NRLW star Jaime Chapman made her Channel Nine media debut during Magic Round in Brisbane, winning praise for her poise and professionalism—but also drawing a wave of sexist and racist abuse from online trolls.
NRLW star Jaime Chapman walked onto the Channel Nine set during Magic Round in Brisbane with the confidence of someone who’s used to big crowds—then faced a different kind of opponent: a vile online pile-on.
The 24-year-old. who has excelled since her NRLW debut in 2020. made her media debut as an analyst and a roving reporter on Caxton Street. quizzing punters on who would win the men’s State of Origin series. The shift from player to presenter appeared to land with viewers, who pointed to her poise, professionalism and personality.
But once the clips went live, the praise quickly collided with ugliness. Male viewers fixated less on what she said and more on her appearance, while other comments dragged her intelligence and Indigenous heritage into the discussion.
One Facebook page, The Rugby League Sin Bin—set behind an audience of more than 260,000 footy fans—posted: “Not gonna lie, Channel 9 should be getting Jamie [sic] Chapman on more often. If you ask me why … I’ve got two giant reasons.”
Within the same thread, other trolls sharpened their focus on her body and broadcasting style. Another comment read: “One of the great mysteries of the world, how doesn’t she knock herself out when running.” A third added: “There’s a huge couple of reasons to stay tuned in.”
The abuse also veered into personal attacks tied to her high-profile breakup with NRL star Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, with several remarks referencing the situation in ways the publication has chosen not to publish.
Some comments questioned her intellect outright. “Well she offers nothing intellectually. That’s why the woman wear ear pieces. A man is in the ear piece telling them what to say,” one vile post said. Another attacker claimed they hadn’t even listened, writing: “I wasn’t listening to what she said. But she sounded great!. Personally would prefer if she conducted the broadcast in a bikini given her latest Instagram pic. Would be great for viewership. Specifically mine and any other straight man on the planet.”.
Chapman is a proud descendant of the Kamilaroi people through her grandmother, but that background was targeted too, with racial slurs appearing in the comments. One commenter wrote: “I liked [sic] to see how many still interested when you find out she’s A G**.”
For all the noise around her debut, Chapman’s story hasn’t been built on controversy. She has been playing in the NRLW since 2020, first featuring for the St. George Illawarra Dragons, where she played nine matches. She later moved back to Queensland. played five matches for the Brisbane Broncos. and then settled with the Gold Coast Titans. where she has 13 appearances to date.
On the representative stage, she has made her name consistently: 10 caps for the New South Wales Blues, and five appearances for both Australia and the Indigenous All Stars.
Even with her growing public profile, Chapman has kept her feet on the ground. She has worked as a disability support worker for What Ability, a role she has continued alongside her professional footy commitments.
Her camera-ready composure has been tested beyond matchday too. Chapman has appeared on several podcasts and television shows, including the Footy, Family & Culture segment on NITV’s Over The Black Dot in 2025.
That same year, her media trail extended further, with appearances across NITV, SEN podcasts, and the Rivals television series. She also appeared on SEN’s The Run Home With Joel and Fletch earlier this year, and spoke on The Female Athlete Project podcast.
While last weekend marked her first media appearance for the Nine network. she has already been starring on another footy-based program. Chapman was a popular addition to Rivals. an original eight-part sports-entertainment series that pits elite athletes from the NRL. AFL and rugby union against each other to determine which football code reigns supreme in Australia.
Her return of support from fans has been swift. After the debut, viewers backed her for a bigger role in future Channel Nine footy coverage, with one comment praising: “Natural on the mic Chappo! She has a career after footy for sure.”
Jaime Chapman NRLW Channel Nine Magic Round sexism racism trolls Indigenous All Stars Gold Coast Titans New South Wales Blues State of Origin Caxton Street
People are so gross online. Like can we not.
I barely even read the whole thing but if they’re talking about her breakup stuff that’s just ridiculous. Also men’s State of Origin is boring anyway so of course they’ll latch onto her appearance or whatever.
Wait so she’s not even a presenter full time? They were like “she offers nothing intellectually” and stuff… but then the article says she was quizzing punters and doing roving reporting? Seems like people just wanted a target. And the whole “ear… stuff” line got cut off?? Kinda says everything though.
This is why I don’t watch those shows. Half the comments sound like bots or guys just trying to be edgy. But also like… if you’re on TV you gotta expect people to comment on your looks, right? Not the racist part obviously, that’s cooked. Still, I can’t stand that Channel Nine pushes “analysts” who aren’t even journalists. idk maybe I missed the point.