Kalyn Ponga is an Australian professional rugby player who is presently a member of the ‘Newcastle Knights’ of the ‘National Rugby League’ (NRL). As a youth, Kalyn and his family moved frequently. He participated in numerous sports, including rugby, soccer, golf, and touch football. He chose rugby and joined his high school team in high school. He inked his first professional contract in 2013 when he joined the ‘North Queensland Cowboys.’ In 2015, he debuted in the ‘National Youth Competition’ (NYC) for the ‘North Queensland Cowboys.’ He also joined the ‘Queensland Academy of Sport’ as a member of their under-18 squad and was chosen for the under-20 squad in January 2016. In November 2016, it was confirmed he would join the ‘Newcastle Knights in 2018 as a member of the squad. Kalyn has established himself as one of the most promising young Australian rugby players in recent years, thanks to his outstanding play for his team.
Youth and Early Life
Kalyn Ponga was born in Port Hedland, Western Australia, on March 30, 1988, to a prosperous New Zealander business family. Kalyn has Mori ancestry. His early years were spent in Mount Isa, Queensland, and at the age of eight, he relocated to Palmerston North, New Zealand, his father’s birthplace.
In New Zealand, Kalyn developed a passion for sports and became increasingly active on the field, playing a variety of games. Kalyn played rugby, soccer, golf, touch football, and hockey during the five years that his family resided in Palmerston.
It was at this time that he decided to pursue a career in athletics, but he had not yet determined which sport he would play professionally as an adult. In 2010, he won the New Zealand under-13 golf championship, demonstrating his athletic prowess and impeccable mental fortitude.
In 2011, when he was 13 years old, he returned with his family to Australia and settled in Mackay. There, Kalyn went to ‘Mackay State High School.’ He quickly developed a passion for rugby. He joined the ‘Rugby League Academy program and played for ‘Souths Mackay in juvenile rugby league immediately. In the same year, he received a scholarship with the ‘NRL’s Central Queensland bid side.
The following year, he was one of the primary selections for the ‘Australian Schoolboys under-15 team. He was only 14 years old at the time. This made him the second fourteen-year-old to join the team. In addition, he received a scholarship from the ‘Brisbane Broncos’ and relocated to Brisbane. There, he began attending ‘Anglican Church Grammar School’ and playing in the ‘Cyril Connell Cup’ for ‘Easts Tigers.’ He was selected to the under-15 squad of the ‘Australian Schoolboys for the second consecutive year.
Kalyn Ponga’s Career
At the age of 13, he signed his first professional contract in December 2013 and joined the ‘North Queensland Cowboys.’ Six distinct teams from three different sports were pursuing him as a young athlete. The ‘North Queensland Cowboys’ were one of the major ‘NRL’ teams, and joining them led to a wider appreciation of his talent.
After this, Kalyn relocated to Townsville. There, he joined ‘Ignatius Park College’ and participated in the ‘Mal Meninga Cup’ with the ‘Townsville Stingers’. In 2015, he made his national team touch football debut in Tasmania during the ‘Youth Trans Tasman series. Ultimately, he joined the under-18 squad of the ‘Queensland Academy of Sport’.
In round 20, while playing for the ‘North Queensland Cowboys,’ he made his début and was instrumental in his team’s 50-6 victory over the ‘Parramatta Eels.’ Later reports indicated that the team management had intended to use him from the first round, but due to treatment for a cerebral infection, he missed the first five months of the season. By the end of the year, he had appeared in eight games for his team and scored eight tries.
The New Zealand national rugby team invited him to join them on their tour of Great Britain in October 2015. The following month, he was promoted to the Cowboys’ starting lineup for the 2016 season. In January of 2016, he was a member of the under-20 ‘Origin’ squad for the ‘Queensland Academy of Sport.’ The following month, he played for the Cowboys’ first-string team against the Broncos. He scored a try during the match.
In May 2016, he was contacted by the ‘Junior Kangaroos,’ an Australian rugby team for players under the age of 20. He was also recruited by the ‘Junior Kiwis,’ New Zealand’s under-20 team. Nonetheless, he declined both proposals. He spent the majority of the 2016 season in New York City practicing and training with the Cowboys. As a fullback, he was named to the ‘NYC Team of the Year’ by the end of the season.
In September 2016, he debuted in the ‘NRL’ against the ‘Broncos’ in the playoffs. He was one of the few athletes who debuted in the first division during the league’s playoffs. As additional organizations approached Kalyn, he began to make headlines in the Australian sports circuit. Later, it was disclosed that he had signed a contract to play for the ‘Newcastle Knights beginning in 2018. His contract with the ‘Cowboys’ remained in effect until 2017.
An announcement in November 2016 finalized the contract. It was rumored that Kalyn had become the highest-paid teen player in the history of the National Football League, although the quantity of his contract remained undisclosed.
In February of 2017, he participated with the ‘North Queensland Cowboys’ in the ‘Auckland Nines Tournament’ of the ‘NRL.’ He was instrumental in his team’s advancement to the quarterfinals, where they were defeated by the ‘Storm.’ However, Kalyn had a successful tournament, scoring five tries. His performance garnered him a spot on the ‘Team of the Tournament.’ Kalyn made his début as a fullback in the third round of the tournament, during which his team suffered a crushing defeat.
In round 4 versus the ‘Gold Coast Titans,’ he scored his first first-grade ‘NRL’ try. In round 8 against the “Newcastle Knights,” he scored two tries and was named “Man of the Match.” In the same round of 24 matches in which he returned to the first-grade ‘Cowboys,’ he suffered a shoulder injury. This caused him to avoid the field for the next two weeks. His team was eliminated from the tournament after losing a game against ‘Manly’ following his return.
As usual, Kalyn’s season was outstanding, as he was named to the ‘NYC Team of the Year’ as a fullback and was nominated for the ‘RLPA Rookie of the Year award. In 2018, he made his début with the ‘Newcastle Knights in round one, scoring a try and kicking three goals.
Kalyn’s Personal Life
In January 2018, Kalyn Ponga published a photo of himself performing a backflip from his home’s roof into his pool, for which he received considerable criticism.
Estimated Net Worth
Kalyn Ponga is one of the wealthiest rugby players and one of the most renowned. According to our analysis, Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider, Kalyn Ponga has a $5 million net worth.