Ellia Green facts for kids
Green in 2017
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| Birth name | Ellia Tiriseyani Green | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 20 February 1993 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Suva, Fiji | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 172 cm (5 ft 8 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 78 kg (12 st 4 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rugby league career
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Playing information
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| Position | Wing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Ellia Tiriseyani Green (born 20 February 1993) is an Australian rugby union and rugby league player. He is known for being a fast and powerful athlete. Ellia was part of the Australian rugby sevens team that won a gold medal. This happened at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. He also played for the New Zealand Warriors in the NRLW, which is a top rugby league competition.
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Ellia Green's Early Life
Ellia Green was born in Suva, Fiji. When he was five, he moved to Australia's Central Coast. He lived there with his adoptive parents. His adoptive father was from Poland and passed away when Ellia was young. His adoptive mother, Yolanta, was from England. She passed away from cancer in 2018.
Ellia started Little Athletics when he was six years old. He was very good at sprinting. He spent 10 years competing in athletics. He even represented Australia in races like the 100m and 200m. He also competed in the long jump at the World Junior Championships. Later, his cousins encouraged him to try rugby sevens. He first played for Warringah at a club level. He then made his debut for Australia in February 2013.
Ellia Green's Rugby Career
Playing Rugby Sevens
Ellia Green quickly became a star in rugby sevens. He scored an amazing 80-metre try against Canada. This happened during a special series of games. He was chosen for the Australian Rugby Sevens program in 2012. This was after he attended a special talent camp.
Ellia was a very fast sprinter. He had represented Australia in athletics before. In May 2015, he scored the winning try against Canada. This happened right after the final whistle. He was a key player for Australia's team at the 2016 Olympics. His team beat New Zealand in the final. This win earned them the first-ever Olympic gold medal in rugby sevens.
Before the 2020 Olympic Sevens, Ellia had a knee injury. Coach John Manenti decided not to pick him for the team. Manenti said it was a very tough decision. He explained that Ellia's speed was his main strength. But his injury meant he couldn't run as fast as before. Ellia shared on Instagram that he was very sad about not being chosen.
On 9 November 2021, Ellia announced he was retiring from rugby sevens. He had a great career in the Sevens Series. He played in 149 matches. He scored 141 tries, which is the 4th highest ever. He also gained 739 points.
Playing Rugby League
In September 2020, Ellia Green joined the NRL Women's Premiership (NRLW). He signed with the New Zealand Warriors. His Australia sevens teammate Evania Pelite also joined the team. Ellia had planned to join the Brisbane Broncos. However, he did not want to go through a four-week quarantine period. This was due to COVID-19 rules in Queensland.
In his first game, Ellia scored a try against the Broncos. He was a dangerous player on the wing throughout the match. He scored another try in round three. This was against the St. George Illawarra Dragons. He also helped his teammate Evania Pelite score a try. His team won that game 22-10.
Ellia Green's Personal Life
Ellia Green lives in Sydney, in the suburb of Lane Cove. He has a daughter with his partner, Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts.
On 16 August 2022, Ellia shared that he is a transgender man. He decided to keep his name. This announcement made him the first Olympian to share that he is a trans man. He retired from rugby to focus on his transition. He explained that he could not have certain medical treatments during his playing career. Ellia uses both "they/them" and "he/him" pronouns.
See also
- List of players who have converted from one football code to another
