Leonard leads Wallaroos into farewell clash as Leonard reflects on a landmark season

Michaela Leonard has described a week of deep reflection ahead of the Wallaroos’ season-closing Test in Canberra, a match that brings a full-circle moment after the side opened their 2026 campaign in the Australian capital seven months ago.

The fixture doubles as a farewell for two of Australian women’s rugby’s most enduring figures. Flanker Emily Chancellor and prop Cecilia Smith are set to depart the squad, while hooker Eva Karpani will reach 50 caps — only the second Wallaroo to do so — joining Leonard herself, who became the first Australian woman to hit that milestone when she ran out against Scotland in Edinburgh last month during the WXV Global Series.

“It’s definitely been a different week in the history of preps for Test matches,” Leonard told RugbyPass. “There’s definitely been reflection of the journey, and where the game has come in the time that myself and players like Eva and Chance have been playing.”

Leonard pointed to the sheer growth in the women’s programme as a marker of how far the game has travelled. When she made her debut in 2019, the Wallaroos played as few as two Tests a year. This season they have contested ten, a volume that is already producing a new wave of experienced players.

“We are seeing a lot of players not far off that 50 mark,” she said. “Bridie [O’Gorman]’s not far off. Kaitlin [Leaney], she’s not far off, Freddie [Georgina Friedrichs]. We’re going to start to see a lot more players playing more footy, gaining more experience and growing our depth and knowledge at the Test level as a nation.”

Despite the celebratory backdrop, Leonard was clear that the squad has not lost its competitive edge heading into the final game. Back-to-back wins have given the group confidence, but she stressed there is unfinished business on the field.

“Coming off the back of two wins has put us in a good position for this week, but there’s also a lot from last game that we want to improve,” she said. “The group’s done really well to still stay focused and treat the week as any other and really put the footy first.”

For Leonard, paying tribute to the departing players carried particular weight. She has shared a dressing room with Chancellor and Smith since her debut, and described both as embodying what it means to represent Australia.

“Emily Chancellor shows that tenfold on and off the field — the sacrifice of what it takes to put your teammates first,” Leonard said. Of Smith, she added: “She’s away from her bub a lot of the year and she does that for the team.”

Karpani’s milestone drew equally warm words. “Eva reaching 50 caps — she’s been part of this group consistently for the last eight years,” Leonard said. “Only the second to do it in our team is really special.”

The Canberra Test represents the Wallaroos’ final step in a season the 31-year-old lock described as unlike any other in the programme’s history — one that has quietly laid the groundwork for a fully professional future.