One other 5 skilled Wallaroos have re-signed with Rugby Australia for the 2026 season, after every enjoying an essential function within the group’s run to the quarter-finals on the current Girls’s Rugby World Cup in England.
Emily Chancellor and Piper Duck deliver management expertise again into the nationwide setup, because the group prepares to begin a brand new World Cup cycle. Tania Naden, Cecilia Smith and Adiana Talakai are additionally anticipated to play essential roles after inking contemporary offers.
Chancellor, Duck, Naden, Smiht and Talakai have greater than 130 Exams of expertise between the 5 of them, and so they’ve all gone to 2 World Cups. Australia reached the quarter-finals in September, shedding to eventual finalists Canada at Bristol’s Ashton Gate.
This announcement comes lower than one week after Rugby Australia revealed 4 key forwards have dedicated to new contracts. Michaela Leonard, Kaitlan Leaney, Brianna Hoy and Ashley Fernandez might be out there for Wallaroos choice in 2026.
The Wallaroos began their Rugby World Cup marketing campaign with a 73-0 win over Samoa in Salford, with common skipper Siokapesi Palu out injured. Chancellor stepped up as a co-captain, sharing these duties with Leaney.
Chancellor returns for an eighth 12 months, whereas Duck additionally provides invaluable management expertise. Duck was as soon as named the Wallaroos captain however didn’t get the prospect to guide the group due to damage, later ending as one of many high tacklers on the current World Cup.
Naden and Talakai are Australia’s most skilled hookers, and Smith is predicted to play a giant function within the Wallaroos’ marketing campaign in 2026 following the worldwide retirement of skilled centre Trilleen Pomare.
“Emily is a frontrunner throughout the Wallaroos squad, her captaincy in the course of the Wales collection and on the World Cup was an enormous private achievement and a mirrored image of her affect,” Normal Supervisor of Girls’s Rugby, Jilly Collins, mentioned in a press release.
“As some of the skilled gamers, she works tirelessly on subject and serves as a task mannequin who many younger gamers look as much as.
“Tania is a quiet achiever who’s deeply admired by her Wallaroos teammates. She brings loads of expertise with 27 caps and is an important contributor to our success across the set piece.
“Piper has had a implausible second half of the season, constantly enjoying Check matches after battling a tricky damage run.
“Her ability ranges had been clear on the World Cup, the place she proved each damaging in assault and a workhorse in defence.
“Cecilia is a valued member of our backline and her Wallaroos Participant of the Yr nomination in 2025 displays the important thing performer she was for us this 12 months.
“We’re wanting ahead to seeing her proceed to contribute and develop her recreation on this new World Cup cycle.
“Adi loved a profitable return to the Wallaroos this season following a knee damage.
“Her three tries on the World Cup had been a implausible reward for her resilience and the exhausting work she put in to get again into the gold jersey.”
