Biography
Born on 7 September 1998, Jade Coates is a New Zealand-born Fijian rugby union player who has become one of the most promising locks in the women’s game. Standing tall at 179 cm and weighing 75 kg, Coates combines strength, agility, and heart — a true modern forward with island flair. Her rugby journey has been a blend of Kiwi upbringing and deep Fijian pride, a mix that has fueled her rise across provincial, Super Rugby, and international levels.
Teams
- Fijiana Drua (Super Rugby Women’s, 2022–2024)
- Chiefs Manawa
- Fiji Women’s National Team (Fijiana)
- Waikato
Rugby World Cups Played2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup (England)
Key Career Moments
Jade Coates’ career has been a powerful story of persistence. After missing out on Fiji’s 2021 Rugby World Cup squad due to injury, she refused to fade away. Instead, she bounced back stronger, recovering from ankle surgery and rejoining Fijiana Drua for their 2024 Super Rugby Women’s campaign — where she featured in the season opener against the Queensland Reds.
Her move to Waikato in 2023 alongside teammate Bitila Tawake marked another leap forward, testing herself in New Zealand’s highly competitive Farah Palmer Cup. By 2025, she was named in the Chiefs Manawa squad for Super Rugby Aupiki, scoring her first five-pointer in the competition.
The crowning moment came in August 2025, when she was called up to represent Fiji at the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England — a dream that had been put on hold four years earlier but finally realized.
Personal Life
Jade Coates’ Fijian roots run deep. Her grandmother hails from Nananu Village in Tailevu, and her father — born and raised in Fiji — moved to New Zealand as a teenager. Rugby talent clearly runs in the family: her sister, Brittany Coates, has also represented Fiji in both sevens and fifteens. Through Brittany, Jade is connected by family to former All Black Seta Tamanivalu, her brother-in-law.