This week’s podcast has a focus on the women’s game and coincides with the launch of the 2023 NRLW fixtures.
Joining us for episode 10 is Wests Tigers NRLW star, Botille Vette-Welsh.
This week's episode of Behind The Roar drops on Thursday afternoon and is available on Apple, Spotify and YouTube.
The New Zealand born fullback is well placed to talk all things footy, having played five seasons at Wests Tigers in the NSWRL Women’s Premiership, NRLW with the Roosters, Dragons and Eels, State of Origin for NSW, as well as international representation for the Australian Jillaroos and Māori All Stars.
She talks openly about her battles through injury, about how an NRL star reached out through the dark times, about her path to Wests Tigers and about Wests Tigers pathways, and about a few of the players to watch out for in the club’s inaugural NRLW season.
We touch on surfing, her dislike for healthy foods, the day she dropped an ‘f-bomb’ in a post-match interview, and why her parents, both teachers, decided to pack their bags and move to ‘woop woop’.
Bo is the youngest of four children, with three older brothers, who together relocated from a tiny seaside village in New Zealand to Western Sydney in her early teens.
It’s a refreshing look at life and footy through the eyes of a gifted and well-travelled young athlete, who has battled through not one but two ACL injuries.
Humble. Grounded. Thankful. Genuine. Just some of the qualities in Botille which will serve Wests Tigers NRLW team well in the club’s inaugural season.
Little wonder she is so grounded given her childhood was ‘very, very cool’. “Living off the land in a small village and training without shoes was like paradise,” said Botille.
Giving. That’s another endearing trait in Botille.
'Stoked’ in her role in the community space at Wests Tigers, she understands the importance of giving back to the very same system which helped her on her path to the NRLW.
“I absolutely love what I do and even when I’m not working for Wests Tigers, I enjoy spending time at schools and junior clubs, and giving a little back.”
As for her team’s chances in the 2023 NRLW season?
We’re here to rip in, we’ll be very, very competitive.
Botille Vette-Welsh
All that and more in episode 10 of Behind The Roar, which drops on Thursday.
