Five ACT Brumbies pathway players have been recognised among Australia's brightest young rugby talents, with each awarded a Rugby Australia Female Youth Retention Contract for 2026.
Sonrae Lui (Wing), Amy Maka (Prop), Maronay Smuts (Halfback), Isabella Trippet (Prop) and Sophia Wright (Backrow) have all been selected in the national program, with the ACT boasting five of the 26 contracts awarded across the country—second only to Queensland.
The ACT's strong representation highlights the strength of the Brumbies women's pathway, with the next generation of players continuing their progression towards the elite game.
Funded by the Australian Rugby Foundation, the Youth Retention Contracts provide direct financial support to emerging female athletes, allowing them to focus on their rugby development while bridging the gap between junior pathways and senior representative rugby.
The initiative forms part of Rugby Australia's long-term strategy to identify, develop and retain the country's top female talent ahead of the 2029 Rugby World Cup and the 2032 Olympic Games on home soil.
Rugby Australia's Director of Women's High Performance Tim Walsh said the program was an important investment in the future of the game.
"Providing a pathway for the next generation of talent both in the Sevens and XVs formats of rugby is crucial to domestic and teams in gold success.
"The group of players who have signed agreements form the base of elite talent coming through the system and together we will be able to fast-track their development into rugby at the highest level.
"These agreements allow selected players to focus on their rugby and provide a clear path towards success and pleasingly we have a range of players from four states identified."
The announcement follows the launch of Rugby Australia's NextGen XVs program, which will see the nation's leading under-16 and under-19 players come together later this year as part of the national development pathway.
The ACT Brumbies congratulate Sonrae, Amy, Maronay, Isabella and Sophia on this well-deserved recognition and look forward to following their continued development as they pursue higher honours in Brumbies colours.
