Reds chase drought-breaking Super Rugby Women’s title

Hooker Tiarna Molloy insists there’s “extra fire in the belly” for the Queensland Reds ahead of this weekend’s Super Rugby Women’s Grand Final against the NSW Waratahs. The Reds have never won this competition, and they’ll need to make more history to achieve that feat.

In the first three Super Rugby Women’s deciders, the Waratahs celebrated championship glory with wins over the Reds in 2018, 2019 and 2021. The Reds also made the Grand Final against the Fijian Drua in 2023 but were beaten 38-30.

Winger Ivania Wong has been part of all four Grand Final-losing sides. For the Reds to do what they’ve never done before, they’ll also need to become the first Australian side ever to beat the Waratahs Women.

The Waratahs have been supremely dominant in the history of this competition, with the women in sky blue claiming five championships already. This season, they were beaten by the Drua in the opening round before a last gasp win over the Western Force the following week.

With the Tahs defeating the Reds earlier this season – and quite convincingly in the end, too – the defending champions will be favoured to go back-to-back in front of their home fans at North Sydney Oval on Saturday afternoon.

But don’t count the Reds out just yet.

“The commentators keep saying the Waratahs have never been beaten by another Australian team,” Molloy said.

“That definitely puts extra fire in the belly but all minds are focused on what we need to do as a team to get the job done.”

After a hard-fought 54-40 win over the Fijian Drua in last Saturday’s semi-final, the Reds have made two changes to the pack for the big one. Co-captain Jemma Bemrose has been ruled out with an ankle injury, and backrower Sarah Riordan has also been deemed unavailable.

Bree-Anna Browne joins Molloy and Eva Karpani in the front row, while Tiarah Minns and Vineta Teutau are the locking duo. Rounding out the forwards is the loose trio of Zoe Hanna, Carola Kreis and Maraea Tupai.

Halfback Layne Morgan joins co-captain Lori Cramer in the halves, while Shalom Sauaso will link up with Faythe Manera in the midfield. Ivania Wong – who is the other co-captain for the Grand Final – and Caitlin Urwin are the two wings, while Charlotte Caslick starts at fullback.

“Some past teams would not have held on when the Fijian Drua came back hard at us in the second half. We didn’t just hold on, we punched back with two tries,” Molloy reflected about the semi-final win over the Drua.

“That’s just one part of the growth of the team this season.”

The Super Rugby Women’s Grand Final at North Sydney Oval will get underway at 2:35 pm AEST on Saturday afternoon.

Queensland Reds team to take on NSW Waratahs in Super Rugby Women’s Grand Final

1 Bree-Anna Browne
2 Tiarna Molloy
3 Eva Karpani
4 Tiarah Minns
5 Vineta Teutau
6 Zoe Hanna
7 Carola Kreis
8 Maraea Tupai
9 Layne Morgan
10 Lori Cramer (cc)
11 Ivania Wong (cc)
12 Shalom Sauaso
13 Faythe Manera
14 Caitlin Urwin
15 Charlotte Caslick
Reserves: 16 Zophronia Setu, 17 Cristo Taufua, 18 Charli Jacoby, 19 Deni Ross, 20 Dillyn Blackburn, 21 Nat Wright, 22 Carys Dallinger, 23 Piper Flynn