NRLW: Warriors wing Michaela Brake announces pregnancy

Decorated sevens star turned Warriors winger Michaela Brake will miss the rest of the NRLW season as she and husband, Olympic rower Michael Brake, are expecting their first child together.

Brake announced the news on social media this morning and the Warriors subsequently released a statement on the 29-year-old’s news.

Brake had been ruled out of the side’s last three matches due to personal reasons.

The club said Brake told the team and staff about her pregnancy on Wednesday night.

“We’re really thrilled for Michaela and Michael. It’s an exciting time for them and for their families,” Warriors chief executive Cameron George said.

“Michaela has been terrific around the club since joining us but now she can focus on this next stage of her life. She has our very best wishes for what lies ahead.”

In her first season of rugby league, Brake featured in the opening four games of the Warriors’ season. Across those four appearances, Brake scored two tries, broke 29 tackles, made four line breaks and averaged 133 running metres per game.

The side’s first game of the season, a 30-6 loss to the Sydney Roosters, was Brake’s first-ever game of rugby league, having made the move over from the Black Ferns Sevens programme, with two Olympic gold medals among her accolades.

Brake has not featured for the Warriors since their 20-10 loss to the Gold Coast Titans in Auckland on July 26.

The Warriors are currently pushing for a spot in the NRLW playoffs with a 3-4 record, having their two-match winning streak snapped by the previously winless Canberra Raiders in Hamilton on Saturday night.

Having already had fullback Apii Nicholls, five-eighth Patricia Maliepo and halfback Emily Curtain ruled out due to injury, the Warriors had two players sent off in the contest after going down by double digits early. While they fought back well in the second half, it wasn’t enough to get the result.