Halse 'buzzing' to ignite Waratahs season after six injury-plagued months

Caitlyn Halse bombastically celebrating to the crowd after scoring against the United States has gone down as one of the iconic images of Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025. It also signalled her arrival on the international stage.

Now, after a long sideline stint, the young full-back – affectionately known as “The Kid” by her Wallaroos teammates – is set to finally make her return off the bench this weekend against the Western Force in Perth, and her return comes at a critical time for the NSW Waratahs.

The defending champions have dominated the near decade of Super Rugby Women’s history; but across the last few years, the closing gap between the Waratahs and the chasing pack has become more and more noticeable.

In 2026 the gap finally closed.

The Waratahs still made semi-finals and will have the chance to defend their crown, but after consecutive losses to the Western Force and Queensland Reds, the side find themselves in uncharted territory.

For 16-cap Wallaroo Halse, however, the losses have had a silver lining, along with a significant release of pressure on the squad.

“I think it takes a little bit of pressure off us,” Halse told RugbyPass.

“[I’m] not saying losing is a good thing, but the last seven years the competition’s been a thing, we haven’t lost to an Australian team. There’s always been that little bit of pressure going into every game about not losing to an Australian side.

“That’s taken a little bit of the pressure off. I think the main message is just to keep it simple.

“We just haven’t been able to convert the last two weeks in the second half. This week we’ve just been really trying to hone in on our connectivity within the squad. Knocking down on our clarity, making sure everyone’s over detail.”

Halse is especially excited to return to the sky blue jersey, having had a difficult run of consecutive injuries; including a broken nose after the Women’s Rugby World Cup, an Achilles injury in the Chikarovski Cup and a torn hamstring during preseason.

As a result, she missed on both the Fiji Test and 2026 Pacific Four Series, but with a new injection of stars and time in camp, the full-back is raring to make up for lost time.

“When I first did my injury six months ago, I think I really just made a conscious effort to work on different parts of the game,” Halse said.

“I think the hardest part of being injured is your mental side of the game. I think just trying to stay positive about everything and then just taking it day by day, trying to better myself.

“We’ve had a heap of new faces coming to the Tahs squad this year. Whether that’s through playing well in Jack Scott Cup [Chikarovski Cup] last year or quite a few of the younger girls coming through Next Gen Sevens.

“They’re like Edie Burke, Lusi [ Vesikula], we’ve had a couple just training with us a couple of days during the week.

“I think it’s been really good to have them in and take their experience from sevens and try and translate that into the XVs games. They’ve all been working hard, asking heaps of questions, just really wanting to learn the game.

“Myself, I’m really just buzzing. I really just want to get out on the field and play some footy.”

Halse is set to play a lot of rugby over the next 18 months. The full-back one of a growing list of Wallaroos set to make the journey across to JAECOO Premiership Women’s Rugby after she signed with Leicester Tigers, who she will join after the Wallaroos’ two WXV Global Series matches against Scotland.

Combined with the merging of Australia’s women’s programmes, Halse – similar to fellow Wallaroo and Waratah Desiree Miller – is keen to dive in and get game time wherever possible.

“[I’m] super excited to see the programs merge,” Halse said.

“The Aussie Sevens programme, they’re already a high performance environment and I think that’s something that the Wallaroos are trying to achieve.

“I’m just super excited to see what will happen in that space… if there was ever an opportunity for me to go train with sevens or play there, I would definitely take it with two hands.

“There’s so much that the sevens space could teach me – but not necessarily what XVs can’t – but just stuff they focus on more because it’s part of their game. I’d probably jump at an opportunity to train with the sevens.

“[To] join the Tigers, join their environment and programme they’re building, I think it’s a great opportunity for me to develop more as a player and a person: learn and challenge myself in one of the highest competitive competitions.

“They’ve got girls from all over the world playing in that competition. They play a different style of footy over there, [I’ll] just go over there, learn as much as I can.”

While her stint in England will prove invaluable for both the Wallaroos and Waratahs next year, for now, Halse’s focus is firmly focused on a tense semi-final against the Force.

Halse headlines several big names back for the Waratahs, with sevens star Tia Hinds and Wallaroos top tryscorer Maya Stewart also back.

It sets up a thrilling clash as part of a double header with the Wallabies-Italy test match, the hosts out to make club history and make the Grand Final for the first time after a strong regular season.

“We know what is expected of us and what we have to do to be able to go over there and get the win,” Halse said.

“We’ve just got to keep things simple and play to our strengths. They’re a physical side, they’ve got good kickers with Grace [Freeman].

“Sticking to our game plan, sticking to our processes and having the belief and trusting the players around us that if we do what we’ve been training for all year, it will come out and we’ll be in that Super W final.”