‘No ceiling’: Wallaroos captain to lead stacked Brumbies squad

Wallaroos skipper Siokapesi Palu Sekona has retained the ACT Brumbies captaincy for another Super Rugby Women’s campaign, with the club announcing the leadership appointment ahead of a double-header in the capital.

Palu Sekona has led the Brumbies since 2023 and will continue to wear the figurative captain’s armband this season. The Brumbies confirmed the captaincy call ahead of the team’s third and final pre-season trial, taking on the NSW Waratahs at GIO Stadium.

That fixture pits two Super Rugby Women’s sides against one another ahead of the opening round the following week. This trial is part of a double-header, with the Brumbies facing Moana Pasifika in the final round of the Super Rugby Pacific regular season.

Palu Sekona captained the Wallaroos at the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup in England, with the Australians making the quarter-finals at the record-breaking event. At club level, the backrower collected Super Rugby Women’s Player of the Year honours in 2024.

“I’m honoured to once again lead the Brumbies in 2026,” Palu Sekona said.

“It’s not lost on me what a huge honour it is to lead this team. We are building a really special team here in Canberra and when you look at the talent we’ve got, there’s no ceiling for the potential of this group.”

Tania Naden and Ella Ryan have been included in the leadership group at the Brumbies, along with the 2025 Wallaroos Player of the Year Tabua Tuinakauvadra. Ash Bishop, Merania Parone, Bonnie Brewer, Manu’a Moleka and Ranya Ellis have also been selected.

The Brumbies have named a stacked squad ahead of the five-round season, which includes the recent 25-Test Japanese international Wako Kitano. Kitano was unveiled as a new addition to the squad last week, before lining up in a trail that weekend.

Former Wallaroos and Queensland Reds wing Ivania Wong, who was one named the Super Rugby Women’s Player of the Year, is one of the headline-grabbing off-season additions to this squad, which is stacked with international experience.

Fiji international Iris Verebalavu and Spain’s Anne Fernandez de Corres both add invaluable experience to the side, that includes multiple current Wallaroos. Palu Sekona captained the Brums in their most recent trial against the Western Force last weekend.

“We know we are at our best when Siokapesi is leading from the front” Brumbies coach James Erwin said.

“Rugby in Australia, is blessed to have someone of her calibre and character continuing to be a beacon for everything that’s great about our game. She exemplifies everything we talk about as being a Brumby, and there’s not a player in our building with more pride to wear a ‘Brumby on their chest’ ”

“The leadership group we have around her forms the nucleus of our squad and obviously sets us up for success in 2026 and beyond.”