The Queensland Reds have today announced their 2025 women’s squad with quality Wallaroos recruits Eva Karpani, Layne Morgan and Tiarah Minns plus two exciting 17-year-old tyros.
The diligent pre-Christmas work of the wider training group has paid off with a 37-strong squad now selected for the Super Rugby Women’s season.
The squad includes the dynamic extra dimension provided by five Australian sevens players with World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year Maddison Levi, sister Teagan, Charlotte Caslick, Kahli Henwood and Bella Nasser.
The recruits bolster a core of class at the Reds where Ivania Wong, Carola Kreis, Bree-Anna Browne, Carys Dallinger, Lori Cramer, Mel Wilks and others have contributed strong seasons of service.
The squad includes 13 players who have represented the Wallaroos and 12 new faces yet to pull on the maroon Queensland jersey.
“We’re delighted to be able to unveil the best 37 players we have in Queensland and all the attributes they represent,” Reds coach Andrew Fraser said.
“To have 13 players in the squad who have represented the Wallaroos shows the high-end experience of the group and a level of confidence to handle the tight situations a season throws at you.
“We are already seeing how having such role models are a real positive for the younger and newer girls in the squad.
“It’s exciting times for Queensland women’s rugby to see a squad of this calibre.”
The shot of youthful energy in the squad is best demonstrated by centre Shalom Sauaso, last year’s breakout rookie, and prop Sky-Yvette Faimalie. Both are just 17 and were team-mates in Year 12 at Ipswich State High just a few months ago.
While the recruitment of powerful 31-Test prop Karpani was announced as a coup in October, the arrival of Morgan in Queensland is far more recent.
The Wallaroos regular of 29 Tests only this month relocated to the Gold Coast with her partner.
It set in motion a link with the Reds after three Super W titles with the NSW Waratahs.
“I’m really excited and see this move to the Reds as a great challenge to take on,” Morgan said.
"I've finally finished my studies (a degree in education majoring in maths) which has given me more flexibility.
“There were some nerves around leaving something I know but nothing good ever comes from easy decisions. This will be really good for my growth as a player and I’ve already seen, in two sessions, how hard the Reds girls are working and a really good team environment.”
For Faimalie, she is already seeing the benefits of the headstart provided by being involved in the wider squad trainings since October.
“The naming of the squad is something I’ve really been looking forward to,” Faimalie said.
“I’ve definitely learnt a lot already around skills and knowledge from the experienced team-mates I’ve been training with.”
Faimalie, backrower Dillyn Blackburn, backline utility Faythe Manera, prop Jiowana Sauto, Morgan, outside back Michelle Curry, winger Piper Flynn and the Australian sevens quintet are the squad members yet to make Queensland debuts.
The superior organisation for the squad is a credit to Reds Women’s High Performance Manager Nico Andrade who came on board in April.
“To have our head coach in place since August, team staff assembled and a wider training group working for two months before Christmas enabled us to have a really good look at our playing stocks and get our selection directions in place,” Andrade said.
“It’s exciting to see this squad and the desire to deliver the best high performance program possible."
Ariana Hira (Bond University)
Bree-Anna Browne (Brothers)
Briana Dascombe (Wests)
Caitlin Urwin (University of Queensland)
Carola Kreis (Easts)
Carys Dallinger (Easts)
Charli Jacoby (TBC)
Cristo Taufua (TBC)
Deni Ross (Brothers)
Dillyn Blackburn (Wests)
Eva Karpani (Bond University)
Faythe Manera (Bond University)
Ivania Wong (Sunnybank)
Jemma Bemrose (Bond University)
Jiowana Sauto (TBC)
Layne Morgan (TBC)
Lori Cramer (University of Queensland)
Maraea Tupai (Wests)
Melanie Wilks (Bond University)
Michelle Curry (Wests)
Natalie Wright (University of Queensland)
Piper Flynn (Easts)
Renae Nona (Sunnybank)
Sarah Riordan (Brothers)
Sarah Dougherty (GPS)
Shalom Sauaso (TBC)
Sky-Yvette Faimalie (Sunnybank)
Tiarah Minns (University of Queensland)
Tiarna Molloy (Easts)
Vineta Teutau (TBC)
Zoe Hanna (Bond University)
Zophronia Setu (University of Queensland)
