Super Rugby Women’s: Jemma Bemrose becomes Queensland’s youngest female rugby captain

History has been made by Gold Coast product Jemma Bemrose after she was unveiled as the Queensland Reds’ youngest female captain. Details

Queensland Reds 2025 Super W captains Jemma Bemrose (L) and Ivania Wong. Picture: Queensland Rugby Union

History has been made by Gold Coast product Jemma Bemrose after she was unveiled as the Queensland Reds’ youngest female captain.

Remarkably, the feat comes just 12 months after Bemrose’s Super W debut in a season where she would go on to be crowned Queensland’s rookie of the year.

At just 22, Bemrose is entering rare air as she eclipses QRU Hall of Famer Selena Worsley by several months to become the youngest captain of the Queensland women’s team since their first game in 1996.

She will co-captain the side alongside Wallaroo Ivania Wong.

“It was pretty unexpected,” reflected Bemrose, who resides in Burleigh.

“My coach pulled me aside earlier in our pre-season and asked if it was something I’d ever consider, being a captain and being in leadership.

“I said I would love that and to develop into that role, that was massive and then two weeks ago he announced to our leadership group that Ivania (Wong) and I were going to be co-captains.

“It’s a huge honour, to have your coach and the staff backing you and seeing something in you, it’s a privilege. To have my teammates back me and trust me is also massive.”

Bemrose described the jump from rookie to co-captain as “hectic”, but one she was ready for.

Jemma Bemrose of the Reds in action during the round three Super Rugby Women's match between Queensland Reds and ACT Brumbies. Picture: Albert Perez/Getty Images.

“Honestly I feel ready to take those steps. I feel like I’m ready, I’m learning week in week out how to be a good leader and picking things up with the help of the coaches and the leadership girls,” Bemrose said.

“Having Ivania as my co-captain, she’s a really experienced head and such a good footy player, she leads with a lot of passion, it’s really good having her alongside me.”

The pair’s leadership journey together began on the right note on the weekend with a convincing 47-15 win over the ACT Brumbies.

“It’s good to see where we’re at in pre-season, we’ll just keep building and chipping away and I’ll keep chipping away at my leadership skills in our next trial,” Bemrose said.

The Reds are looking to bounce back from a testing 2024 campaign that entailed just one win, with backrower Bemrose set to play a key role.

The Elanora State High School graduate was a latecomer to rugby, converting from touch footy off the back of an inter-school sport opportunity.

“It was something that was completely unknown to me, I didn’t know anything about rugby union at all, I was very green and didn’t know what I was doing, but I really liked the contact and the challenge of trying a new sport,” Bemrose reflected.

She would line up for the Palm Beach Currumbin Alleygators on Friday nights in an under-17 sevens competition, before taking up the traditional format at Bond University, and progressing to the Reds from there.

“There’s always a massive step up from each level, I was a shy, quiet player last year,” she said.

“I had a lot of girls that I confided in … it was good to have people that I knew already in the system, it made it a lot smoother.

“We didn’t get the results that we wanted last year but because of that I became a lot more mentally tough.

“I’m taking what I learned last year into the season this year. It’s paying off, which is good.”

The Reds host the Western Force at Ballymore Stadium from 12.30pm Saturday in their next trial match.

Originally published as Super Rugby Women’s: Jemma Bemrose becomes Queensland’s youngest female rugby captain