Rugby Australia is pleased to announce a 30-player Wallaroos squad for the upcoming Fijiana Test and Pacific Four series in March and April.
Interim Wallaroos Head Coach Sam Needs has named 10 uncapped players while 19 return after being part of last year’s Rugby World Cup campaign.
Rising outside backs Nicole Ledington, Brooklyn Teki-Joyce, Ella Ryan and Ava Wereta join Australian Sevens stars Piper Simons and Sidney Taylor as fresh faces in the squad.
Simons and Taylor, who are contracted to the Australian Sevens program, are the latest players to switch to the XVs format after Charlotte Caslick, Tia Hinds and Bienne Terita played for the Wallaroos last year.
NSW Waratahs winger Amelia Whitaker has also been added as an injury cover player and will join her teammates in camp ahead of the first Test match.
Queensland Reds back-rower Dillyn Blackburn, Western Force’s Zoe Elliott and ACT Brumbies lock Lily Bone are among the new forwards named for the campaign.
Experienced NSW hooker Brittany Merlo is also a bolter in the squad following an unfortunate season-ending knee injury to Katalina Amosa during a Wallaroos training camp last month.
Amosa joins 2025 Wallaroos player of the year Tabua Tuinakauvadra (knee) on the sidelines while six other players were unavailable for selection due to injury.
Tuinakauvadra, Chioma Enyi, Grace Freeman, Atasi Lafai and Allana Sikimeti were all unavailable for selection due to injury with expected returns in the Swyftx Super Rugby Women's competition in June.
The rest of the squad includes star wingers Desiree Miller and Maya Stewart while the experience of captain Siokapesi Palu Sekona, Emily Chancellor, Michaela Leonard and Kaitlan Leaney ensure key leadership in 2026.
Interim Wallaroos Head Coach Sam Needs said: "The squad selected has a great mix of youth and experience with 10 new faces who have been competing hard and could potentially make their debuts over the next month.
"We’ve had three four-day camps since the World Cup, and each camp has been highly competitive, and we want to take that momentum through to our first Test against Fijiana and then carry on into the Pacific Four series.
"It's unfortunate that we've lost a few players to injury in the pre-season, but we are excited by the opportunities it creates for other players to step up which is important for us to keep building depth in the lead up to the 2029 World Cup."
The Wallaroos will start their 2026 Test season against Fijiana at GIO Stadium on March 27 with both sides to play for the Vuvale Bowl after Australia won the inaugural title in Suva last year.
The squad will then depart for the United States next month to begin the Pacific Four series – the first time the Wallaroos have toured America in their 32-year history.
The Wallaroos will assemble at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra on Friday to begin Test preparations.
Every Wallaroos Test match in 2026 will be shown ad-free, live and on demand on Stan Sport. WALLAROOS SQUAD FOR FIJIANA TEST & PACIFIC FOUR SERIES
- Dillyn Blackburn (Queensland Reds/Gympie Hammers)*
- Lily Bone (ACT Brumbies/Orange City)*
- Emily Chancellor (NSW Waratahs/Sydney University)
- Piper Duck (NSW Waratahs/Tumut Bullettes)
- Zoe Elliott (Western Force/Cottesloe Rugby)*
- Waiaria Ellis (NSW Waratahs/Blacktown Scorpions)
- Ashley Fernandez (ACT Brumbies/Uni-North Owls)
- Georgina Friedrichs (NSW Waratahs/Wests Bulldogs)
- Brianna Hoy (NSW Waratahs/Coffs Harbour Snappers)
- Eva Karpani (Queensland Reds/Southern Suburbs)
- Kaitlan Leaney (NSW Waratahs/SCU Marlins)
- Nicole Ledington (Western Force/Kalamunda Rugby Club)*
- Michaela Leonard (Western Force/Tuggeranong Vikings)
- Brittany Merlo (NSW Waratahs/Sydney University)*
- Desiree Miller (NSW Waratahs/Eastern Suburbs)
- Tiarah Minns (Queensland Reds/Melbourne University)
- Faitala Moleka (ACT Brumbies/Blacktown Scorpions)
- Tania Naden (ACT Brumbies/Uni-North Owls)
- Bridie O’Gorman (NSW Waratahs/Sydney University)
- Siokapesi Palu Sekona (ACT Brumbies/Rockdale Rangers)
- Faliki Pohiva (NSW Waratahs/Blacktown Scorpions)
- Ella Ryan (ACT Brumbies/Canberra Royals)*
- Piper Simons (NSW Waratahs/Manly Mermaids)*
- Cecilia Smith (Western Force/Leeton Dianas)
- Maya Stewart (NSW Waratahs/Nelson Bay Gropers)
- Adiana Talakai (NSW Waratahs/Maroubra Magic)
- Sidney Taylor (Queensland Reds/University of Queensland)*
- Brooklyn Teki-Joyce (Western Force/Southern Lions)*
- Ava Wereta (Queensland Reds/Coomera Crushers)*
- Samantha Wood (Western Force/Kalamunda Rugby Club)
Injury cover/replacement player
- Amelia Whitaker (NSW Waratahs/Randwick)*
*Denotes uncapped player
Players unavailable for selection
- Katalina Amosa (knee)
- Biola Dawa (personal reasons)
- Chioma Enyi (ankle)
- Grace Freeman (hip)
- Atasi Lafai (knee)
- Manu’a Moleka (knee)
- Allana Sikimeti (calf)
- Tabua Tuinakauvadra (knee)
WALLAROOS 2026 TEST SCHEDULE
- March 27: Wallaroos v Fijiana at GIO Stadium, Canberra - 4:55pm AEDT (Vuvale Bowl)
- April 11: Canada v Wallaroos at Heart Health Park, Sacramento, USA - 12:00pm AEST (Pacific Four series)
- April 17: USA v Wallaroos at CPKC Stadium, Kansas City, USA - 11:00am AEST (Pacific Four series)
- April 25: Wallaroos v New Zealand at Sunshine Coast Stadium - 7:45pm AEST (Pacific Four series/O’Reilly Cup)
- August 22: New Zealand v Wallaroos at Go Media Stadium, Auckland (O’Reilly Cup)
WXV Global Series
- September 12: WXV Global series away Test - TBC
- September 19: WXV Global series away Test - TBC
- September 26: WXV Global series away Test - TBC
- October 17: Wallaroos v Scotland home Test – TBC
- October 23: Wallaroos v Scotland home Test – TBC
