Cricket Victoria has announced Nicole Faltum as captain of the Victorian Women’s team for the 2026/27 season, with Rhys McKenna to continue as vice-captain. The appointment reflects both Faltum’s continued growth as a leader and the program’s commitment to building a connected, accountable and player-led environment ahead of the new season. Having previously led Victoria […]
Cricket Victoria has announced Nicole Faltum as captain of the Victorian Women's team for the 2026/27 season, with Rhys McKenna to continue as vice-captain.
The appointment reflects both Faltum's continued growth as a leader and the program's commitment to building a connected, accountable and player-led environment ahead of the new season.
Having previously led Victoria in Sophie Molineux's absence, Faltum will begin the season as the program's official captain, providing continuity from day one of pre-season as Victoria looks to build on the reflections and learnings from last summer.
McKenna, one of the state's future leaders, will continue in her role as vice-captain having been appointed last season.
Both Faltum and McKenna have spent recent seasons learning from Sophie Molineux, whose appointment as Australia's all-format captain has created the opportunity for a new Victorian leadership group to lead the program on a full-time basis.
Molly Strano will also support the duo as a member of the leadership group. Her wealth of experience and deep understanding of successful teams and programs will provide invaluable support to the group.
Cricket Victoria Head of Female Cricket Kirby Short said the leadership appointments reflected both the evolution of the playing group and the environment the program is striving to create.
"Our growth as humans and leaders is not linear, and Nicole is a great example of that," Short said.
"One of the strongest outcomes from our review last season was the alignment that exists across the program. There is genuine clarity around the standards we want to uphold, the environment we want to create and the way we want to represent Victoria.
"Nicole has been central to those conversations. She leads with care, honesty and accountability, and she's someone who genuinely wants every player to become the best version of themselves.
"This is a group of leaders that combines experience with emerging voices. Rhys is early in her leadership journey and is eager to apply her learnings from the significant responsibility she carried last season, while Molly's experience, consistency and understanding of what it means to represent Victoria makes her an incredibly important part of this group.
"We're excited by the opportunity this leadership group has to shape our environment from day one of pre-season and continue building a program that allows people to develop and perform, whilst remaining true to themselves."
Faltum said it was a privilege to officially lead the state she has proudly represented throughout her career.
"I'm incredibly proud to have the opportunity to lead a group that is committed to growing together. This group means a lot to me, and I deeply care about the people in our changeroom," Faltum said.
"We've spent a lot of time reflecting on where we want to go as a program and what we want to stand for. There is real buy-in from everyone, and I'm excited to help create an environment where people feel comfortable being themselves while also challenging each other to improve every day.
"I believe our individuality is one of our greatest strengths. Everyone brings something different, and if we can create an environment where people feel empowered to be authentic while putting the team standards and values first, I think this will give ourselves the best chance to succeed.
"There is a real sense of pride in this playing group. We feel strongly about representing Victoria, we care about one another, and we're determined to keep raising the standards of what this team can do and become."
Victoria have commenced preparations for the 2026/27 season later this month, with Faltum and McKenna leading the program into a new chapter built on connection, performance and curiosity.
