Home is where the heart is: How Tiana is pioneering game in NZ

When Kiwi Ferns prop Tiana Davison runs out in Sunday’s Pacific Cup final against Australia she will make her last appearance of a season that began by pioneering a new team in her home town of Waitara.

Davison, whose brother Carlin is an emerging NBA star with the New Zealand Breakers, took advantage of the fact the NRLW season didn’t start until July to become a foundation player for Waitara Bears women’s team in Taranaki.

The club, based on the lower west coast of New Zealand’s North Island, has produced the likes of Howie Tamati and Tony Kemp but had never fielded a women’s team until this year.

“It was so cool to be able to get a couple of games in with them while I was back home,” Davison said.

“The Waitara Bears have put a lot of effort into making sure they had a women’s team this year and I was lucky to be able to play for them in the first women’s competition in a long, long time.

“When I grew up there was not really any rugby league for girls back at home and I played union my whole life. I was just lucky enough to be scouted from sevens and in 2022 I made the switch over. That’s where my journey started.”

Recruited by the Knights after representing New Zealand in U17s and U19s rugby sevens, Davison won back-to-back premierships before receiving a call up for the Kiwi Ferns during the 2023 Pacific Cup.

Success followed Davison to Sydney Roosters in 2024, winning a third successive premiership, and she is now inspiring young girls in Taranaki to play league.

“It is so cool to be able show girls from back home that there is a pathway if you really want to give it a go,” she said.

“They all get to watch me from the outside so it was nice to be able to take back some knowledge that I have learned over the past couple of years and also to play with some young girls who are just footy mad but have never had the opportunity to play.

“It was really cool to be able to give back and share my knowledge, and I guess just share some of my world, with them."

After playing for the Roosters in 2024, Davison had the opportunity to join the Warriors team that entered the NRLW this season but instead she chose to return to the Knights.

The decorated forward has since re-signed for a further two years and said she now considers Newcastle to be her second home.

“It is really cool to see so many Kiwi girls in the NRLW, there is so much talent back home and so many hidden gems, so it is nice to see the girls getting to display what they have," Davison said.   

“For me, there’s not really much difference being in Auckland to being in Newcastle. I have still got to catch a flight or drive to get there, and some of my best mates are in Newcastle so I am really lucky to play with them.

"Those girls stuck by me even when I wasn’t at the club, so I think that just goes to show true friendship and I am very grateful to have those girls back me in my career.

“Going down to the Roosters was one of the best things that could have happened to me. I learned so much being coached by Johns Strange and the girls there welcomed me with open arms.

“Obviously winning a premiership and then leaving is never easy, but I have found my stride up in the Hunter and I am just really happy to be back in Newcastle with my mates.”

However, Davison has never forgotten where she is from and she said the support of family and the small community of Waitara had helped both her and Carlin achieve success.

"He is very talented and very gifted at what he does so it is cool to see him doing well," she said.

“We are both just lucky to have such great support systems. It takes a village, as they say, and we are just very grateful to have everyone in our corner and supporting us to do our thing.

"League is now so strong back home and everyone is so invested, so I am often reminded of how lucky I am to have such good support."