Wallaroos Seek World Cup Glory After Warm-Up Setbacks

The 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup is set to be the biggest and best yet, with the group stages commencing this weekend. In Pool A, hosts and world #1 England will face off against the USA, Samoa, and Australia's Wallaroos.

The Wallaroos, Australia's national women's rugby team, are ranked second in their pool and will be looking to build on their success at the 2024 WXV 2 tournament, where they were undefeated. However, the team has faced some setbacks in their warm-up matches, suffering losses to reigning champions the Black Ferns and Wales, though they did manage convincing wins against Samoa and the Dragons.

Despite these mixed results, the Wallaroos squad is one of the most experienced in recent memory, with 17 members returning from the 2022 World Cup. Amongst them are veteran players Ashley Marsters and Trilleen Pomare, who are both set to attend their third World Cups. At the other end of the spectrum, 14 athletes will be making their World Cup debuts, including 18-year-olds Caitlyn Halse and Waiaria Ellis, who are poised to break the record for the youngest Australians to compete at a World Cup.

Captain Siokapesi Palu, who was named Super Rugby's Women's Player of the Year in 2024, has been deemed fit to play after sustaining an injury in a warm-up match against New Zealand. However, the team has suffered another blow with the withdrawal of Charlotte Caslick, an Olympic gold medalist and Sevens Rugby World Cup winner, due to an ankle injury.