‘Welcome to 2018’, rugby league tells kiss critics

The NRL has hit back at critics of a photo of two rugby league players from rival teams kissing after the end of the women’s inaugural State of Origin match on Friday night.

The photo captured an embrace between NZ-born NSW player Vanessa Foliaki and Queenslander Karina Brown after fulltime.

The couple, who have been together since 2014, are usually teammates in the national league squad, the Jillaroos, but faced off in the Origin match.

The image was shared by the NRL on Facebook with the caption ‘‘#OurWay’’, but generated a mixed response.

Replying to one critic who had said on Facebook that the photo was a ‘‘bad idea’’, the NRL wrote: ‘‘Welcome to 2018 . . . can’t wait for you to join us!’’

The NRL also hit back at comments suggesting it was ‘‘sexualising’’ the game by sharing the image.

‘‘If we can post . . . Cooper Cronk and his wife Tara kissing, then we can share a photo of Karina Brown and Ness Foliaki sharing a moment, too,’’ the NRL wrote.

Describing their relationship to the NRL this month, Brown and Foliaki said they had been openly competitive in the lead-up to the match, at times not even talking so they could focus on the sport.

Auckland-born Foliaki moved to Australia eight years ago – and was a late convert to league after starting out in rugby union.

‘‘It was always a dream to play for New Zealand, but since I moved here I got my opportunity and I want to keep playing for Australia,’’ she told the Central Western Daily in 2015.