Australia reveal squad for NZ tour

The 2010 Australian team

The squad includes fifteen uncapped players in the 26 names, which is no real surprise for a team that has not played any test matches at all since the third-place game at the end of the 2010 tournament.

Even more notable, despite the fact that the World Series will have finished and that there are no competing sevens commitments, is that it includes none of the sevens squad, raising the prospect that 2010 Wallaroos such as Emilee Cherry, Cobie-Jane Morgan and Sharni Williams may not be travelling to France, though it does include Tui Ormsby for what will be her fourth Women’s Rugby World Cup..

"I'm very excited about getting to represent Australia potentially in a fourth World Cup," she said. "My journey in the 2010 World Cup ended prematurely due to injury so I’m really excited to get out there again and make the most of this opportunity.

“We have got a long road ahead of us but the feeling and sense of camaraderie at the national selection camp was fantastic and I’m confident we will make everyone proud of the Wallaroos this year.”

New coach Paul Verrell believes the players selected from across the country have the potential to better that position.

"After a careful and considered process we have chosen this squad to take us not only to the Tri-Nations but bring us success at the Women’s World Cup,” he explained“I’m confident they have the potential to go better than their third place in 2010 and we have every intention of doing so.”

All 26 players will head to New Zealand in June to take part in a tri-nations tournament against the world champion Black Ferns and Canada. It is possible that changes may still be made for the World Cup in August.

The squad includes 10 players from NSW, five from Queensland, three from West Australia, two from the ACT and two from Victoria. Four representatives are also drawn from the Australian Services Rugby Union.

Australian World Cup Squad(*indicates uncapped player)

*Hayley Barclay (Queensland), Tricia Brown (Queensland), Louise Burrows (ACT), *Chloe Butler (Sydney), Cheyenne Campbell (Queensland), Rebecca Clough (Western Australia), Dalena Dennison (Queensland), *Mollie Gray (Australian Services), *Natasha Haines (Western Australia), *Alisha Hewett (Australian Services), Ashleigh Hewson (Sydney), *Ashley Marsters (Victoria), *Nita Maynard (Sydney), Danielle Meskell (Sydney), *Michelle Milward (ACT), Tui Ormsby (Sydney), *Liz Patu (Queensland), *Emily Robinson (Sydney), *Brooke Saunders (Australian Services), *Oneata Schwalger (Victoria), Rebecca Smyth (NSW), *Alexandra Sulusi (Sydney), *Kenina Terita (Sydney), Caroline Vakalahi (Australian Services), *Madeline Putz (Western Australia), Margaret Watson (NSW).