Women in League role model: Renee Tatana
To celebrate Women in League Round, Sharks Media sat down with Male Pathway Wellbeing & Education Coordinator Renee Tatana – one of many incredible women helping to drive the club forward.
Humble and hardworking, Renee is an invaluable asset to the Sharks. She plays a key role in supporting and guiding young athletes – many living away from home for the first time – as they progress through the Sharks Academy system.
Alongside her husband Kent, Renee also runs the 'Sharks House', providing accommodation and a nurturing home environment for young footballers who've relocated from overseas or interstate to chase their NRL dreams.
A passionate advocate for culture and inclusion, Renee was instrumental in establishing the club's inaugural Cultural Season Launch earlier this year.
Always friendly, generous and willing to assist, her impact on the Sharks community runs deep. Hear from Renee below.
Q&A: Renee Tatana
How long have you been at the Sharks and what does your role involve day to day?
It's my third season with the Sharks. I work in the junior male wellbeing pathways. The role, I'd like to think, is about helping to create a safe space for our male athletes and empowering them with the tools to cope with the added stresses an athlete has. And just to help them honour their potential in what they want to do, regardless of football.
What do you enjoy most about working at the Sharks?
Oh, great question. Look, I've always been in the business of people, and I think we have some amazing people that work here at the Sharks. So I get to be part of that, help others and get them to see the opportunity that they have.
Besides hearing our athletes' stories and where they've come from, I love to help them recognise how that can serve them in their future; to equip them with the tools to recognise the value they have and to compete at the level that's needed in our industry.
That's the bit I turn up every day for: to be in an environment which creates that safety for them to be themselves, because a lot of the time athletes have their own stresses.
You've played a key role in introducing several cultural initiatives to the Sharks, including a club-wide Cultural Season Launch in January. Why is this area so important to you?
I love hearing about people's stories and where they've come from. Culture allows us to create that space for them to show where they come from, their heritage, the people that have gone before them. It makes us unique to who we are because culture is what's important to you, regardless of the different traditions and customs around it. When I think of the line of strong women that have come through my heritage as a Māori woman, that's really empowering. I love being able to celebrate that with other people.
You and your husband Kent run the Sharks House, providing accommodation for young athletes from interstate or overseas. How much goes into this and what do you find most rewarding?
Look, not going to lie, it's a big job. But there's lots of rewarding moments. As parents at the house, we try to create a home away from home for them so our athletes feel comfortable to be themselves in an environment that has lots of different values and passions.
Creating a routine is really important for them. To do that, there's rosters and jobs and things that need to be done to set the tone of what that looks like. There's a bit of responsibility that comes with that. You have to think of the kids and their families who have sacrificed a lot to be here.
They're living away from home, so it's important to help them feel like they're empowered and independent in that space as well.
How high does the food bill get?
Imagine two large shopping trolleys full of food and try to get that around the shopping centre! It's really hectic. We have really big pots and really big wooden spoons. There's lots!
While you work predominantly with the males, what does Women in League Round mean to you?
First of all, it's an honour and a privilege to be in this space. Look at the women that have gone before us. Women have always been in rugby league, whether that's being a mum and taking our kids to football, being involved in team managing, all of that kind of stuff. They've played key parts in that.
I was a rugby league player myself, obviously not at this level – it wasn't available when I played – but putting your body through that as a woman who child bears, it's a blessed gift to have.
It's about honouring and celebrating women.
Now that there's so much room for growth in the women's game, what advice do you have for young women looking to forge a career in rugby league?
Play to your strengths. Really understand what your gift is and be empowered by that. I'd say to seek or explore what your opportunities are quite often. Sometimes they're there, we just haven't observed them or we haven't been able to recognise what they are. Work out what they are and find that person that you can advocate with because I think women have a lot to offer in the space.
Are there any women you work with at the Sharks that you'd like to shout out for their efforts?
There's just amazing women around me, and I think it's really important that we empower each other. There's not many of us on the football operations side of things, so they work tirelessly. They're hard workers and what I admire about them is that it's not an easy job or an easy industry, but there's lots of rewards.
What does it mean to be recognised as the club's 2025 Women in League role model?
It's pretty humbling. I always wanted to work in a space where I could make a difference, particularly to our youth and males to empower them to find their unique self in a space that they're really good at.
So to be recognised – not just for myself, but for the other women that work in rugby league – is very humbling. We're really lucky that Fitzy (NRL head coach Craig Fitzgibbon) and Moons (General Manager Football Darren Mooney) have created a space for us to be able to do what we're really good at, and to do it where we can be personally invested. I love that.
