Kiwi Fern Otesa Pule shines on Maroons debut in women’s State of Origin loss

Kiwi Fern Otesa Pule stamped her mark on the Women’s State of Origin series despite her Queensland side falling short against New South Wales in Newcastle.

Pule and fellow New Zealand international Brianna Clark, who wasn’t named on the team list, were able to be selected for the Maroons after eligibility rules for the contest changed, allowing those who play for New Zealand or England to take part if they were born in or moved to one of the states before their 13th birthday.

Pule, who was born in Auckland but played junior rugby league on the Sunshine Coast, was quickly thrown into the action after having to replace teammate Makenzie Weale because she hit her head on the turf on the first run of the match.

The front-rower told NRL.com after the game she was ready to enter the match as early as she did and soon barrelled through multiple Blues defenders under the posts for the opening try of the series.

“I just saw a fullback there and thought, ‘I’m going to go run them over’, so yeah, that’s what I did.”

Pule put in a strong performance for her 50-minute stint, racking up 30 tackles, four tackle breaks and ran for 106m.

Kiwi Fern Otesa Pule scores on her State of Origin debut for the Maroons at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle, Australia. Photo / Getty Images

“I feel like we all did our jobs out there, and we all played our roles, so I think we all did good,” she said.

Despite the early 6-0 lead, New South Wales fought back in the second half and won the game 11-6.

The 22-year-old went close to the line again in the final minutes, but a strong Blues defence denied her the opportunity for a second try.

Pule was positive about the Maroons’ performance and was confident about their chances in the next game at Suncorp Stadium on May 14.

“We were in this game the whole time, so yeah, our next game, we’ll be ready to go get that win in Brissie.”

Kiwi Ferns Otesa Pule (left) and Brianna Clark were selected by Queensland ahead of the first Women's State of Origin game in 2026. Photo / Photosport

The change in Origin eligibility rules has allowed several top players to be selected for the Blues and Maroons in the men’s series, while also causing Newcastle Knights captain Kalyn Ponga to switch allegiance from Australia to the Kiwis.

Cronulla Sharks teammates Addin Fonua-Blake and Briton Nikora have both expressed interest in playing in the interstate rivalry, but Storm halfback Jahrome Hughes, who moved to Australia from Wellington at a young age, ruled himself out of contention because he wouldn’t have the same passion as others selected.