Super Rugby Women's 2026 semi-finals preview: A thrilling fortnight awaits

The 2026 Super Rugby Women’s season has seen several historic moments across its entire duration. All of its narratives coalesce into a thrilling final fortnight of action, arguably the largest so far in its history.

While the Fijian Drua are expecting a big crowd at Churchill Park in Lautoka to welcome the Queensland Reds and the Western Force will host their first-ever semi-final in club history, taking on the Waratahs in a doubleheader with the Wallabies-Italy Nations Championship fixture.

The Force have an abundance of talent at their disposal, with a Wallaroos engine room in Sera Naiqama and Michaela Leonard, Allana Sikimeti at prop, Hera-Barb Malcolm Heke at hooker and Japan flanker Seina Saito completing an international-heavy set piece.

While the side will be without Wallaroos Alapeta Ngauamo and Cecilia Smith, they will call up Fijian international Jiowana Sauto, with New Zealand touch international Atawhai Hotene making her debut alongside Trilleen Pomare.

For Naiqama, who has been at the Force for the last two seasons, a chance to make history at the club is more than enough motivation – the club coming into the match on a historic three game winning streak.

“It was a huge boost for the group for us to be the first Australian team to ever beat the Waratahs,” Naiqama said.

“It just really goes to show what kind of squad and a franchise they are, to be able to hold that feat for as long as they did. All good things take time. It just so happened to be that it was our time and we rose to the occasion.

“[Now], between us and our first grand final berth stands the Waratahs, taking the Waratahs off a pedestal is the number one way to go about it.

“The messaging this week is just to stay present, stay present with each day.

“[Getting a win], the ultimate message it will send is that Western Australia is here. The Western Force is here in this competition. We’re really determined to put Western Australians on the map for the right reasons.

“I probably sound like a bit of a fraud because I’ve come over from the east coast, but the truth of the matter is Perth has given me everything I’ve asked over the past few seasons.

“I feel like it’s fitting and it is our time to lift.”

The hosts will have their work cut out, with the Waratahs getting back some of their most dangerous weapons this weekend.

Wallaroos’ top try-scorer Maya Stewart is back from an ankle injury and is one of three changes to the starting side.

Faliki Pohiva will start in the front row, while the timely return of sevens and XVs international Tia Hinds, playing for the first time at scrum-half, proves a significant threat.

Completing the changes, 16-cap Wallaroo Caitlyn Halse will return off the bench, back for the first time since Round 1 against Fiji, having also missed out the Pacific Four Series.

Despite back-to-back losses against the Force and Reds, Halse believes the results may work in the side’s favour, and sets them up well to come home strong this 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 to RugbyPass.

“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.

“I think it [the losses] takes a little bit of pressure off us.

“Not saying losing is a good thing, but for 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.

“I think that’s taken a little bit of the pressure off [to move forward]. The main message is just to keep it simple.

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

“If we do what we’ve been training for all year, that will come out and we’ll be in that final.”

Reds ready for hostile Drua reception

Sneaking into the semis thanks to their stunning win over the Waratahs in the wet at Leichhardt Oval, the Reds now have a shot at making their seventh final – a remarkable turnaround given they were the only side without a win heading into the last week.

They will have their work cut out against the minor premiers in the Fijian Drua, who will be coming in fresh off the bye, their last match being their 50-17 rout of the Reds at Ballymore.

The hosts unsurprisingly are opting for consistency, with only one change to the starting side in Litiana Vueti starting at full-back, with Ivamere Rokowati coming onto the bench.

The hosts are expected to get a bumper crowd at Churchill Park in Lautoka, with a home Grand Final the prize should the Drua prevail.

“They were absolutely massive for us when we got up over the Force,” said head coach Mike Legge.

“The crowd in that second half really picked us up, I don’t expect anything different [this weekend].

“We’re expecting a sellout this weekend, the girls deserve a sellout. We’re really looking forward to the atmosphere.”

The Reds will be looking to spoil the party, having defeated the Drua in Lautoka last year to open the 2025 season.

The visitors are unsurprisingly also opting for consistency, with an unchanged starting side and one change off the bench, with Wests’ Mary Tuaana coming in as hooker.

With Eva Karpani and Jemma Bemrose complimenting a strong set piece that includes three Wallaroos, the side will boast a lethal halves pairing in Sarah Dougherty and Lori Cramer, who will unleash Ava Wereta and Aussie Sevens star Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea in the centres.

“A lot of what we have spoken about is the internal game, the mindset. That [Waratah] win really proves it’s all mental,” Cramer said.

“It’s how you prepare, how we turn up, put bodies on the line for each other and the jersey.

“We got a lot of belief from that result in Sydney for what we face in Lautoka.”

The Reds have decided to embrace the outsider moniker, expecting to walk softly and carry a big stick with the injection of Cramer proving valuable in Sydney.

“I love how people phrase it as totally against the odds, because that’s what this team’s about,” head coach Andrew Fraser added.

“We’ve got a lot of belief in ourselves. We’ve built a campaign around being selfless in our approach. The victory at Leichhardt reinforced those values.

“Fiji at home doesn’t get any better, we take on that challenge and we look forward to it.

“We’re delighted to have Lori back into the fold. She went away and played for the Barbarians, which was testimony to her stature in the game. I liken her to being a fly in the jar, but she’s actually lightning in the bottle.”

“[It’s] our new standard now,” Charity Wightman-Beaven added.

“I love playing Fiji – they’re fast, furious, their passion for the game, I love it. I love playing them as a team.

“I’ve never been to Fiji before, I’m looking forward to testing myself, going out with the team and making ourselves proud again.”