The ACT Brumbies have today confirmed their squad for the 2026 Swyftx Super Rugby Pacific competition, with several players promoted from the club’s academy system.
Chris Mickelson, Harvey Cordukes, Eli Langi, Joe Dillon and Kye Oates are all named for the first time, with Mickelson and Dillon on wider training contracts alongside Shane Wilcox, who was in last year's squad.
On the other hand, there are several senior players such as Allan Alaalatoa (146 Brumbies caps), Rob Valetini and Tom Wright (96) and Ryan Lonergan (92) all approaching major milestones for the club.
36-year-old James Slipper could also become the most-capped player in Super Rugby history, with him sitting just four appearances shy of Wyatt Crockett’s competition record (202) on 198 caps total (104 for the Reds, 94 for the Brumbies).
The squad includes nine players who have played for the Wallabies this year in Alaalatoa, Slipper, Billy Pollard, Nick Frost, Valetini, Ryan Lonergan, Tane Edmed, who has signed from the NSW Waratahs, Corey Toole and Wright. They are also joined by a further five players who have been previously capped by Australia in Blake Schoupp, Lachlan Lonergan, Cadeyrn Neville, Charlie Cale and Luke Reimer.
Head coach Stephen Larkham is looking forward to seeing how the squad’s new additions get on in 2026, citing a blend of youth and experience, with the Brumbies having reached the semi-final stage in the last four editions of Super Rugby Pacific.
“We have a lot of talent coming through that is a bit younger and shown a lot of promise in our junior rep sides,” Larkham said.
“We're very conscious that the players that we bring into the Brumbies, we want to make sure they have that potential to play at the next level, to go on and play for the Wallabies. And I feel confident that all the new signings have that potential. It's now just got to be realised.
“We do mix that youth with really good experience. And a big part of the Brumbies programme is continuity and making sure that we keep the squad together for a long period of time. We've got some experienced players there that can guide these younger players through.
“It's going to be challenging without the likes of Tom Hooper, Len Ikitau and Noah Lolesio, but it’s an exciting time where hopefully we see some of these guys put their hands up and become superstars.”
The inclusion of the five pathways players follows the announcements earlier in the year of back-row Toby Macpherson, scrum-half Dan Nelson and centre Jarrah McLeod also making the step up to the top squad from the academy for the first time.
Lock Cordukes, 21, stands at over two metres tall and started every one of our Super Rugby AUS matches this season, while also representing Australia under 20s at the World Championships in South Africa last year.
18-year-old back-row Langi captained our under-19s side this season, losing out 31-24 in the Super Rugby final against the Waratahs at Warringah Rugby Club. He also played for Australia under-20s in this year’s World Championship in Italy and won the Graham Gordon Memorial Trophy for the Best and Fairest under-20s Player at the Brumbies end of season awards.
Outside back Oates, 26, a proud Nunukul, Ngughi and Goenpul man, is a product of the Brumbies Indigenous Pathways Program and was earlier this year included in the inaugural First Nations & Pasifika XV squad to take on the British & Irish Lions.
Hooker Mickelson, 22, was named 2025 Macdougall Medallist for the best player in the John I Dent Cup, winning the competition alongside Rhys van Nek, Cordukes, Neville, Macpherson and Ollie Sapsford for Uni-Norths Owls.
Fly-half Dillon, 20, won the Super Rugby under-19s title with the Brumbies in 2024 and was part of the Australia under-20s squad this year alongside Langi and Wilcox.
Edmed, 25, has started the last three matches for the Wallabies in the pivotal number 10 position and is the only external signing for the Brumbies in 2026.
Larkham praised Edmed for his recent performances in the green and gold jersey but insists he will compete with the likes of Declan Meredith and Austin Anderson for a starting berth.
“I think he's (Tane) been good for the Wallabies. The last two games of the Rugby Championship were terrible conditions, really wet, tough to attack in and particularly as a five-eighth, almost a nightmare scenario because you're under a lot of pressure with line speed. I thought he handled those games exceptionally well,” Larkham added.
“It’s good to see Joe (Schmidt) has given him significant game time there this year and I think that's going to help his development.
“He comes down here into a fairly competitive position. We've got Declan (Meredith) and Austin (Anderson), who will be competing heavily in that space.
“It's great to have someone of Tane’s experience, his calibre, come in and challenge the group in terms of the way that we train and the quality of our training.
“He'll obviously be fighting with those other players for a starting spot each week.”
Also in the squad for 2026 are seven players from the Australia A squad that beat Japan XV 71-7 in Osaka last month – front-rowers Lington Ieli, Liam Bowron, Tevita Alatini and van Nek, back-rowers Reimer and Rory Scott and outside back Sapsford.
There are a total of 1,260 Brumbies caps among the 38-player squad for 2026.
2026 Swyftx Super Rugby Pacific squad: ACT Brumbies – (Brumby number, caps for the club)
Forwards:
Props:
Allan Alaalatoa (#171, 146 caps)
Tevita Alatini (uncapped)
Lington Ieli (#265, 8)
Blake Schoupp (#245, 29)
James Slipper (#209, 198
Rhys van Nek (#249, 34
Hookers:
Liam Bowron (#260, 8)
Lachlan Lonergan (#228, 61)
Chris Mickelson** (uncapped)
Billy Pollard (#238, 42)
Locks:
Harvey Cordukes* (uncapped)
Nick Frost (#225, 79)
Cadeyrn Neville (#223, 62)
Lachie Shaw (#258, 17)
Back-row:
Charlie Cale (#251, 18)
Eli Langi* (uncapped)
Toby Macpherson* (uncapped)
Luke Reimer (#235, 59)
Rory Scott (#232, 47)
Tuaina Taii Tualima (#262, 10)
Rob Valetini (#199, 96)
Backs:
Scrum-halves:
Ryan Lonergan (#197, 92)
Dan Nelson* (uncapped)
Klayton Thorn (#256, 8)
Fly-halves:
Joe Dillon** (uncapped)
Tane Edmed* (uncapped)
Declan Meredith (#253, 18)
Centres:
Austin Anderson (#263, 2)
Hudson Creighton (#242, 19)
David Feliuai (#267, 12)
Jarrah McLeod* (uncapped)
Kadin Pritchard (#266, 1)
Outside backs:
Andy Muirhead (#195, 108)
Kye Oates* (uncapped)
Ollie Sapsford (#240, 54)
Corey Toole (#247, 43)
Shane Wilcox** (uncapped)
Tom Wright (#213, 96)
*new addition to the squad in 2026
**wider training squad in 2026
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