The NSW Waratahs will go into the 2026 Super Rugby Women’s competition as defending champions, aiming for a third-straight title and seventh overall in history.
The Tahs have been the juggernaut in Australian women’s rugby since the competition’s inception in 2018, only losing to Fijiana Drua in finals and never to an opposing Australian side.
Watch every second of the 2026 Swyftx Super Rugby Women's season live and on demand via Stan Sport.
Mike Ruthven’s side won’t want that momentum to stop now and with other clubs on the rise, they’ll need to reach new heights in 2026 to hold onto their crown.
The Waratahs have proven overtime that with every challenge that comes their way they manage to find solutions and in 2026 they’ll lean on that throughout the season.
The defending champions remain one of the strongest squads in the competition but will have their challenges with 10 departures in the off-season and an injury list.
That does, however, open the door for others to step up in key positions, and with the strong pathways in NSW and under Mike Ruthven’s leadership you’d expect them to go close to claiming the title once again.
Andy Gibson and Duncan Chubb join the coaching staff and have all had a significant and positive influence on the squad so far while Emily Chancellor replaces Piper Duck as captain for the new campaign.
Ruby Anderson, Emily Chancellor, Annabelle Codey, Piper Duck, Grace Gillies, Taj Heald, Brianna Hoy, Seneti Kilisimasi, Atasi Lafai, Kaitlan Leaney, Brittany Merlo, Tahlia Morgan, Leilani Nathan, Nicole Nathan, Bridie O’Gorman, Faliki Pohiva, Emily Robinson, Adiana Talakai, Siusiuosalafai (Nancy) Volkman.
Edie Burke, Waiaria Ellis, Rosie Ferguson, Georgina Friedrichs, Caitlyn Halse, Martha Harvey, Tia Hinds, Paris Ingegneri, Pleuni Keivit, Desiree Miller, Makenzi Nelson, Piper Simons, Maya Stewart, Lusiana Vesikula, Amelia Whitaker.
A dozen Waratahs were part of the Wallaroos’ Pacific Four series campaign in April including hooker Brittany Merlo, who made her debut at the age of 28.
The likes of Emily Chancellor, Piper Duck, Kaitlan Leaney, Bridie O’Gorman and Faliki Pohiva were mainstays each week while Georgina Friedrichs, Desiree Miller and Maya Stewart were constants in the backline.
Sevens convert Piper Simons will also join the Waratahs for 2026 after debuting for the Wallaroos during the Pacific Four series at scrumhalf.
The squad boasts several players who have international experience and will be looking to get back on the national radar at season’s end including World Cup representatives Caitlyn Halse, Annabelle Codey and back-rower Ruby Anderson.
Australian Sevens star Tia Hinds will join the Waratahs following the completion of the World Championships and be available for the sky blue in Round 2.
Hinds looks likely to wear the 10 jersey vacated by Arabella McKenzie and will have crucial game time pending a potential return to the Wallaroos later in the year.
Hinds had limited time at flyhalf in her first international season as a Wallaroo in 2025 but is committed to making the transition to XVs an ongoing challenge with the Tahs set-up the perfect place to continue her development.
Waiaria Ellis will miss most of the Super Rugby Women’s season after suffering an MCL injury in the Wallaroos’ loss to New Zealand on Anzac Day.
Ellis was twisted awkwardly in the second half of the Test but thankfully scan results cleared her of anything more serious with the Waratahs hoping to have her back during the regular season.
Leilani Nathan played in the club’s first trial and is on track to return from an ACL injury picked up in last year’s Super Rugby Women’s competition while Atasi Lafai (knee) continues with a hopeful return this season.
An unfortunate foot injury to new recruit Paris Ingegneri will see her miss the competition.
Tahlia Morgan. The NSW Country representative made her Super Rugby Women’s debut in 2025 and is expected to kick on in her second season at the Waratahs.
A tall and promising lock, Morgan is learning her trade alongside Wallaroos representatives Kaitlan Leaney and Annabelle Codey with the coaching staff believing the St Albert’s College junior will come onto the national radar soon.
Dutch international Pleuni Kievit arrives to Australia with plenty of hype after previously starring in XVs and 10s tournaments around the world.
Kievit played with Waratahs centre Georgina Friedrichs recently last off-season in the states and will play on Australian shores for the first time.
A former Netherlands 7s captain and player of the year, the 25-year-old’s versatility will be enormous for the Tahs with the ability to play anywhere from fullback, centre, flyhalf or scrumhalf if required.
Caitlyn Halse. The youngest-ever Wallaroo missed the Pacific Four series due to a disrupted pre-season with niggling injuries before picking up an MCL injury playing for Easts in a club rugby game in March.
Halse is coming off an enormous World Cup campaign where she starred in matches against Samoa and USA, and will want to hit the ground running in Super Rugby Women’s this year.
There is no doubting the teenager’s talent and the Camden junior has an opportunity to have a clear runway in sky blue to get back into the Wallaroos squad for the next Test match in August.
“The most exciting aspect of the season ahead is the challenge for this team to reach its full potential. We set high expectations of ourselves, and we are working hard to ensure we constantly evolve. This is a very talented and ambitious group of women and we believe we are capable of much more than what we have displayed over the last couple of seasons.” – Waratahs coach Mike Ruthven
The Tahs kick off their campaign against the Drua at Leichhardt Oval in one of two games at the iconic venue in 2026.
They'll travel to Canberra and Perth in between to meet the Brumbies and Force while they have a bye in the middle of the regular season.
- Round 1 – Saturday 6 June: Waratahs v Drua at Leichhardt Oval, Sydney (2:05pm AEST)
- Round 2 – Sunday 14 June: Brumbies v Waratahs at Viking Park, Canberra (2:05pm AEST)
- Round 3 – Bye
- Round 4 – Saturday 27 June: Force v Waratahs at Tompkins Park, Perth (4:05pm AEST)
- Round 5 – Sunday 5 July: Waratahs v Reds at Leichhardt Oval, Sydney (4:05pm AEST)
