Former Wallaroos captain Shannon Parry has joined the revamped coaching staff of the Queensland Reds for the Swyftx Super Rugby Women's season.
Parry's move into an assistant coach role is the perfect example of the Queensland women's program integrating the best from sevens and the 15-a-side game.
This enhanced alignment for players, and now coaches, has been one of the directions where Queensland has led the country under Queensland Rugby Union High Performance Manager Nico Andrade.
In 2026, Parry, former Tongan women's coach Eddie Aholelei and former University of Queensland assistant coach David Miles will work as assistant coaches beside Reds Head Coach Andrew Fraser, who lifted the team into the grand final in 2025.
The coaching group will guide the squad for the Super Rugby Women's season which kicks off with a June 7 clash against the ACT Brumbies at Ballymore Stadium.
Parry is Head Coach of Queensland's sevens team with a sharp focus on performing in the Next Gen 7s finals in Sydney on Sunday.
With the Next Gen 7s tournaments moving to the start of 2026 and Super Rugby Women's moving later to a June-July slot, the women's calendar is more streamlined.
"This is the first season where there have been really distinct periods for the sevens program and now XVs," said Parry, the 2016 Rio Olympics sevens gold medallist.
"I'm focussed on Sunday and Next Gen. Beyond that I do want to challenge myself in a different space to keep developing as a coach.
"Women's rugby is heading towards a more integrated model.
"I think there is a lot of value because certain players will be transitioning from sevens to XVs again like a Kaelyn Passi or an Evie Sampson. Coming back the other way, Piper Flynn and Caitlin Urwin have really added to the sevens program from their base in XVs."
Parry will work on the contact and breakdown area as an assistant coach. Miles will be in charge of attack and Aholelei, a former Test prop, will apply his standards to the set piece.
"We are delighted with the skills and balance we have in the coaching group," Fraser said.
"I work side-by-side in the office with 'Shanno' talking about rugby each day so this is another step in the integrated direction for women's rugby which we are proud of in Queensland.
"Shannon has a real presence. I've seen her coach from close range. What she can bring to the contact area is a part of our game where we feel we can make big improvements.
"David has been an assistant coach at UQ with the Premier grade team in recent years after a successful coaching career in schools rugby(with Marist College Ashgrove).
"This will be Eddie's third season with the Reds women's team. There's great continuity there and he offers great experience at scrum and lineout.
"We really want to see how far the Reds can develop this season after a strong 2025. It's exciting times."
ROUND 1
Sunday, June 7
Queensland Reds vs ACT Brumbies, Ballymore, 1:05pm
ROUND 2
Queensland Reds BYE
ROUND 3
Saturday, June 20
Queensland Reds vs Western Force, Perth, 4:05pm
ROUND 4
Saturday, June 27
Queensland Reds vs Fijian Drua, Ballymore, 2:05pm
ROUND 5
Sunday, July 5
Queensland Reds vs NSW Waratahs, 4:05pm, Leichhardt Oval, Sydney
SEMI-FINALS
July 17-19 SRW 1 vs SRW 4
July 17-19 SRW 2 vs SRW 3
SUPER RUGBY WOMEN’S FINAL
July 24-26 Winner SF 1 vs Winner SF 2 (Highest Ranked = Home Venue)
WOMEN'S SUPER RUGBY GRAND FINAL
August 1 SRW 1 vs SRA (NZ), Leichhardt Oval, Sydney
