Wallabies star Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has confirmed he is in a relationship with rising netballer Audrey Little.
The 21-year-old outside back made the announcement on Thursday night by going Instagram official, sharing photos of himself and Little together at a netball match and relaxing on the couch.
It comes just weeks after Suaalii told reporters how his ‘partner’ had supported him through recovery from a fractured jaw, which kept him out of the closing stages of the Super Rugby season.
Suaalii, who now lives alone in Sydney‘s eastern suburbs, has always kept his personal life quiet, making this public reveal a rare look inside the young star’s world.
But the romance has an unexpected twist – Audrey Little is the daughter of Wallabies great Jason Little, a two-time World Cup winner and one of the most respected names in Australian rugby history.
Jason Little played 75 Tests for the Wallabies between 1989 and 2000, scoring 21 tries and captaining his country once.
Wallabies centre Joseph Suaalii stunned fans by making his romance with Audrey little Instagram official when he posted this photo
Audrey Little is a centre-court netballer signed to the Giants after leaving the NSW Swifts
Audrey Little has quickly emerged as a rising star in Australia’s elite netball competition
Little is also the daughter of Wallabies legend Jason Little, pictured right holding the Bledisloe Cup with David Wilson
He debuted at age 19 and was part of the 1991, 1995 and 1999 Rugby World Cup squads, winning titles in ’91 and ’99.
Little formed a world-class centre pairing with Tim Horan that helped define a golden era for Australian rugby.
Jason also played domestically for the Queensland Reds and later the NSW Waratahs before heading to England to finish his career.
There, he captained Bristol and helped take the club to its first Twickenham appearance in 14 years.
Following retirement, Jason Little studied land management and established an industrial property development company in Sydney.
He has been honoured in the sport, with the Horan–Little Shield introduced in 2015 to celebrate his legacy with Horan.
His daughter Audrey is making waves in her own code, recently signing with the Giants after defecting from netball rivals NSW Swifts.
Described as a strong and agile centre court player, Audrey brings the same dedication and work ethic to the court as her father once did on the rugby field.
The couple shared candid photos enjoying each other’s company courtside in a recent Instagram post
Fans celebrated the couple’s ‘hard launch’ on Instagram as Suaalii showed off his tender side with this gift for his new partner
Father and daughter: Jason and Audrey Little share a moment together for a family photo
The upcoming British & Irish Lions tour of Australia will be Suaalii’s biggest rugby test to date
The Giants have battled this Suncorp Super Netball season but it is hoped the recruitment of Little will reap rewards in the future
Fans quickly congratulated the couple online after the relationship was made public.
The news arrives at a key moment in Suaalii’s career as he prepares to lead the Wallabies into the highly anticipated 2025 British & Irish Lions tour.
Now in Wallabies camp in Newcastle, Suaalii is expected to be fit for the tour following his jaw injury.
He signed a record-breaking $5.35million contract to switch codes from rugby league to union last year.
That deal made him the highest-paid player in Australian rugby, and the face of the Wallabies’ future.
His selection for the British & Irish Lions series is locked in as Australia seeks to bounce back from a disappointing 2023 Rugby World Cup campaign.
The Lions tour includes ten matches, highlighted by a three-Test series: July 19 in Brisbane, July 26 in Melbourne, and August 2 in Sydney.
Coached by Andy Farrell, the Lions are aiming for their first tour win since 2013.
The Wallabies, now under Joe Schmidt, are determined to show improvement after recent setbacks.
