Super Rugby Women: Western Force to begin season in new timeslot of June - but still no home-and-away format

Western Force’s Super Rugby Women season will look different next season after Rugby Australia announced the league would be pushed back by three months. However, there is still no extension to the league season, with the truncated competition continuing to exist as a seven-week tournament including finals games. The national governing body have announced an overhaul of their women’s calendar, which will ensure a steady stream of games from March to October. It means the Super W season will now start in June and finish in August, with the Wallaroos to play four Tests in the lead-up to the domestic competition, followed by six matches afterwards. But an expansion to the five-team competition’s season to a full home-and-away format has not been forthcoming — despite calls for a longer season to be instituted as Australia prepares to host the 2029 World Cup. It means the Force will continue to play just five rounds, with the top four qualifying for a two-week finals competition and the grand final champions facing off against the winner of New Zealand’s Super Rugby Aupiki. The Wallaroos will play for home matches in 2026 against Fiji, New Zealand two October clashes with Scotland. They will also travel to North America for the Pacific Four competition against the USA and Canada, with a game against New Zealand to round out the series. Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh said the Test schedule was the first step in the Wallaroos’ preparation for the next World Cup. “The road to the 2029 World Cup in Australia begins now for the Wallaroos and the schedule for the next 12 months allows the squad to build a solid base,” he said. “Having a consistent 10 Test matches each year for the next three years provides stability at the international level for the players to get quality matches in. “The opportunity to travel to the US and Europe provides vital experience for the squad, while we look forward to hosting Scotland on home soil for the first time.” Rugby Australia general manager of women’s rugby Jilly Collins said it was shaping up to be a pivotal year for the national team. “Following the incredible Rugby World Cup in England, it’s fantastic to confirm a bumper year for the squad, featuring notable firsts like an outbound tour of the USA and the inbound series against Scotland,” she said. “A huge amount of work has gone on behind the scenes with World Rugby and other unions to reshape the women’s calendar and secure world-class opposition for the next four years as part of the WXV Global Series. “While there is plenty more to do, this is another key building block as we build towards 2029.”