Wallaroo Waiaria Ellis is set to headline an exciting contingent of future Australian rugby stars, with Rugby Australia confirming the Australian Under 18s Sevens squad and Australian Schoolgirls Sevens squad for the 2025 Global Youth 7s tournament.
Set to take place at Dilworth School in Auckland on December 19-21, the two sides are set to feature prominently, with the U18s claiming several past events.
Stream the 2025 Global Youth 7s competition here, live from 19-21 December 2025.
Australia U18s have won the tournament on three occasions in 2018, 2019, and 2023, while finishing as runners-up in 2017, 2022, and 2024.
The Global Youth 7s tournament was established in 2016 and has become a major hub for new talent in the Sevens side of the game, proving a key development pathway for Australia’s Sevens program.
In that time, 90 per cent of the full-time program have graduated from the Global Youth 7s teams, including captain Isabella Nasser, Maddison Levi, and Faith Nathan.
Both sides will go into the competition as heavy contenders, with the U18s set to be coached by Rio 2016 gold medalist and 24-capped Wallaroo, Shannon Parry, who has emerged as an exciting coaching prospect since her 2023 retirement.
The U18s side was selected from a wider squad of 45 players who attended three selection camps across the year.
The Schoolgirls' side, meanwhile, will be coached by Luke Zeremes, with the 2025 iteration marking their third appearance in the tournament, having won the competition in their inaugural appearance in 2023.
Four players will return to boost the side from last year’s campaign, including Queenslanders Billie Backus and Mia Byrnes, and Hunter Sports High School products Keira Callaghan and Ellazae Elers.
Three-capped Wallaroo Waiaria Ellis is set to headline the U18s side. Ellis made her debut in the XVs game back in July against New Zealand, becoming the second youngest debutant in Wallaroo history.
She would go on to be part of the 2025 World Cup squad that made the quarter-finals.
She will be joined by Darci Turinui, the daughter of former Wallaby Morgan Turinui, who was the leading try scorer in the recent Next Gen 7s competition.
“The Australian Under 18s team will be looking to go one better than last year after losing the final to Japan,” Rugby Australia Head of Women’s Pathways Lachlan Parkinson said in a statement.
“This has become a great rivalry with the Japanese girls after they won in 2022, before we regained the title in 2023 and they won it back in 2024.
“The Australian Schoolgirls Under 18s program is also a major part of the 7s pathway in Australia, providing additional opportunities for our elite youth players to participate in an international tournament.
“The two programs work closely together to support the development of the athletes.”
“This year's selection process was incredibly competitive, which is exactly what we want to see,” added Australian Schools Rugby Union Executive Sarah Ridgewell.
“We've assembled a squad that balances experience with emerging talent, with these student athletes having shown tremendous commitment to earning their places.
“We continue to see remarkable growth in schoolgirls 7s across Australia, with more schools embracing the format for its fast-paced and fun nature and recognising it as an accessible entry point into rugby.
“What's particularly encouraging is that schools are viewing 7s not just as a participation sport, but as a genuine pathway to high-performance school representative opportunities.”
Aimee Henry – Queensland
Charli Nikola – Queensland
Cobi Ryan-Last – NSW
Darci Turinui – NSW
Darcie Prosser-Shaw – NSW
Kaelyn Passi – Queensland
Lacey Cross – NSW
Layne Prince – Queensland
Logan Lemusu – NSW
Maddi Pomerenke – Queensland
Peyton Lefau-Fakaosilea – Queensland
Tahlia O’Brien – NSW
Waiaria Ellis – NSW
Staff:
Head Coach – Shannon Parry
Manager – Ryan Webster
Athletic Performance – Katelyn Murray
Physiotherapist – Emma Craig
Players unavailable for selection due to injury
Coco Marsters
Tekainga Enkera-Raveora
Lola Harrison
Poppi Flanders
Anika McCarthy
Billie Backus – King's Christian College, Queensland
Chloe Sivewright – Richmond River High School, NSW
Ellazae Elers – Hunter Sports High School, NSW
Georgina Hayes – Mater Dei Catholic College, NSW
Keira Callaghan – Hunter Sports High School, NSW
Lusiana Vesikula – Kingsgrove High School, NSW
Matilda Vial – Keebra Park State High School, Queensland
Matilda Richards – Mt. St Michael's College, Queensland
Mia Byrnes – The Glennie School, Queensland
Poppy Gibbons – The Glennie School, Queensland
Reese Orcher – Clayfield College, Queensland
Tiki Calliste – King's Christian College, Queensland
TJ Murray – King's Christian College, Queensland
Jenna Aiono – Copperfield College, Victoria (Shadow player)
Laura-May McGovern – Siena Catholic College, Queensland (Shadow player)
Staff:
Head Coach – Luke Zeremes - St John's College
Assistant Coach – Kieran Smith - Dubbo College Senior Campus
Manager – Sophie Shadlow - The Glennie School
ASRU Executive – Sarah Ridgewell - Matthew Flinders Anglican College
