Elsie Albert: NRLW Prop, PNG Orchids Captain – Profile

When you search for Elsie Albert online, you might stumble across questions about her gender. The truth is straightforward: she’s a pioneering female rugby league player from Papua New Guinea. This article sets the record straight, tracing her journey from a university student in Rabaul to the captain of the PNG Orchids and a prop for the Parramatta Eels in the NRL Women’s Premiership.

Date of Birth: 20 May 1996 ·
Age: 30 ·
Height: 170 cm ·
Position: Prop ·
Team: Parramatta Eels (NRLW) ·
Nickname: Els

Nine key facts about Elsie Albert, drawn from official league records and verified media reports, show the arc of her career.

Who is Elsie Albert?

Elsie Albert is a Papua New Guinean professional rugby league player who plays as a prop for the Parramatta Eels in the NRL Women’s Premiership. She was born on 20 May 1996 in Nipa, Papua New Guinea. Standing at 170 cm and weighing 95 kg, she is known for her powerful runs and defensive work. Albert is the captain of the Papua New Guinea national women’s rugby league team, the PNG Orchids (RNZ Pacific).

Before rugby, Albert studied for a Bachelor of Tropical Agriculture at the University of Natural Resources and Environment in Rabaul. She also took up boxing before switching to rugby league (Wikipedia). Her nickname “Els” is used by teammates and fans alike. For more on female combat sports pioneers, see Ronda Rousey: Biography, MMA Career, Net Worth, and Family.

The implication: Albert’s path from a tropical agriculture degree to professional rugby shows how education and sport can intersect for Pacific Islander women.

What gender is Elsie Albert?

Elsie Albert is a cisgender female rugby league player. Official sources, including the NRL and the Parramatta Eels, consistently list her as a female athlete. She competes in the women’s competition and has not publicly transitioned or changed gender. Confusion sometimes arises online because of other players, such as Ellia Green, who transitioned from female to male. However, Albert’s gender identity is unambiguous and confirmed by her team, league, and personal profiles.

The pattern: gender-related search queries for female athletes often reveal more about online misinformation than about the athletes themselves.

When did Elsie Albert start playing rugby?

There is no publicly recorded exact date for when Albert first picked up a rugby ball. What is known is that she began playing rugby league while at university in Rabaul (ABC Pacific). Her first recorded representative appearance came on 6 October 2018, when she debuted for the PNG Orchids against the Australian Prime Minister’s XIII Women. In 2020, she signed with the St. George Illawarra Dragons, becoming the first homegrown Papua New Guinean to secure a deal with an Australian NRLW club (ABC Pacific).

Albert went on to play 15 games for the Dragons across three seasons before joining the Parramatta Eels in April 2023. As of mid-2026, she has played 35 NRLW games in total (NBC Papua New Guinea). For more on NRL personalities, read Matty Johns: Age, Net Worth, Career, and Andrew Johns.

What this means: Albert’s rapid progression from university athlete to professional highlights her exceptional adaptability.

Which rugby league player woman became a man?

This question often appears alongside searches for Elsie Albert, but it refers to a different athlete. Former Australian rugby sevens player and Olympic gold medalist Ellia Green transitioned to male after retiring from the sport (Wikipedia). The confusion likely arises because both are Pacific Islander women’s rugby players who gained attention in the same era. Elsie Albert is cisgender female and has not transitioned. The two athletes are separate individuals with distinct careers.

The implication: when searching for “which rugby league player woman became a man,” users may be misdirected toward Albert’s profile. It’s important to distinguish between the two stories.

Is Elsie Albert married?

Elsie Albert’s marital status is not publicly confirmed. Her social media profiles do not list a spouse, and no verified media reports mention a husband or partner. Some social media posts hint at a romantic relationship, but no official source has confirmed marriage or children. This remains a gap in publicly available information.

For young women in Papua New Guinea, Elsie Albert’s career is a concrete roadmap: study hard, pursue sport, and let performance speak louder than online misconceptions. The NRLW and the PNG Orchids have a proven leader who continues to break barriers. For the next generation of Pacific athletes, the choice is clear: follow her example, or risk being left behind.