Wallaroos rope in 7s stars to face Fijiana

Interim Wallaroos head coach Sam Needs has named 10 debutants in a 30-player squad for the upcoming Fijiana Test and Pacific Four Series.

This includes sevens duo Piper Simons and Sidney Taylor, set for their 15-a-side debuts after featuring on the SVNS World Series.

Backs Nicole Ledington, Brooklyn Teki-Joyce, Ella Ryan and Ava Wereta have also been named, with Queensland Reds back-rower Dillyn Blackburn, Western Force front-rower Zoe Elliott and ACT Brumbies lock Lily Bone.

2025 squad member Brittney Merlo comes in as well for a potential debut, following the season- ending knee injury to Katalina Amosa.

Amosa is one of several unavailable for selection, with 2025 Wallaroos Player of the Year Tabua Tuinakauvadra (knee) also ruled out, while fullback Caitlyn Halse has also been left out after a disrupted pre-season due to injury.

The Wallaroos will start their season on March 27 against Fijiana at GIO Stadium before departing for the USA.

“The squad selected has a great mix of youth and experience with 10 new faces who have been competing hard and could potentially make their debuts over the next month.” Needs said.

“We’ve had three four-day camps since the World Cup, and each camp has been highly competitive, and we want to take that momentum through to our first Test against Fijiana and then carry on into the Pacific Four series.”

The Wallaroos will assemble at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra on Friday.

Wallaroos squad to face Fiji

Dillyn Blackburn, Lily Bone, Emily Chancellor, Piper Duck, Zoe Elliott, Waiaria Ellis, Ashley Fernandez, Georgina Friedrichs, Brianna Hoy, Eva Karpani, Kaitlan Leaney, Nicole Ledington, Michaela Leonard, Brittany Merlo, Desiree Miller, Tiarah Minns, Faitala Moleka, Tania Naden, Bridie O’Gorman, Siokapesi Palu Sekona, Faliki Pohiva, Ella Ryan, Piper Simons, Cecilia Smith, Maya Stewart, Adiana Talakai, Sidney Taylor, Brooklyn Teki-Joyce, Ava Wereta, Samantha Wood.