On Saturday the NSW Waratahs women made history yet again to claim the Super Rugby Women's title for a sixth time after blowing the Queensland Reds off the park in one of their strongest performances of the season. But perhaps the most important game of their year is yet to come.
Led by an incredible display from winger and Player of the Match Desiree Miller, who easily slipped through the defence to score a try and rack up plenty of run metres, the Tahs made it two consecutive titles and remain undefeated against Australian opponents in eight seasons.
But there's been little time to celebrate with all attention turning to Thursday night's clash with Super Rugby Aupiki champions the Blues where the Tahs will be looking to continue their trend of making Australian rugby history.
In a significant moment for the women's game in Australia and New Zealand, two sides from across the ditch will face-off in the first ever Champions Final. It's important recognition of the growth of the women's game in both countries and a significant step forward, but it can't remain a one-off clash if the code is to continue developing. This is especially true in Australia.
While the Waratahs have travelled to New Zealand for preseason matches against several Aupiki teams over the last few seasons -- including facing the Blues earlier this year which finished in a thrilling 36-all draw -- this will be the first time any Australian and New Zealand teams have clashed in an official capacity and the ramifications for both competitions are huge.
After years of lobbying from the players and empty promises from Rugby Australia to expand the competition to include Aupiki or extend the competition to a home and away season, Super Rugby Women's remains a one-round competition and has even shrunk following the demise of the Melbourne Rebels at the end of the 2024 season.
Playing out the most competitive season to date over the last eight weeks, Super W has clearly gone to another level thanks to the continued investment in the talent pool by RA, but also due to the dissolution of the Rebels and the consolidation of talent across just the four remaining teams - this has also been witnessed in the men's Super Rugby Pacific competition - and it's a clear indication the game needs to continue propelling forward ahead of the 2029 Rugby World Cup, whether that be trans-Tasman expansion or a simple extended season.
In order to get the ball rolling the Waratahs need to take this opportunity on Thursday night and show both RA and New Zealand Rugby that a trans-Tasman competition is viable and will be competitive.
Tahs captain Em Chancellor acknowledged the importance of the Champions Final after her side's grand final win, telling ESPN "the most competitive team had to be on the plane" to Auckland on Tuesday and her team knows how integral this moment is for the future of the women's game in the country.
Simply turning up won't be enough for the Waratahs or Australian rugby. The Tahs must put in a complete performance to compete or even beat the Blues and give reason to the respective sporting bodies that expansion must come now.
"It's definitely important," Miller said on the Champions Final. "Not only to compete with the New Zealand side because that's where we want the competition to head, we want that merge, but to show Australia and New Zealand and potentially the world that this is where it needs to be and this is where it needs to grow, because women's rugby is only getting bigger, and we've got to jump on the ride to propel it forward.
"...You've got to work for your opportunity, and I think we showed that now, so hopefully, next year, we see a little bit of a change, and we can see that cross-Tasman competition."
It's a heavy burden for the Waratahs to undertake -- even if coach Mike Ruthven doesn't view it as such -- with the immediate future of the women's game essentially now placed on their shoulders, but given their incredible success over the last eight years and their depth of talent, no other side is in a better position to fly the flag for Australia.
"It's a really important fixture in terms of the growth and potential expansion of the competition, so it's hugely important that we go over there and compete hard and do well," Ruthven said.
"I think the fact that we went over in the preseason and had two really competitive fixtures early on and particularly the second game against the Blues which ended up 36-all is a reflection of just how close the competition is.
"We certainly don't go over there carrying any burden, I think it's just another challenge, and a challenge that's important not only for us as a club and a group, but important too for the potential growth and expansion of the competition, but we certainly don't feel a burden at all."
The competition for talent is only going to continue heating up with breakout talent Shalom Sauaso already lost to NRLW after she turned her back on what was almost certainly a Wallaroos call-up and World Cup appearance later this year, to take up a contract with the Brisbane Broncos. It's imperative the game provides incentives to stay, and while a home World Cup in 2029 is a drawcard, competition expansion will go a long way in keeping talent inside the tent. Australia isn't alone in facing this challenge with the NRLW presenting a real threat to Aupiki and the Black Ferns as well.
But expansion will do more than just protect current and fringe talent, it opens the door for the continued participation of Australian women's sevens players in the 15-player code.
Ten players from the Australian women's sevens squad put their hands up for Super W debuts in 2025 with the goal of making the Wallaroos squad and participating at the World Cup in England later this year. Only six had the opportunity to take to the pitch across two weeks in between their sevens commitments, while Charlotte Caslick paused her sevens commitments to remain at the Reds and featured in five matches.
If RA and Australia's sevens players are serious about transitioning now and into the future, expansion must be a serious consideration to give these players a real chance at pushing for international selection.
After just five weeks playing Super W Caslick is all but certain to find her name on the Wallaroos squad list, while Maddi Levi should find herself in the line-up despite missing her 15s opportunity through injury by way of her incredible try-scoring talent. And if players like Teagan Levi and Bella Nasser had seen more minutes for the Reds, they too would likely feature in the upcoming Wallaroos' Tests.
Expansion is certainly already in the sights of Levi.
"Definitely [something we want to see]," Levi said when asked about an expanded Super W competition. "Not just even for us to transition, I just think for the girls develop as players and their growth.
"It's so hard when you play four or five games to actually grow as an athlete as opposed to we play eight tournaments for sevens and you're just growing each game, so I think it'll be awesome to transition to having a longer Super W, but I also think it'll be for the players playing Super W now, to be able to get better play, games week in, week out, and just be able to develop their skills.
"I think for me, it's just playing more games and just getting bums on seats. You only grow a fan base by having people actually turn up to your games and watch your games, and that's the way you're going to grow women's sport.
"I think it'd be really cool to eventually get a Super Rugby women's fifteens where you can cross code. New Zealand is massive in the front foot of the women's fifteens games, so for us to be able to go over and play against them like the men, I think that'll be pretty exciting. It's obviously not going to happen straight away, but something to build to and obviously keep growing the game and look forward to."
Over 405k people watched the Aupiki final on New Zealand television over the weekend. The hunger for expansion is there amongst the players, coaches and fans, and for the growth of the game it is imperative. Now it's up to the Waratahs to make a statement and perhaps even more history on Thursday to take the Australian game to another level.