Whitaker and Bemrose set for Wallaroos debuts against world champion Red Roses

Amelia Whitaker and Jemma Bemrose have been named to make their Wallaroos debuts against world champion England at Salford’s CorpAcq Stadium, with Australia’s director of women’s high performance Tim Walsh backing both players to handle the step up to Test rugby.

Whitaker, a 20-year-old winger with the NSW Waratahs, was named Super Rugby Women’s Player of the Year after a standout domestic season, though she missed the Champions Final against the Blues through injury. Bemrose, the Queensland Reds captain, earns her first cap from the bench alongside fellow impact players Eva Karpani and Piper Duck.

“We have picked two debutants in Amelia Whitaker and Jemma Bemrose, who both stepped up in Super Rugby this season, consistently doing their roles and earning their Test call up,” Walsh said. “As a team we are investing in the future while focusing on the present. We are looking forward to what the world champion English team will throw at us and we are ready to absorb and return with some interest.”

The Red Roses arrive having not lost a Test match since 2022, making the fixture a formidable first cap for both players.

Whitaker slots into a back three alongside Desiree Miller and Caitlyn Halse, forming an all-Waratahs combination. Club teammates Waiaria Ellis and Georgina Friedrichs also start, with Western Force scrum-half Samantha Wood and ACT Brumbies centre Faitala Moleka completing the backline.

In the forwards, captain Siokapesi Palu Sekona leads a loose trio that includes former Black Fern Pia Tapsell at blindside flanker and Lily Bone at openside. Brianna Hoy, Brittany Merlo, and Faliki Pohiva form the front row, while Kaitlan Leaney partners Michaela Leonard in the second row. Leonard, Australia’s most-capped Wallaroo in history, is just three Tests away from reaching 50 caps.

Waratahs captain Emily Chancellor is also named among the replacements, giving Australia a bench with significant Super Rugby experience to draw on against the toughest possible opposition.