Australia Women

The Australia women’s rugby team is one of the southern hemisphere’s most accomplished sides. Also known by their moniker, the Wallaroos, the team is a perennial contender at international tournaments. In fact, Australia is one of only three teams to win a bronze final at the Women’s Rugby World Cup. 

Wondering how the Wallaroos are faring this season? Need to know the latest news? Or see who has been selected for the squad? Find all of your Australia women’s rugby updates, matches and scores on this page.

The Australia women’s rugby team has made their mark across seven Rugby World Cups. This began in 1998, when the Wallaroos made their debut appearance. Since then, they have contested every edition of the tournament. 

To date, the Australia women’s rugby team has hovered around the middle of the pack. Their first RWC tournament ended in a respectable fifth place, a position they repeated in 2002 and 2021. They fell to sixth in 2017 and dropped down to seventh in 2006 and 2014.

The Wallaroos exceeded expectations in 2010, when they successfully steered their way to third place. Despite losing one pool-stage fixture to their long-standing rivals, New Zealand, Australia secured their spot in the play-offs.

Unfortunately, Australia’s hopes were dashed by a dominant England. They failed to score a single point in their semi-final against the Red Roses, losing the match 15-0. Next, they met France in the bronze final. Here they were more successful. They beat the French side 22-8 and sealed their third-place finish.

Australia will compete in the 2025 Rugby World Cup. The team secured their place by qualifying for WXV 2 in 2024. The country will also host the tournament in 2029.

The Australia women’s rugby team was formed in 1993. However, the sport has a long and storied history in Australia. In fact, women’s rugby has been played in New South Wales since the 1930s – a legacy that predates the national team by 60 years. 

Fast forward to 1994, when the Wallaroos competed in their first test. Australia faced their Oceania neighbours, New Zealand, on home soil in Sydney. Sadly, this first outing was less than successful. They were dominated by the Black Ferns and lost the match 37-0. 

In the decades since, Australia has risen through the ranks. The team reached new heights in 2004, when they climbed to their highest World Rugby Ranking of all time: third. Six years later, in 2010, they achieved their best Rugby World Cup finish of third place.

Today, Australia is one of the most formidable sides in the women’s game. They pose a serious threat in the annual Pacific Four Series and they regularly advance past the pool stage at the RWC. 

A team that consistently features world-class players, there is one Wallaroo that will go down in history. Cheryl McAfee was the first Australian women’s rugby player to be inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame. Her name was added to this revered line-up in 2021, 11 years after she captained the Wallaroos at the 2010 Rugby World Cup.

The current Australia women’s rugby squad features some of Super Rugby’s biggest and brightest players. This includes captain and lock Michaela Leonard, hooker Ashley Marsters, prop Asoiva Karpani, fullback Lori Cramer and hooker Tania Naden.