Super Rugby Women: Round 1 - Brumbies stun Reds to end 2-Year wait for victory

Reigning champions NSW Waratahs made a strong start to their title defence and the ACT Brumbies snapped their 2-year winless run in dramatic fashion.

The Waratahs overcame a spirited challenge from the Fijian Drua in Sydney, while the Brumbies left it until after the final siren to edge out the Queensland Reds in Brisbane. With the competition already producing plenty of drama, Round One offered an early glimpse of what promises to be another highly competitive campaign across the land down under.

The NSW Waratahs opened their Super Rugby Women’s title defence with an entertaining 42-29 victory over the Fijian Drua at Leichhardt Oval, powered by a standout performance from Wallaroos winger Desiree Miller.

The reigning champions exploded out of the blocks, scoring four unanswered tries inside the opening 28 minutes to establish a commanding 28-3 advantage. Georgina Friedrichs crossed twice during the early onslaught, while Piper Duck and Miller also dotted down as the hosts overwhelmed the Drua with their attacking precision.

Miller was outstanding throughout, not only grabbing a brace of tries but also maintaining a perfect record from the kicking tee by landing all six of her conversion attempts. The Drua eventually found their feet and hit back through Merewairita Raitubu before half-time, cutting the deficit to 28-10 at the break and giving themselves a platform to launch a comeback.

That resurgence continued after the interval as Salanieta Yee and Vitalina Naisewa crossed for tries to reduce the gap, but every time the visitors threatened to swing the momentum their way, the Waratahs found a response. Emily Chancellor crashed over midway through the second half before Miller secured her second try of the afternoon to effectively put the contest beyond doubt.

The Drua had the final say when Josivini Naihamu crossed late after a strong finish from close range, but it was little more than a consolation as the six-time champions began their campaign with an impressive bonus-point victory.

NSW Waratahs 42 (Tries: Friedrichs 2, Miller 2, Duck, Chancellor; Cons: Miller 6)

Fijian Drua 29 (Tries: Raitubu, Yee, Naisewa, Naihamu; Cons: Vueti 3)

The ACT Brumbies ended a seven-match winless streak in dramatic fashion, with Faitala Moleka kicking a penalty after the final siren to secure a thrilling 15-12 victory over the Queensland Reds at Ballymore.

With the scores locked at 12-12 heading into the closing stages, the Reds conceded a costly breakdown penalty deep in their own territory. Moleka stepped up from directly in front and calmly slotted the winning kick, sparking jubilant celebrations among the Brumbies players.

The result handed the Canberra outfit their first victory since March 2024 and provided the perfect start to their new campaign. The Brumbies dominated territory early but struggled to convert pressure into points. Instead, it was the Reds who opened the scoring through Wallaroos prop Eva Karpani, who powered over from close range during Queensland’s first meaningful attacking opportunity.

The visitors hit back almost immediately. With Reds captain Jemma Bemrose in the sin-bin, the Brumbies capitalised through a rolling maul finished by hooker Tania Naden before former Reds flyer Ivania Wong crossed against her old side minutes later to give the visitors the lead.

Queensland responded strongly in the second half as outside centre Harmony Vatau crossed to level the scores and set up a tense finale. The Brumbies continued to push for a winner and were rewarded in the dying moments when Moleka’s composure from the tee proved decisive, sealing a memorable victory and ending a frustrating run of results.

ACT Brumbies 15 (Tries: Naden, Wong; Pens: Moleka)

Queensland Reds 12 (Tries: Karpani, Vatau; Cons: Vatau)