Kalyn Ponga’s partner is Mimi Bowell, an Australian swimwear founder and model. The Newcastle Knights captain hard-launched his new relationship in September 2026, just days before the Dally M Awards, ending months of speculation about his love life.
The 28-year-old fullback has never been one to shout his personal life from the rooftops. But when you’re one of the NRL’s biggest stars, privacy only goes so far. And it seems Ponga has finally found someone worth sharing the spotlight with.
The Video That Said It All
The confirmation came in the most 2026 way possible: a post-game embrace captured on Instagram.
Bowell shared a carousel of photos and videos from a trip to Auckland, where the Knights had just defeated the New Zealand Warriors in a nail-biting NRL semi-final at Eden Park. The clip showed Ponga rushing over to Bowell before the two embraced and shared a kiss in front of the camera.
“Passport stamped,” Bowell captioned the post, which also included selfies of the pair exploring Auckland together, Ponga wrapping his arm around her as she pulled a kissing face.
Ponga did little to deny anything. He commented underneath with a monkey and two heart emojis, a playful acknowledgment that the rumours were very much true.
Who Is Mimi Bowell?
Bowell is the co-founder of Imana Swim, an Adelaide-based swimwear label she launched with her sister. She’s built a following as both a model and entrepreneur, and her trip to New Zealand, which included her sister, doubled as both a family holiday and a romantic getaway.
The timing of the hard launch was deliberate. The post came just days before the 2026 Dally M Awards on September 30, where Ponga was set to attend as a former winner and one of the game’s biggest names. If you’re going to go public, you might as well do it before the biggest night on the NRL calendar.
A Quiet History, Publicly Revealed
Ponga has historically kept his relationships out of the headlines. In 2023, he opened up to the Sydney Morning Herald about then-girlfriend Gabrielle Peak, a former representative soccer player, describing how she helped simplify his life during a challenging period.
“Gab has simplified where I put my time and effort and my love,” he said at the time. “She’s created more clarity for me. Life’s pretty easy.”
That relationship ended, and by late 2024, Ponga was publicly linked to Gaby Dunn, a Sydney paramedic and micro-influencer. The pair soft-launched their romance in September 2024 and made their first red carpet appearance together at the Knights awards night. They attended the 2024 Dally M Awards together, marking their arrival as a couple in the NRL world.
But by September 2025, a mutual social media unfollowing signaled the end of that relationship after just over a year.
Why This Relationship Feels Different
There’s a maturity to how Ponga is handling this one. He’s 28 now, no longer the teenage prodigy who was being headhunted by six clubs across three sports. He’s a captain, a leader, and a man who has weathered his share of public scrutiny.
The Auckland trip wasn’t just a romantic getaway. It was Ponga winning a final and immediately seeking out Bowell in the stands. That’s not a calculated PR move. That’s a genuine reaction.
For a player who once said “life’s pretty easy” when his personal life was settled, this new chapter seems to fit the same pattern. When Ponga is happy off the field, it tends to show on it.
The Bottom Line
Kalyn Ponga’s partner is Mimi Bowell, and the two are clearly smitten. After a quiet end to his previous relationship and months of speculation, Ponga has found someone he’s willing to share his world with, at least a little bit of it.
The swimwear founder and the Knights captain make for a striking pair, and their Auckland embrace has already become one of the feel-good stories of the 2026 NRL finals. Whether it lasts or not, Ponga seems to have found the kind of stability that has historically brought out his best football.
And for Knights fans, that’s the only part that really matters.
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