The NSW Waratahs Women have announced their 31-player squad for the 2026 Swyftx Super Rugby Women’s competition, with an exciting blend of youth and experience.
The six-time champions will be aiming to win their third competition in a row and will kick off their title defence against the Fijian Drua at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday 6 June.
The squad includes 12 players involved in the recent Wallaroos Tests against Fijiana and PAC4 Series matches against Canada, USA and New Zealand. Brianna Hoy, Bridie O’Gorman, Faliki Pohiva, Adiana Talakai, Brittany Merlo. Kaitlan Leaney, Emily Chancellor and Piper Duck were selected in the forwards. Waiaria Ellis, Georgina Freidrichs, Desiree Miller and Maya Stewart in the backs.
Head coach Michael Ruthven was delighted to retain 24 of last year’s title-winning squad and is looking forward to the Wallaroos re-joining the rest of the group.
“The coaching group are really excited with the make-up of the Waratahs squad for 2026,” Ruthven said.
“Retention was again a priority for building out our squad for this season and we are pleased that so many of our players continue to show trust in the Waratahs program.
“On top of this, there are some really talented players who join the squad that will ensure strong competition for places.
“We’re looking forward to our Wallaroos joining the group next week and adding value to the outstanding work that the remainder of the squad have been doing over the last six weeks.”
The squad has a total of 379 Super Rugby Women’s caps between them, with prop Emily Robinson the most-capped with 40, having made her debut against the Reds in the inaugural year of the competition in 2018. Robinson, 33, scored a memorable try in last year’s 43-21 final victory against the same opposition.
Scintillating wings Miller (19 caps) and Stewart (30 caps) will once again be an enormous threat in the backline, with the pair having scored 19 and 43 tries respectively in the competition.
There is a group of players who are uncapped and could make their debuts in 2026, Grace Gillies and Taj Heald in the forwards, with Edie Burke, Paris Ingegneri, Pleuni Kievit, Makenzi Nelson and Lusiana Vesikula in the backs.
Anahera Hamahona, Arabella McKenzie, Georgia Chapple, Jacinta Windsor, Jade Sheridan, Jay-Jay Taylor, Katrina Barker, Millie Parker, Tatum Bird and Tiarne Cavanagh are the members of last year’s squad who have left the club.
After beginning their campaign at home against the Fijian Drua, the Waratahs have away trips to the Brumbies and Western Force before returning to Leichhardt Oval for their final regular season tie against the Reds on Sunday 5 July.
2026 Waratahs Super Rugby Women’s squad
Forwards (position, no. of SRW caps, club):
- Ruby Anderson (back-row, 8, Hunter Wildfires)
- Emily Chancellor (back-row, 27, Sydney University)
- Annabelle Codey (lock, 12, Easts)
- Piper Duck (back-row, 24, Sydney University)
- Grace Gillies (lock/back-row, uncapped, Warringah)
- Taj Heald (back-row, uncapped, Warringah)
- Brianna Hoy (prop, 15, Sydney University
- Seneti Kilisimasi (prop, 5, Manly)
- Kaitlan Leaney (lock, 23, Easts)
- Brittany Merlo (hooker, 13, Sydney University)
- Tahlia Morgan (lock, 2, St Albert’s College)
- Leilani Nathan (back-row, 18, Warringah)
- Nicole Nathan (back-row, 13, Warringah)
- Bridie O’Gorman (prop, 34, Sydney University)
- Faliki Pohiva (prop, 13, Manly)
- Emily Robinson (prop, 40, Warringah)
- Adiana Talakai (hooker, 20, Sydney University)
- Siusiuosalafai (Nancy) Volkman (prop, 9, Manly)
Backs:
- Edie Burke (scrum-half, uncapped, Gordon)
- Waiaria Ellis (fly-half, 14, Manly)
- Rosie Ferguson (centre, 1, Easts)
- Georgina Friedrichs (centre, 31, Easts)
- Caitlyn Halse (full-back, 16, Easts)
- Martha Harvey (scrum-half, 4, Easts)
- Tia Hinds (fly-half, TBC)
- Paris Ingegneri (scrum-half, uncapped, Warringah)
- Pleuni Keivit (centre, uncapped, TBC)
- Desiree Miller (wing, 19, Easts)
- Makenzi Nelson (wing, uncapped, Hunter Wildfires)
- Maya Stewart (wing, 30, Easts)
- Lusiana Vesikula (centre, uncapped, Southern Districts)
- Amelia Whitaker (wing, 4, Randwick)
