The road to the 2025 Women's World Cup is underway, with the Wallaroos now in camp ahead of their July Tests - serving as their final prep for the event.
Tests against the Blacks Ferns and Wales loom, and with the World Cup set to be bigger than ever, the competition for spots in the national side has never been stronger.
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Rugby.com.au presents 'Road to England': A position-by-position breakdown of the key contenders and bolters ahead of the squad selection later in the year.
In our final article of this series, we shift to the back three, with six spots available given the make-ups of previous World Cup squads.
Kicking us off, versatile Queensland utility Lori Cramer has spent most of 2025 playing at flyhalf - but most of her career in the back three.
The Wallaroos' leading all-time point scorer, Jo Yapp should confirm the 29-capped star, given her ability to not only cover two areas of the field, but also serve as a valuable head of experience - having been in the set up since 2019.
Arguably the in-form Wallaroo right now, 'The Kid' has flourished since making her 2024 debut against the USA in Melbourne.
Nominated by World Rugby as the 2024 breakout player of the year, Halse has continued her form into 2025, her kicking game proving especially effective.
Along with a Waratahs Super Rugby Women's title, Halse's form in gold has been so strong she's kept Charlotte Caslick out of the fifteen jersey. She likely will be on the plane to England as a result.
One of the Wallaroos' most popular stars, across her 16 caps Desiree Miller has developed into one of the side's most dangerous attacking weapons.
Featuring in every match so far this year for both the Waratahs and the Wallaroos, Miller has likely done enough to sure up the left wing and secure her ticket to her first World Cup.
Part of the resurgent Queensland Reds side that made it back to the Super Rugby Women's final, Caitlyn Urwin has been knocking on the door of a Wallaroo debut, featuring in the 2024 Australia A clash against Samoa, and being called into the extended squad for the 2025 Pacific Four Series.
She will be fighting to get some game time in June and July - and with the back three among the more established parts of the Wallaroo set up, she will have her work cut out to rise up the pecking order.
Before moving into the centres against Canada, Sevens star Charlotte Caslick grew into her time in XVs - performing well as fullback for the Reds, and on the wing in gold.
She is likely to be included for her Sevens and valuable professional experience - but where she ends up playing still remains to be seen.
Making her way into the Wallaroo set up in 2024 as a handy understudy for Desiree Miller and Maya Stewart, Biola Dawa has remained part of the set up in 2025, earning her fourth cap against Canada.
Her strong form has continued at a domestic level in 2025, scoring for the Brumbies in every match of the Super Rugby Women's season - which will play into her hand for selection.
Featuring in the inaugural Australia A fixture against Samoa last year and becoming a regular part of the ACT Brumbies side, Ashlea Bishop is also in a similar situation to Caitlyn Urwin - with Wallaroo selection less a case of if, but when.
With the likes of Bienne Terita coming into the Brumbies and other Sevens stars pushing their cases in the back three, it has come at a cost to Bishop in terms of game time to be a potential bolter into the squad.
She will have to use club level to push her case for future Wallaroo representation.
Headlining Australia's successful Global Youth Sevens squad in Auckland late last year, Waiaria Ellis enjoyed a strong end to her 2024 campaign - which included being named at fullback to face Samoa in the Australia A side, and being part of the Wallaroos successful WXV 2 tour.
Coming off the bench for the majority of the Waratahs season, the 17-year-old is an outside chance to make the World Cup squad, especially with so much competition for the six spots.
An established part of the Wallaroos 2021 World Cup side, Queensland Reds co-captain Ivania Wong has been working hard to get back into the gold jersey for the last few years.
Despite being a regular starter of the Queensland side, the eight-capped Wallaroo has remained behind the likes of Desiree Miller, Maya Stewart and Biola Dawa - and with two Sevens stars also in the mix, will be an outside chance to make her second World Cup.
One of the Sevens stars who came across to play for the Queensland Reds, Kahli Henwood was released following the end of the season, returning to the Sevens circuit.
She is one of several players who have made themselves unavailable for XVs selection to rest up after the conclusion of the 2024-25 Sevens series.
Arguably one of the biggest stars in all of the Sevens rugby circuit, Madi Levi also joined the Reds for the 2025 Super Rugby Women's season - but was released back to Sevens for their final two events in Singapore and Los Angeles.
She has also made herself unavailable for the Wallaroos to rest up after the conclusion of the 2024-25 SVNS World Series.
Lastly, Maya Stewart is a race against the clock to be ready for her second World Cup, the star winger having a massive 2024 both domestically and in gold - receiving a nomination for the World Rugby Women's 15s Try of the Year.
The 2025 season has been hampered by injury, the star winger currently nursing a knee injury sustained during the Wallaroos win over Fiji.
She is expected to be match fit ahead of the World Cup - and will likely be included if she manages to get game time against New Zealand or Wales in July.
