The ACT Brumbies' 2026 Super Rugby Women's campaign has come to a heart-breaking end after a 36–20 defeat to the Western Force at Viking Park, with the Queensland Reds' victory over the NSW Waratahs later in the day confirming the Brumbies would narrowly miss a place in the finals.
The Force made the perfect start after Brumbies hooker Tania Naden was shown a yellow card in the opening exchanges. Taking immediate advantage of the extra player, co-captain Samantha Wood tapped quickly from a penalty before sending Hera-Barb Malcolm Heke over in the corner for the opening try. Wood was unable to add the extras, but the visitors had an early 5–0 lead.
The Brumbies looked to respond through a deep restart from Anne Fernandez de Corres, but the Force patiently worked their way downfield with strong forward carries before spreading the ball wide to winger Adi Vani Buleki, who finished in the right-hand corner. The conversion again drifted wide as the Force extended their advantage to 10–0.
Despite the early setback, the Brumbies began to find momentum through the middle of the park. Powerful carries from Lily Bone and captain Siokapesi Palu Sekona repeatedly bent the defensive line and marched the home side into attacking territory. Play was briefly halted after a dangerous high tackle from the Force resulted in a red card, with Bonnie Brewer requiring attention following a head clash before bravely returning to the field.
The sustained pressure finally paid off just before the 20-minute mark. After several strong phases close to the line, Linda Emelio crashed over beneath the posts, allowing Merania Paraone an easy conversion to reduce the margin to 10–7.
The Force quickly wrestled back control. In the 27th minute, Wood backed herself close to the line, diving over for her side's third try before converting her own effort to give the visitors a 17–7 advantage.
The Brumbies again answered through patient build-up. Fullback Ash Bishop sparked the attack with a superb pass to winger Ivania Wong, whose powerful run carried the Brumbies within metres of the line. After several dominant carries, lock Jess Grant forced her way over to put the home side within striking distance, trailing 17–12.
Just before halftime, the visitors landed another decisive blow. Grace Freeman sliced through the defence before offloading to Atawhai Hotene, who dived over to push the Force's lead out to 24–12.
The Brumbies refused to go quietly before the break. No.8 Tabua Tuinakauvadra produced a strong return from a deep kick before Paua Lee Going raced down the touchline to set up another attacking opportunity. The home side camped on the Force line, only to be denied twice, with Palu Sekona held up over the try line before another turnover ended the threat. They headed to the sheds trailing 24–12 but with confidence after finishing the half strongly.
The Brumbies started the second half in similar fashion. After earning a penalty just outside the 22, Paraone calmly slotted it through the sticks to narrow the score to 24–15.
Momentum continued to swing the home side's way when Force prop Alapeta Ngauamo was shown a yellow card for a high tackle on Paraone immediately after the restart.
With the numerical advantage, the Brumbies attacked relentlessly. Tuinakauvadra secured clean lineout ball before Bishop burst through the defensive line to carry play deep into Force territory. Grant, Palu Sekona and Martha Fua all came close as the Brumbies laid siege to the try line, but the Force defence repeatedly stood firm, holding the home side up over the line and forcing another goal-line dropout.
The middle stages became an arm wrestle, with neither side able to establish sustained possession. Bone was immense at the breakdown, while Bishop consistently won territory with an intelligent kicking game. However, handling errors and turnovers prevented the Brumbies from capitalising on their territorial dominance.
Eventually, the Force absorbed the pressure before earning a penalty deep inside the Brumbies' half. Their driving maul proved unstoppable, crossing for another converted try to stretch the lead to 31–15.
The Brumbies answered once more despite losing Emelio to injury, with Iris Verebalavu entering the contest. Fernandez de Corres took a quick tap, weaving through defenders before finding Going, who finished brilliantly in the corner. The conversion missed, but the deficit was cut to 31–20.
The final 10 minutes were fiercely contested. Maggie Glassock made her Super Rugby Women's debut late in the contest, replacing Fernandez de Corres in the hope of sparking a comeback.
It was the Force who had the final say following a break from Nicole Leidington. Sustained pressure inside the Brumbies' 22 eventually created space for replacement Taylor Waterson to score on the siren. The conversion was unsuccessful, sealing a 36–20 victory for the visitors.
The result, coupled with the Reds' win, brings the Brumbies' 2026 Super Rugby Women's season to a close.
While they ultimately fell short of a finals berth, the side showed trademark resilience throughout Sunday's contest, reflecting the character that defined the group across 2026. The experience gained throughout the season and the continued emergence of young talent provide a strong foundation for the Brumbies to build on heading into 2027.
