Rugby World Cup Wallaroo joins Western Force after breakout season

Wallaroos hooker Katalina Amosa has signed with a new club for the 2026 Super Rugby Women’s campaign, joining the Western Force after a breakout two-season stint with the ACT Brumbies.

Amosa, who is the younger sister of Wallabies hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa, debuted for the Wallaroos against Fijiana in May and was later selected to represent Australia at the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup in England.

The 23-year-old made nine appearances for the Wallaroos in 2025, featuring in every Test except for two. Amosa played 46 minutes and scored one try in Australia’s record-setting 73-0 win over Samoa to start their World Cup campaign.

Coach Jo Yapp reshuffled the front row for the Wallaroos’ decisive pool stage match against the USA Women’s Eagles, with Tania Naden promoted to the run-on side at hooker. Amosa came off the bench in that match, with the two teams held to a 31-all draw in a thriller.

Adiana Talakai and Naden were preferred for the team’s final pool match against tournament hosts England, before Amosa returned to the fold in the quarter-finals. Amosa played 57 minutes off the pine in a defeat to eventual finalists Canada in Bristol.

“Kat is a really exciting signing. She had a breakout Wallaroos season last year,” Force head coach Dylan Parsons said in a statement.

“She’s still experiencing the change in position from back row to hooker. Kat is learning her craft as a hooker and still has a huge amount of potential.

“We’re already seeing some really good changes since she has arrived, which is exciting signs for what she can do at the Force.”

Amosa began playing rugby sevens in 2016 before shifting to the 15-player format two years later. The front-rower would later debut for the Brumbies in 2024, but was sidelined by a significant knee injury that season.

The Southern Districts product returned to Super Rugby Women’s earlier this year, starting twice in four appearances. Amosa was rewarded with a call-up to the national squad, emerging as a bolter for Wallaroos selection ahead of the World Cup.

“Kat’s a great person and fits into our Maali DNA. She’s already integrated into the environment and fitted in well with the girls,” Parsons added.

“This is another exciting signing where an international-level player is choosing the Western Force to be the program to help support their goals and ambitions.”

The Force have announced nine re-signing updates in recent weeks, starting with the key trio of Michaela Leonard, Samantha Wood and Nicole Ledington. New Zealand-born fly-half Grace Freeman will return, with Brookyln Teki Joyce and Ngamihi Monk also inking fresh deals.

Front-rowers Hera-Barb Malcolm Heke, Braxton Walker and Alapeta Ngauamo were the most recent players confirmed to have re-signed with the club. The Force are looking to build on a promising season in 2025.