The Queensland Reds will be looking to go one step further than last season when their Super Rugby Women’s season kicks off on June 7 at Ballymore Stadium.
The 2025 runners-up fell agonisingly short of a maiden title when they were beaten by the NSW Waratahs at North Sydney Oval.
Watch every second of the 2026 Super Rugby Women's season live and on demand via Stan Sport.
That fire still burns for many and with Super Rugby Women’s more level than ever, plenty of eyes will be on if the Reds can repeat their efforts and get back in the big dance.
The squad has had a massive turnover both on and off the field for 2026 with 16 player departures and a new coaching structure announced but have enough firepower and experience to continue the momentum.
Former Wallaroo and gold medal Olympian Shannon Parry has joined Andrew Fraser’s coaching staff, along with attack coach Dave Miles and set piece coach Eddie Aholelei.
The Reds have a clear vision of integration between their 7s and XVs programs with the likes of Evie Sampson, Ava Wereta and Kaelyn Passi coming through the system.
Deni Ross returns from a stint with the Leicester Tigers while experienced Wallaroo Lori Cramer has been plying her trade in Hong Kong for the first half of the year.
Cramer has been playing in Hong Kong and after a move to flyhalf last season looks set to return to the fullback role more permanently.
Among the departures include Wallaroos and Sevens legend Charlotte Caslick, who is pregnant, scrumhalves Layne Morgan and Natalie Wright, and former Wallaroos Ivania Wong and Carys Dallinger.
Jemma Bemrose, Dillyn Blackburn, Bree-Anna Browne, Hayley Glass, Zoe Hanna, Ella Hopper, Tanya Kalounivale, Eva Karpani, Matauimalo Malele Lafeta, Tiarah Minns, Tiarna Molloy, Jordan Neal, Sarah Riordan, Deni Ross, Zophronia Setu, Vineta Teutau, Lucy Thorpe, Mary Tuaana.
Charlie Brigstocke, Lori Cramer, Briana Dascombe, Sarah Dougherty, Margaux Duces, Piper Flynn, Akira Kelly, Kaelyn Passi, Evie Sampson, Aroha Spillane, Caitlin Urwin, Harmony Vatau, Ava Wereta, Charity Wightman-Beaven.
The Reds had four Wallaroos representatives during the Pacific Four series with Dillyn Blackburn and Ava Wereta given their first international caps in a boost for the club.
Eva Karpani was a mainstay in the forward pack for the Australians and has game time under her belt while Tiarah Minns finished the campaign with a starting lock role.
World Cup representatives Bree-Anna Browne, Lori Cramer and Caitlin Urwin weren’t part of the Pacific Four campaign but bring plenty of experience to the Reds this season.
Zoe Hanna, Kaelyn Passi and Evie Sampson are among those who have had a taste of Wallaroos camps in recent months.
The Reds have a reported clean bill of health leading into Round 1 after getting through their trial match against the Brumbies a fortnight ago.
Akira Kelly. The former Brumby is set to line up against her former club in the opening round of the season after two caps in 2023.
Kelly has experience in Rugby Sevens, XVs and rugby league, and more recently stood out in the club’s trial match in Canberra.
Wallaroos prop Eva Karpani was instrumental in luring Kelly back to rugby union with the 25-year-old a naturally gifted player who can make a dent at flyhalf.
World class Black Ferns prop Tanya Kalounivale arrives in Brisbane in one of the biggest signings in the competition’s history as she embarks on a new journey with the Reds.
A two-time World Cup representative, Kalounivale is coming off a strong Pacific Four series campaign with New Zealand and can provide a frightening one-two punch with Wallaroos forward Eva Karpani in the front row.
Add in the experience of contracted Wallaroo Bree-Anna Browne and the Reds have the firepower up front to compete with any team in the competition throughout the course of the 80 minutes.
Sarah Dougherty. The former Wallaroo now finds herself as the first-choice scrumhalf with the departures of Layne Morgan and Natalie Wright in the off-season.
An experienced campaigner who has been part of the Reds system for five years, Dougherty was forced to bid her time in the extended squad last season but is now among Andrew Fraser’s first picked in the team.
Dougherty played two Tests for the Wallaroos in 2023 and will be crucial in steering the team around the park.
“Last year we saw what our program could do and hopefully this year we can go one better and deliver something that never has been delivered before. The Brumbies first up will be tough, Fiji is basically their Test team, the Tahs with the Wallaroos contingent there and the Force are in a full-time training environment, so it will be pretty tight every round and hotly contested competition.” – Reds coach Andrew Fraser
The Reds will kick off their 2026 campaign on home soil against the Brumbies, who they put to the sword in their only pre-season trial fixture earlier this month.
They'll then have a week off with the bye before preparing for a trip west to meet the Force. A semi-final rematch against the Drua and 2025 grand final replay awaits them in the final fortnight before the finals, which will prove decisive.
- Round 1 – Sunday 7 June: Reds v Brumbies at Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane (1:05pm AEST)
- Round 2 – Bye
- Round 3 – Saturday 20 June: Force v Reds at Wanneroo Rugby Club (2:05pm AWST / 4:05pm AEST)
- Round 4 – Saturday 27 June: Reds v Drua at Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane (2:05pm AEST)
- Round 5 – Sunday 5 July: Waratahs v Reds at Leichhardt Oval, Sydney (4:05pm AEST)
