LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy

From Instagram to Invitational: US Star Eyes NRLW Future

USA Olympic rugby sevens medallist Kayla Canett has moved to Australia with the aim of playing in the NRLW, having discovered the league through social media.

According to nrl.com.au, Canett, who was part of the USA team that, under Ilona Maher's leadership, secured a bronze medal by defeating Australia in Paris, will participate in the Harvey Norman Rising Talent Invitational in Newcastle ahead of this weekend's Magic Round.

At 27, Canett decided to pursue the NRLW after her second Olympics.

She reached out to Cronulla Sharks winger Cassie Staples, a colleague from rugby sevens, to seek advice on making the transition to rugby league.

Following a Zoom meeting with Sharks coach Tony Herman and female pathways manager Casey Bromilow, Canett made the decision to move to Sydney.

Since then, she has been training with the Sharks' Harvey Norman NSWRL squad while also playing for Cronulla-Caringbah in a lower tier.