Colosseum in Rome. Just last week he visited Latrell Mitchell on his farm and got his hands dirty.
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