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Waratahs to host season opener as Super Rugby Women’s draw confirmed
By Finn Morton
Defending Super Rugby Women’s champions the NSW Waratahs will host the Fijian Drua in an opening-round blockbuster at Leichardt Oval to kick off the 2026 season, with Rugby Australia confirming the full draw on Wednesday.
Both the Waratahs home matches against the Drua on June 5 and the Queensland Reds on July 5 will be played at Leichhardt Oval in Sydney. The Women’s Super Rugby Champions Final between the Super Rugby Women’s and Super Rugby Aupiki winners will also be played at the venue.
Super Rugby Women’s was previously run earlier in the calendar year, but the season will now get underway in June and finish with the Champions Final on August 1. This aims to better align with the Wallaroos program ahead of the WXV Global Series campaign.
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The five-round regular season starts with the Waratahs against the Drua in Sydney, and the Reds hosting the ACT Brumbies at Brisbane’s Ballymore Stadium on Sunday, June 7. Both the Drua and Brumbies will return home for the second round of the season.
On June 13, the Drua will play their first home match of the campaign at King Charles Park in Nadi against the Western Force. As for the Brumbies, they are set to play the Waratahs at Canberra’s Viking Park.
Both round three matches will be played on June 20, while the fourth round consists of matches on June 27. The Brumbies play the Force in Canberra in the final regular season round on July 5, before the Waratahs take on the Reds at Leichhardt Oval.
“The release of the Swyftx Super Rugby Women’s draw for 2026 is an exciting milestone for our players, coaches and fans,” General Manager Women’s High Performance & Competitions Jilly Collins said.
“As our competition continues to evolve, its new position in the calendar is designed to help drive high performance outcomes for our clubs as well as the Wallaroos.
“Hosting the Women’s Super Rugby Champions Final in Sydney on 1 August will be a fantastic opportunity for our champions to test themselves against New Zealand’s best on home soil and further elevate the profile of the women’s game.”
2026 Super Rugby Women’s season draw
All times local
Round 1
2.05pm Saturday 6 June – NSW Waratahs v Fijian Drua – Leichhardt Oval, Sydney
1.05pm Sunday 7 June – Queensland Reds v ACT Brumbies – Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane
Round 2
2.05pm Saturday 13 June – Fijian Drua v Western Force – King Charles Park, Nadi
2.05pm Sunday 14 June – ACT Brumbies v NSW Waratahs – Viking Park, Canberra
Round 3
2.05pm Saturday 20 June – Fijian Drua v ACT Brumbies – King Charles Park, Nadi
2.05pm Saturday 20 June – Western Force v Queensland Reds – TBC, Perth
Round 4
2.05pm Saturday 27 June – Western Force v NSW Waratahs – Palmyra Rugby Club, Perth
2.05pm Saturday 27 June – Queensland Reds v Fijian Drua – Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane
Round 5
2.05pm Sunday 5 July – ACT Brumbies v Western Force – Viking Park, Canberra
4.05pm Sunday 5 July – NSW Waratahs v Queensland Reds – Leichhardt Oval, Sydney
Semi-finals
17–19 July
Grand final
24–26 July
Women’s Super Rugby Champions Final
Saturday 1 August – Leichhardt Oval, Sydney
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