In recent times, there has been more rugby than you can point a stick at. Not that anyone is complaining. For example in action the Lions, Wallabies, Fiji, Waratahs, Reds, Force, All Blacks, France, Japan, Wales, Scotland, Maori All Blacks, USA, Belgium, the German club final, World Rugby U20 Championship and in between all this, the Wallaroos squad for the Black Ferns and Wales Tests was announced.
Understandably, the squad announcement, with everything else going on, did not get much coverage. The Wallaroos face the Black Ferns, for 27th time, this Saturday afternoon in Wellington. With the playing 23 likely to be announced on Thursday.
The weather forecast is cold, wet and windy. No surprise.
The squad of 32 with 18 forwards and 14 backs was generally as expected, with a couple of interesting ins and outs. At this stage of the lead-up to the Rugby World Cup, I’m really not sure what it means.
First up, there are four players back from injury: backrower Piper Duck, prop Brianna Hoy, half Samanatha Wood and winger Maya Stewart. There is still no word on Bienne Terita and her hamstring.
Duck had a run in the Australia A side and has replaced Ruby Anderson, which is no real surprise. Hoy is back from an ACL and is yet to play a game. She was the starting loosehead for the last eight Tests before doing her knee.
She takes Martha Fua’s spot. Fua debuted earlier this year off the bench against Fiji and also started against New Zealand and Canada. There appears to still be a battle for a couple of prop spots.
The Force’s halfback Wood is back in for the Reds’ Natalie Wright. Wood missed much of last season’s internationals and all of this season’s domestic competition with injury. She did come off the bench for Australia A.
The coaching staff seem to see a lot of potential in Wood. At just 19, she was in the 23 for the first three internationals last season. Then she got injured but was called up at the end of the WXV2 tournament. Maya Stewart is back after injuring her knee against Fiji in the first international of the season. Fingers crossed she is all rehabbed and fit, she is an important cog in the Wallaroos team.
Wallaroos’ Maya Stewart and Siokapesi Palu (Source: Getty Images)
On the addition side of things, for the first time since 2023, in comes lock Annabelle Codey for Tiarah Minns. Anyone who has read my musings this season will know I have been on Codey’s bandwagon all season. Arguably, she was the form lock of Super Rugby Women. She also had run in the Australia A vs Samoa game. Hopefully, we see her get a good run in the coming Tests. Apart from Codey, Hoy and Duck there are no other changes to the forwards.
In the backs, a couple of tweaks. In come Reds winger Caitlin Urwin and Waratahs fullback/Utility Waiaria Ellis and out go centre Manu’a Moleka and winger Biola Dawa. After Stewart and Desiree Miller, Urwin was probably the form winger in Super Rugby.
Ellis is an interesting addition as Caitlyn Halse and Lori Cramer play fullback with Tia Hinds and Charlotte Caslick able to play there also. The ins and outs in the backs are not quite like-for-like. There is a bit of utility in the squad – Caslick played centre and wing, Lori Cramer plays some fullback and flyhalf. Neither have locked in a definitive position.
Charlotte Caslick of Australia runs with the ball during the Pacific Four Series International Match between Australia Wallaroos and USA at GIO Stadium on May 17, 2025 in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)
Interestingly, even though Arabella McKenzie played in the Australia A game and had a good game, she is still absent from the squad. For many, this seems baffling as she was the form flyhalf of the Super Rugby season.
In the flyhalf department coach Jo Yapp is continuing with Faitala Moleka and Hinds. You would think she has missed the boat to the World Cup unless there is an injury or two.
Even with just a few changes it will be intriguing to see what 23 is announced on Thursday for the weekend’s Black Ferns game.
Wallaroos Squad for New Zealand and Wales Tests
Hooker Katalina Amosa
Hooker Tania Naden
Hooker Adiana Talakai
Prop Bree-Anna Browne
Prop Brianna Hoy
Prop Eva Karpani
Prop Lydia Kavoa
Prop Bridie O’Gorman
Prop Faliki Pohiva
Lock Annabelle Codey
Lock Ashley Fernandez
Lock Kaitlan Leaney
Lock Michaela Leonard
Backrow Emily Chancellor
Backrow Piper Duck
Backrow Ashley Marsters
Backrow Siokapesi Palu
Backrow Tabua Tuinakauvadra
Halfback Layne Morgan
Halfback Samantha Wood
Flyhalf Lori Cramer
Flyhalf Tia Hinds
Flyhalf Faitala Moleka
Centre Georgina Friedrichs
Centre Trilleen Pomare
Centre Cecilia Smith
Winger Charlotte Caslick
Winger Desiree Miller
Winger Maya Stewart
Winger Caitlin Urwin*
Fullback Waiaria Ellis*
Fullback Caitlyn Halse
