Rhiannon in running for NRL’s woman of the year award
Eleven women from the NRLW have been nominated for 2025 Veronica White Medal – Woman of the Year recognising the contributions a player has made not only on the field but in their local community.
The Cronulla Sharks have nominated Rhiannon Byers, who has dedicated herself to the Kurranulla Aboriginal Corporation where she works across 21 high schools in southern Sydney.
The second-row forward mentors almost400 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students annually.
“Working in the community and working for Kurranulla Aboriginal Corporation has been really important to me,” Byers told sharks.com.au
“Going into schools every day and seeing the kids grow … When I first started, they were really disconnected with community and our culture.”
Byers’ achievements over the past 12 months include:
Leading Kurranulla’s First Nations Health and Wellbeing Day (June 10) at Engadine High School with more than 200 youth participants.
Regularly participating in several Sharks Have Heart programs, including Ungah Academy, One Heart, Equal Access and school holiday clinics.
Volunteering her time as a coach for Cronulla’s female pathways program, including the Lisa Fiaola Cup and Tarsha Gale Cup teams.
Spearheading youth suicide-prevention initiatives and organising powerful mental fitness workshops with Find Ya Feet’s Tommy Herschell.
Kimberley Hunt won the award last year, a proud Wakaid woman from Badu Island, Hunt is an Indigenous All-Stars representative who has shown exceptional dedication to community service since joining the Dragons this season, particularly in supporting the local Indigenous community.
Hunt has been a key driver of the ‘Healthy Deadly Kids’ program and other initiatives with the local Aboriginal Medical Service, promoting healthy lifestyle choices in Indigenous youth.
2025 Nominees:
Romy Teitzel – Brisbane Broncos
Zahara Temara – Canberra Raiders
Rhiannon Byers – Cronulla Sutherland Sharks
Jaime Chapman – Gold Coast Titans
Laishon Albert-Jones – New Zealand Warriors
Kayla Romaniuk – Newcastle Knights
Jakiya Whitfeld – North Queensland Cowboys
Elsie Albert – Parramatta Eels
Keele Brown – St. George Illawarra Dragons
Olivia Kernick – Sydney Roosters
Sarah Togatuki – Wests Tigers
