Back-rower Piper Duck is set to earn her 25th Swyftx Super Rugby Women’s cap in Saturday’s Round 1 opener against the Fijian Drua on Saturday (2.05pm kick-off AEST), as the Waratahs Women seek to win their seventh title in 2026.
Wallaroo Duck, 25, made her debut in 2020 against the Rebels and became the team’s youngest-ever captain in 2023 at the age of just 22, guiding the side to title wins in both 2024 and 2025.
She is joined in the starting line-up by two debutants, the half-back combination of Piper Simons and Pleuni Kievit. The pair were ever-present thus far throughout the pre-season campaign, featuring in the 27-27 draw against this weekend’s opposition in Suva and last Saturday’s 42-18 win against the Brumbies at GIO Stadium.
On the bench there are a further four possible debutants in the shape of Grace Gillies, Taj Heald, Edie Burke and Lusiana Vesikula.
Waratahs Women’s head coach Michael Ruthven was pleased with the strength of his squad for Round 1 and praised all the debutants for their work in pre-season.
“We have named a really strong 23 for Round 1 of Swyftx Super Rugby Women’s,” Ruthven said.
“We are expecting a really tough challenge from the Fijian Drua and believe this group of players are the best to take that on.
“We are really excited for our debutants who have all earnt the opportunity to be a part of the squad for this opening round.”
There is a change in the front-row last weekend’s win in Canberra, with Brianna Hoy selected at loosehead prop in all-Wallaroo front-row alongside Adiana Talakai and Bridie O’Gorman.
In the second-row, Leilani Nathan is named at lock for her first competitive game in 428 days, after succumbing to a knee injury in last year’s 54-17 semi-final win over the Western Force in Perth. She partners vice-captain Kaitlan Leaney in the second-row.
Emily Chancellor is named at openside, on the opposite flank of Duck, who she replaced as captain in the off-season. Nicole Nathan, twin sister of Leilani, takes her place at number eight.
The same backline from last weekend will take to the field on Saturday, including the two new caps in the halves in Simons and Kievit. Simons, 20, made her Wallaroos debut against Fijiana in March after transitioning from Australia Sevens, where she first appeared in Dubai in 2024 and played in seven events that year.
Kievit, 25, arrived at the club in the off-season after playing with Georgina Friedrichs in the US last season. A Dutch international, Kievit is a former Netherlands 7s captain and player of the year that can play anywhere across the backline.
Rosie Ferguson will receive only her second Super Rugby Women’s cap at inside centre, with her last cap coming in April 2024 against the Western Force in Perth. Friedrichs is named at outside centre, with the 31-year-old winning last year’s Super Rugby Women’s Player of the Year after scoring seven tries in six games in last year’s competition.
There is an exciting back three combination with Desiree Miller, Caitlyn Halse and Amelia Whitaker taking their places. Miller comes into this year’s competition off the back of a thrilling World Cup in England in 2025, where she scored six tries in four games. Whitaker comes into this game off the back of two tries against the Brumbies last weekend on the right wing while Halse, still just 19, takes her place at full-back. The youngest-ever Wallaroo missed the Pacific Four series due to a disrupted pre-season, with niggling injuries before picking up an MCL injury playing for Easts in a club rugby game in March. She will have her sights set on an injury-free campaign and winning back a place in the Wallaroos squad for their next Test match in August.
On the bench, there are strong and experienced front-row replacements in the shape of Britt Merlo, Emily Robinson and Seneti Kilisimasi. While Martha Harvey is named as scrum-half replacement, with possible debutants Gillies, Heald, Burke and Vesikula making up the rest of the substitutes.
Get tickets for Saturday’s Swyftx Super Rugby Women’s opener against the Fijian Drua at Leichhardt Oval here.
NSW Waratahs Women v Fijian Drua Women
Round 1, Swyftx Super Rugby Women’s, Saturday 6 May, 2.05pm kick-off AEST
Leichhardt Oval, 68 Mary St, Lilyfield, NSW 2040
Starting XV:
- Brianna Hoy
- Adiana Talakai
- Bridie O’Gorman
- Leilani Nathan
- Kaitlan Leaney (vc)
- Piper Duck
- Emily Chancellor (c)
- Nicole Nathan
- Piper Simons*
- Pleuni Kievit*
- Desiree Miller (vc)
- Rosie Ferguson
- Georgina Friedrichs
- Amelia Whitaker
- Caitlyn Halse
Replacements:
16. Brittany Merlo
17. Emily Robinson
18. Seneti Kilisimasi
19. Grace Gillies*
20. Taj Heald*
21. Martha Harvey
22. Edie Burke*
23. Lusiana Vesikula*
*denotes possible debutant
