Flood of support after Queensland legend and wife targeted by 'disgusting' act

Yahoo

23-05-2025

Footy fans and players are sending messages of support to Ali Brigginhsaw and her family after wife Kate revealed some of the sickening abuse she's been receiving on social media. Brigginshaw is a legend of women's rugby league having won the NRLW competition with the Brisbane Broncos, State of Origin series with Queensland and World Cups with the Jillaroos.
She's played 33 games for the Broncos, 25 Tests for Australia and 11 Origin games for the Maroons, leading them to glory in last year's series. However she's been below her best this year and couldn't prevent the Blues from winning the 2025 series in two games.
After playing in the halves in the first two games, Queensland have shifted Briggingshaw to lock for the third. That pushes utility Lauren Brown into the halves to partner Tarryn Aiken for Game 3 in Newcastle, with the Maroons desperate to salvage some pride.
Brigginshaw's move to lock comes after she feared she'd played her last Origin game. And as well as enduring an uncharacteristic patch of poor form, Brigginshaw has also been dealing with some vile abuse on social media.
The 35-year-old's wife Kate took to social media on Thursday to condemn the awful treatment. "Mental health affects everyone, in particular athletes," wrote Kate, who has been married to Ali since 2021.
"Anyone in the public eye is aware they open themselves up to opinion and scrutiny, however there is a fine line between a reasonable comment/DM (direct message) and what is honestly far beyond anything even remotely reasonable, which is what Ali and our family have been subjected to for the last month."
Shockingly, Kate revealed what some of the messages have been about. "Bashing people on social media isn't cool," she continued. "You think you're showing something bad about someone else when you're really showing something bad about yourself. Normal people don't go around vomiting hate about individuals they know absolutely nothing about, or send derogatory, sexist or cruel DMs encouraging someone to kill themselves.
"Ironically, the same people showing support for MH (mental health) awareness and 'it ain't weak to speak' are the same people leaving comments and sending those disgusting DMs. It is incredibly damaging and dangerous and I seriously encourage all those who do participate to think before leaving a comment or sending a DM about whether they would say those things to someone they loved."
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Ali was in tears after the second game of the Origin series earlier this month, which the Blues won 26-6 to win back the shield. Fans and fellow players sent a flood of messages in support of the Brigginshaw family after Kate's post.
One person wrote online: "It's one thing to comment about her playing ability or career moves. It's a totally different thing to comment on her personal life or her as a person. That goes for any human on the planet. Ali has done more for international women's sport than any bloke in this comment section who probably have daughters that see her as a role model."
Another commented: "You could not meet a nicer person than Ali Brigginshaw. A true Queenslander, one who should be respected and not abused by cowards."