The NZ Warriors women's side are out to make history and inspire the next generation of Kiwi female rugby league talent, as they brace for the upcoming NRLW season.
On Monday, the squad trained together for the first time, after the five New Zealand players finished their 14-day quarantine in Sydney.
With most of last year's squad unable to travel to Australia, coach Brad Donald has had to pull together a team at short notice.
This season, Donald believes the squad must embrace the Warriors culture and understand what it means to represent the jersey.
"It's a real melting pot of a team," Donald says. "They've come from everywhere and the girls have shared a little bit about where they've come from, their heritage.
"Everyone arrived and received a traditional welcome from the NZ playing group. It was outstanding, and a great way for the girls to start to connect and bond."
Donald has tried to attract the right people, who fit the club's culture.
"It was a big effort," he says. "We spoke to a number of players, because what was important to us was that the players we embedded in the team fell into line with the Warriors DNA."
Over the next fortnight, Donald expects the team to come together, with four Jillaroos internationals and two Australian Olympic gold medal-winning sevens players in the side.
Warriors and Kiwi Ferns wing Madison Bartlett is relieved they can finally get to work, after an uncertain build-up to the competition.
"I'm so grateful that we were able to come over here," Bartlett says. "From the start, we weren't sure if we were or weren't able to.
"Leading into the World Cup next year and that being a goal for probably a lot of us girls, it's important we're able to play at this level.
"[Warriors] being the only club in New Zealand, it would be a shame if we weren't represented in the NRLW."
The five Kiwis welcomed the rest of the squad with a 'powhiri',an important step in forming the team's identity.
"Anyone who's ever experienced a powhiri or whakatau will know emotions are quite heightened," Bartlett says. "We're really wanting to represent the Warriors and Māori culture as best we can."
Bartlett also feels a responsibility to players at the junior level to show there is a future for them in women's rugby league.
"For the girls back home, they kind of look up to the women's Warriors," Bartlett notes. "We want to show them there is a pathway.
"Often we lose them to other sports and if we weren't in the NRLW, they might think 'oh no, I can't get there anymore', so I think it's important for the women's game."
Over the next two weeks, Donald will put the side through their paces, as they prepare for the third season of NRLW.
"We will do everything we can to ensure we're standing on the stage come Grand Final," Donald says.
