Wallaroos name teenage sensation Waiaria Ellis to debut against Black Ferns as World Cup looms

A big-stepping 17-year-old former gymnast has been drafted into Australia’s women’s rugby team, as the Wallaroos hope to end a 28-match losing streak against New Zealand as part of preparations for next month’s World Cup.

Waiaria Ellis – at 17 years and 305 days – will become the second youngest Australian player when she takes the field against the Black Ferns in Wellington on Saturday.

The winger has played rugby league, Oztag and touch football in her youth, and has established a reputation for speed, agility and ball-playing since debuting for the Waratahs last year as a 16-year-old.

Ellis was selected in an Australian representative team in gymnastics in 2022. It was the same year she played her first game of 15-a-side rugby union, highlighting her meteoric rise.

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“[Wallaroos coach Jo Yapp] said she has a lot of confidence in me just to go out there and back myself,” Ellis said. “I’ve been learning heaps off the girls, so I know that they’ve got my back, and I’ve got theirs.”

The teenager, whose family has Australian and Māori connections, will become the second youngest debutant after her Waratahs teammate Caitlyn Halse, who was 63 days younger when she debuted last year.

Ruby Anderson, 18, also made her Wallaroos bow against the USA earlier this year as Yapp continues to introduce new faces into the squad with one eye on the 2029 World Cup to be hosted in Australia.

Ellis often goes by “Baba”, a nickname coined by her parents. “As I started playing sport, my coaches couldn’t really say Waiaria so my parents would just be like, ‘yeah, just call her Baba,’ and it’s just stuck,” she explained.

Yapp said Ellis has displayed a “real maturity” in her time in Wallaroos camp. “She’s a really exciting young player with a great skill set, so she’s very deserving of this opportunity.”

On the field, Ellis caught the eye with her display against Samoa’s national team Manusina for Australia A two weeks ago where she scored a try and looked elusive.

After this week’s New Zealand clash, the Wallaroos have two matches at home against Wales before their first World Cup fixture in Manchester against Samoa on 23 August. Their final group game is against the imposing English in Brighton on 7 September.

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A group of six Australian rugby sevens representatives, including Maddison Levi, aborted plans to play for the national team in the 15-a-side format this year, but Tia Hinds – who will start at fly half against New Zealand – and outside centre Charlotte Caslick are committed to the transition and remain in contention for the World Cup squad.

The Australians are ranked sixth in the world, but must improve if they are to compete with women’s XV juggernauts England and New Zealand. Those teams have won the past eight World Cups, while Australia prioritised developing its women’s sevens program over the traditional format.

The Wallaroos lost to the Black Ferns 38-12 in May, extending their record against New Zealand to 28 losses from 28 games. Yapp, who will step down as coach after the World Cup, said there was still a gap between the nations.

“We’re just making sure that every time we play them, we’re improving on our performance against them,” she said. “We’re excited to see how the girls step up on Saturday.”

Wallaroos: Faliki Pohiva, Tania Naden, Bridie O’Gorman, Kaitlan Leaney, Michaela Leonard, Siokapesi Palu (c), Ashley Marsters, Tabua Tuinakauvadra, Layne Morgan, Tia Hinds, Desiree Miller, Trilleen Pomare, Charlotte Caslick, Waiaria Ellis, Faitala Moleka. Substitutes: Adiana Talakai, Lydia Kavoa, Asoiva (Eva) Karpani, Annabelle Codey, Piper Duck, Emily Chancellor, Samantha Wood, Cecilia Smith.

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