CATALANS DEESSES, the women’s section of the French Dragons club, have suffered a major blow ahead of their Challenge Cup debut in April.
New Zealand Warriors star Tyra Wetere, one of three NRLW players spending their off-season with Catalans, has suffered a knee injury in training and will now undergo surgery back in Auckland.
It means she will miss the entire 2026 NRLW season and not be available to Les Déesses when they travel to the UK on consecutive weekends to face Huddersfield and St Helens.
Fellow NRLW signings Felila Kia, also from the Warriors, and Jayde Herdegen, from last season’s beaten Grand Finalists Sydney Roosters, will be available to make the trip.
And coach Lindsay Anfield has revealed talks are already taking place to bring move players over from Australia in future years.
“Being able to sign players from Australia and New Zealand is something that Catalans are going to be able to do every year because the French season runs from October to April and the NRLW pre-season starts in May,” Anfield, who is doing some coaching with the club, told the latest issue of Rugby League World magazine
“That’s an amazing opportunity for Catalans as a club and also for the NRL girls to get the experience of playing and living in Europe.
“The clubs we’ve spoken to are really happy that girls are coming over here to play and train, keeping themselves fit in their off-season.
“And it’s a really good life experience for them, having the opportunity to travel Europe, that must be really appealing for a lot of them.
“There’s already interest from players to come over next year and the year after.”
The full interview with Anfield can be read in issue 517 of Rugby League World. Purchase a copy here.