Updated: The Wallaroos will play ten Tests next year, but officials, coaches and players have been left disappointed after Rugby Australia decided against extending the Super Rugby Women’s competition for the 2026 season.
There had been high hopes of having a home and away Super Rugby Women’s season in 2026 after modelling was done and draft draws shown to teams, but ultimately the status quo was maintained, largely due to financial reasons.
It’s believed the game was short around $800,000 to make it a home-and-away competition.
It came as more than half the Super Rugby sides signalled they could not sustain increased content without additional/unbudgeted funding from RA. That was despite Super Rugby sides being handed a modest financial grant by the governing body.
RA boss Phil Waugh, alongside COO Richard Gardham, high performance boss Peter Horne and women’s general manager Jilly Collins, delivered the news on Tuesday.
The decision went down like a lead balloon in many quarters, with Super Rugby officials left scratching their heads less than four years out from Australia hosting the next women’s World Cup.
Instead, as RA works towards establishing its three-year leading into the 2029 World Cup, which will likely include a revamped domestic competition and could include more games against New Zealand opposition, the governing body believes focusing on a core group of players with the national team will, for now, put them in the best position to succeed at the next showpiece tournament.
The 2026 Super Rugby Women’s competition will remain a four-round tournament. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
It comes as RA unveiled their 2026 Test schedule on Wednesday afternoon, which will see the Wallaroos travel to the United States and Europe. The Wallaroos will also play their 100th Test during the campaign too.
While the focus on the national squad is an important step on the road to 2029, there’s a feeling within Super Rugby officials and players that not enough is being done to develop and speed up the nation’s underbelly, especially when compared to the 16-round Premiership Women’s Rugby competition in England.
It comes after former Wallaroos coach Jo Yapp called on RA to strengthen the Super W competition to ensure players weren’t learning on the run.
“Canada has a lot of players who play in the PWR [Premiership Women’s Rugby] and that puts them in a really good place,” said Yapp, whose Wallaroos were thumped 46-5 in their World Cup quarterfinal a week after eventual champions England also put them to the sword during a 47-7 victory.
“The players need more games.
“At the moment these girls are playing more Test matches this year than they are club games and they are learning through Test matches.
“What they need to be doing is learning through Super W [Australia’s league] and that is really important to be able to expand that competition.”
Former Wallaroos coach Jo Yapp implored Rugby Australia to strengthen its Super Rugby Women’s competition in the lead up to the 2029 women’s World Cup. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
That won’t occur now, given that the four-round competition, as well as three trial matches, has been maintained.
A crossover between the respective winners in Australia and New Zealand will also occur, with RA to announce the draw in early 2026.
Rugby Australia has been busy signing its stars over the past month, with barnstorming tight-head prop Eva Karpani set to sign on.
There had been fears that Karpani might join her sister in the NRLW, but it’s understood the experienced prop, who is one of the Wallaroos’ most important players, has decided to stay put.
Several others, including Waratahs backline trio Maya Stewart, Georgina Friedrichs and Desiree Miller, are keeping RA on their toes.
The recent development comes after the Wallaroos had an end of season camp in Sydney, which was run by interim head coach Sam Needs.
Meanwhile, RA unveiled its international fixtures for 2026 on Wednesday afternoon, which will see the Wallaroos play World Cup runners-up Canada and semifinalists New Zealand, before welcoming Scotland to Australian shores for the first time.
“The road to the 2029 World Cup in Australia begins now for the Wallaroos and the schedule for the next 12 months allows the squad to build a solid base,” Waugh said.
“Having a consistent 10 Test matches each year for the next three years provides stability at the international level for the players to get quality matches in.
“The Wallaroos will play the top teams in the world, including Rugby World Cup 2025 runners-up Canada and renew our rivalries with New Zealand and the United States.
“The opportunity to travel to the US and Europe provides vital experience for the squad while we look forward to hosting Scotland on home soil for the first time.”
Collins added: “Following the incredible Rugby World Cup in England, it’s fantastic to confirm a bumper year for the squad, featuring notable firsts like an outbound tour of the USA and the inbound series against Scotland.
“Reaching our 100th Test match next year will be a powerful milestone. It took 24 years to reach 50, and only eight more to hit 100 – a clear demonstration of the accelerated development of the women’s game.
“A huge amount of work has gone on behind the scenes with World Rugby and other unions to reshape the women’s calendar and secure world-class opposition for the next four years as part of the WXV Global Series.
“While there is plenty more to do, this is another key building block as we build towards 2029.”
WALLAROOS 2026 TEST SCHEDULE
March 27: Wallaroos v Fijiana at GIO Stadium, Canberra (Vuvale Bowl)April 11: Canada v Wallaroos, USA (Pacific Four series)April 17: USA v Wallaroos, USA (Pacific Four series)April: Wallaroos v New Zealand, TBC (Pacific Four series/O’Reilly Cup)June-August: Swyftx Super Rugby Women’s and Super Rugby Champions FinalAugust 22: New Zealand v Wallaroos at Go Media Stadium, Auckland (O’Reilly Cup)
WXV Global Series
September 12: WXV Global series away Test – TBCSeptember 19: WXV Global series away Test – TBCSeptember 26: WXV Global series away Test – TBCOctober 10: Wallaroos v Scotland home Test – TBCOctober 17: Wallaroos v Scotland home Test – TBC