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Australia women's national rugby union team

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For the men's team, see Australia national rugby union team. For the women's sevens team, see Australia women's national rugby sevens team.

Australia
Shirt badge/Association crest
NicknameWallaroos
EmblemWallaroo
UnionRugby Australia
Head coachJoanne Yapp
CaptainMichaela Leonard
Most capsLiz Patu[citation needed]
Home stadiumBallymore Stadium, Brisbane, Queensland[1]
First colours
World Rugby ranking
Current5 (as of 4 September 2023)
Highest3 (January 2004)
Lowest7 (January 2009)
First international
 Australia 0–37 New Zealand 
(Sydney, Australia; 2 September 1994)
Biggest win
 Samoa 0–87 Australia 
(Apia, Samoa; 8 August 2009)
Biggest defeat
 New Zealand 64–0 Australia 
(Auckland, New Zealand; 22 July 1995)
 New Zealand 67–3 Australia 
(Auckland, New Zealand; 22 October 2016)
World Cup
Appearances6 (First in 1998)
Best result3rd place, 2010
Websitewallaroos.rugby
Australia at the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup.

The Australia women's national rugby union team, also known as the Wallaroos, has competed at all Women's Rugby World Cups since 1998, with their best result finishing in third place in 2010.

Australian women have been playing rugby since the late 1930s, in regional areas of New South Wales. In 1992 the first National Women's Tournament was held in Newcastle, NSW. The following year the Australian Women's Rugby Union was established, and it was declared that the national women's team would be called the Wallaroos. It was chosen because it was the name of one of Australia's oldest clubs, the Wallaroo Football Club, which was formed in 1870.[2]

History

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Origins

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Women had begun playing rugby in Australia hand-in-hand with the expansion of the game, with the earliest documented matches in the regional areas of New South Wales during the late 1930s.

As the popularity of men's rugby expanded internationally in the 1970s and 1980s, the appetite for international women's sides grew following the inaugural men's Rugby World Cup in 1987.

Following the first women's rugby union Test match in 1982 and the inaugural Women's Rugby European Cup in 1988 that saw Great Britain, France, the Netherlands and Italy play, the British side was replaced by their regional sides, with England and Wales playing their first matches in 1987, before being joined by Canada and the United States later that year. The Black Ferns followed in 1990 - culminating in the inaugural Women's Rugby World Cup in 1991.

In Australia, the first National Women's Tournament was held in Newcastle, NSW in 1992 - and finally, in 1993, the Australian Women's Rugby Union was formally established, with the organisation selecting the name ‘the Wallaroos’ as the moniker of the new national Women's side, named after one of the oldest clubs in Australia that participated in the Sydney/NSW competition, which later became the Shute Shield.

1990s: early years

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The Wallaroos played their first international in 1994 against New Zealand.[2] The match was played at North Sydney Oval, and New Zealand won the game 37-0. Karla Clay became the holder of Wallaroos Cap number one, which was retrospectively presented following the commencement of the Wallaroos caps program in 2008.

Initial matches in the opening years would take the form of single annual Test matches against the Black Ferns, marking the start of the Laurie O'Reilly Cup which is contested to this day between the two sides. The Wallaroos would play their first non-Trans Tasman match in 1997, against the United States.

The Wallaroos played 11 Tests during the 1990s, placing fifth at their first World Cup appearance in 1998 in the Netherlands, and winning their first-ever Test match against Ireland in their opening game of that tournament, 21-0.

2000s

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Progress was slow for the Wallaroos in terms of game time and development throughout the 2000s, with the side playing 16 Test matches during the 2000s, mostly during World Cups.

They replicated their fifth-placed World Cup finish at the 2002 event in Barcelona, Spain - which included inaugural victories against Wales, Scotland, South Africa - and most notably, 1991 World Cup champions the United States.

The side would play no Tests between the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, with the side finishing in 7th at the 2006 World Cup in Canada. Test matches against the Black Ferns would resume in 2007, before, under new coach John Manenti the Wallaroos would pick up their biggest win ever in their history during qualification for the 2010 Rugby World Cup, defeating Samoa 87-0.

2010s: growth and promise, revamped domestic competition

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Under Manenti, the Wallaroos had their best-ever World Cup to date at the 2010 World Cup in England, finishing runner-up in Pool A but still qualifying for the semi-finals for the first time. While they would fall in their semi-final 15-0 to hosts England, they would go on to defeat France for the first time, prevailing 22-8 at the Twickenham Stoop to finish in third place.

However, after Manenti's departure, the side would not play any further matches for another four years, with Paul Verrell coming in as coach in 2013. In 2014, The Wallaroos played two Test matches in New Zealand against the Black Ferns and North American outfit, Canada. Although losing both of these matches, the Wallaroos took this experience into the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup.

The Australian team was second in the pool stage behind host team France and was narrowly defeated by the United States in the first playoff, but beat Wales in their last match to finish the tournament in seventh place.

The side would pick up more Test matches throughout the latter half of the 2010s as the women's rugby program continued to expand, with a sixth-placed finish at 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup.

2018 would see the launch of the Super Rugby Women's competition - at the time branded Super W - replacing the National Women's Championship as the Wallaroos prime national competition and aligning with the men's state Super Rugby sides. This would kick-start the growth of the professional women's program over the next decade.

2020s: towards full professionalism, first major title

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The 2020s would start frustratingly for the Wallaroos, with all planned test matches in 2020 and 2021 cancelled due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the planned 2021 World Cup in New Zealand pushed back a year.

However, things would bounce back quickly with World Rugby announcing increased investment in the Women's game and the launch of the new tiered WXV competition, plus sanctioning a new tournament in the Pacific which became the annual Pacific Four Series played between Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States.

With the arrival of a new coach in Jay Tregonning and the inclusion of the Fijiana Drua in Super Rugby Women's, momentum around the Wallaroos began to pick up, with 2022 marking the first time in their history the team had a full international calendar.

After defeating Fiji in their first clash of 2022 - a clash that has since become an annual fixture, the Wallaroos would go on to finish last in the inaugural Pacific Four Series. However, the side saw notable improvement, achieving their best result so far against the Black Ferns in Adelaide in the Laurie O'Reilly Cup, eventually falling 22-14.

Australia played the opening match of the 2021 Rugby World Cup, stunning New Zealand by running in the first three tries and leading at halftime. However, the experience of the hosts - and eventual champions - shone through, going on to win 41-17. Despite this, the Wallaroos reached the quarter-finals after defeating Scotland and Wales in the group stages, before going down to runners-up England 41–5 in Auckland. 2022 would also see Australia announced as host for the 2029 Rugby World Cup.

2023 continued to show promise for the Wallaroos, finishing third in the Pacific Four Series and qualifying for the inaugural WXV 1 tournament. They would go on to enjoy a strong campaign, finishing in third and defeating Six Nations runners-up France.

2024 saw massive changes for the Wallaroos. Tregonning departed as head coach, and he was replaced by former England international Joanne Yapp, who became the first full-time coach for the national side. The year also saw substantial growth in the number of Test matches, tour matches for Super Rugby Women's sides, and player contracts at the national and domestic level, with the first fully professional contracts provided.

However, the year would be one of ups and downs on the field, picking up the wooden spoon in the 2024 Pacific Four Series and losing their qualification for WXV 1. Heavy losses to the Black Ferns also followed, and in their inaugural end-of-year tour, the side sustained their first-ever loss to Wales.

However, Yapp's side would finish the year with several historic firsts, picking up their largest-ever win at home defeating Fiji 64-5. The year culminated in the team's first-ever major title, being crowned 2024 WXV 2 Champions after going undefeated in the tournament in South Africa, which also saw the side qualify for the 2025 Rugby World Cup.[3][4]

Records

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Women's
World Rugby Rankings
Top 20 rankings as of 25 November 2024[5]
Rank Change* Team Points
1 Steady  England 97.56
2 Steady  Canada 89.31
3 Steady  New Zealand 88.64
4 Steady  France 85.11
5 Steady  Australia 78.10
6 Steady  Ireland 78.03
7 Steady  Scotland 76.82
8 Steady  Italy 74.75
9 Steady  United States 74.20
10 Steady  Wales 72.58
11 Steady  Japan 66.41
12 Steady  South Africa 66.18
13 Steady  Spain 65.42
14 Steady  Russia 61.10
15 Steady  Samoa 60.56
16 Steady  Netherlands 60.20
17 Steady  Fiji 59.14
18 Steady  Hong Kong 56.20
19 Steady  Kazakhstan 55.23
20 Steady  Sweden 52.72
*Change from the previous week


Rugby World Cup

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Main article: Australia women at the Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
Year Round Pos GP W D L PF PA
Wales 1991 Did not enter
Scotland 1994
Netherlands 1998 Plate final 5th 5 3 0 2 84 70
Spain 2002 Fifth play-off 5th 4 3 0 1 80 41
Canada 2006 Plate semi-final 7th 5 2 0 3 114 89
England 2010 Third play-off Third 5 3 0 2 115 38
France 2014 Plate semi-final 7th 5 3 0 2 104 49
Ireland 2017 Fifth play-off 6th 5 2 0 3 94 149
New Zealand 2021 Quarter-final 5th* 4 2 0 2 49 101
England 2025 Qualified
Australia 2029 Automatically qualified as host
United States 2033 TBD
Total 7/9 3rd† 33 18 0 15 640 537
  Champion   Runner-up   Third place   Fourth
* Tied placing † Best placing Home venue

Overall

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See also: List of Australia women's national rugby union team matches

(Full internationals only)

Summary of matches, updated to 12 October 2024:

Opposition First P W D L %
 Canada 2014 6 0 0 60%
 England 1998 7 0 0 70%
 Fiji 2022 3 3 0 0100%
 France 1998 6 2 0 433%
 Ireland 1998 5 3 0 260%
 Japan 2017 4 3 0 175%
 New Zealand 1994 27 0 0 270%
 Samoa 2009 1 1 0 0100%
 Scotland 1998 4 4 0 0100%
 South Africa 2006 4 4 0 0100%
 Spain 1998 1 1 0 0100%
 United States 1997 8 2 0 625%
 Wales 2002 8 7 0 187%
Summary 1994 84 30 0 5435.71%

Players

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Current squad

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Head Coach, Joanne Yapp, announced the Wallaroos 30-player squad for their European tour and WXV 2 on 2 September.[6]

Player Position Date of birth (age) Caps Club/province
Lori Cramer Fullback (1993-03-08)8 March 1993 (aged 31) 23 Australia Queensland Reds
Biola Dawa Wing (2000-11-05)5 November 2000 (aged 23) 2 Australia ACT Brumbies
Lucy Dinnen Flanker (1993-02-09)9 February 1993 (aged 31) uncapped Australia Western Force
Ashley Fernandez Lock (2002-10-24)24 October 2002 (aged 21) uncapped Australia ACT Brumbies
Georgina Friedrichs Centre (1995-04-14)14 April 1995 (aged 29) 24 Australia NSW Waratahs
Sally Fuesaina Prop (1992-02-15)15 February 1992 (aged 32) 3 Australia ACT Brumbies
Caitlyn Halse Utility back (2006-09-18)18 September 2006 (aged 18) 2 Australia NSW Waratahs
Brianna Hoy Prop (2000-07-07)7 July 2000 (aged 24) 8 Australia NSW Waratahs
Eva Karpani Prop (1996-06-18)18 June 1996 (aged 28) 27 Australia NSW Waratahs
Lydia Kavoa Number 8 (1993-11-08)8 November 1993 (aged 30) 1 Australia ACT Brumbies
Atasi Lafai Lock (1994-07-24)24 July 1994 (aged 30) 14 Australia NSW Waratahs
Kaitlan Leaney Lock (2000-10-10)10 October 2000 (aged 23) 20 Australia NSW Waratahs
Michaela Leonard (c) Lock (1995-03-06)6 March 1995 (aged 29) 27 Australia Western Force
Ashley Marsters Hooker (1993-11-02)2 November 1993 (aged 30) 29 Australia Melbourne Rebels
Arabella McKenzie Fly-half (1999-03-01)1 March 1999 (aged 25) 26 Australia NSW Waratahs
Desiree Miller Wing (2002-01-13)13 January 2002 (aged 22) 7 Australia NSW Waratahs
Tiarah Minns Lock (2001-04-06)6 April 2001 (aged 23) uncapped Australia Melbourne Rebels
Faitala Moleka Fly-half (2005-01-29)29 January 2005 (aged 19) 11 Australia ACT Brumbies
Tiarna Molloy Hooker (1998-11-08)8 November 1998 (aged 25) 3 Australia Queensland Reds
Layne Morgan Scrum-half (1999-04-20)20 April 1999 (aged 25) 26 Australia NSW Waratahs
Tania Naden Hooker (1992-02-20)20 February 1992 (aged 32) 15 Australia ACT Brumbies
Leilani Nathan Flanker (2000-07-20)20 July 2000 (aged 24) 7 Australia NSW Waratahs
Alapeta Ngauamo Prop (1989-07-11)11 July 1989 (aged 35) uncapped Australia Western Force
Bridie O'Gorman Prop (1998-12-08)8 December 1998 (aged 25) 22 Australia NSW Waratahs
Siokapesi Palu Flanker (1996-10-15)15 October 1996 (aged 27) 11 Australia ACT Brumbies
Trilleen Pomare Centre (1993-04-05)5 April 1993 (aged 31) 29 Australia Western Force
Cecilia Smith Centre (1994-03-13)13 March 1994 (aged 30) 15 Australia Queensland Reds
Maya Stewart Wing (2000-03-14)14 March 2000 (aged 24) 11 Australia NSW Waratahs
Tabua Tuinakauvadra Back row (2002-12-27)27 December 2002 (aged 21) 6 Australia ACT Brumbies
Natalie Wright Scrum-half (2002-09-08)8 September 2002 (aged 22) 2 Australia Queensland Reds

Notable players

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Main article: List of Australian women's national rugby union players

Cheryl McAfee is the first Wallaroo to be inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2021.[7][8] She led the Australian women's sevens team in the inaugural Women's Rugby World Cup Sevens competition that was held in Dubai in March 2009.[8] Later that year, she was invited by World Rugby to become a member of the bid team that successfully campaigned for the inclusion of rugby sevens in the Olympics. She also captained the Wallaroos from 2006 to 2010, including at the 2010 Rugby World Cup where they achieved their best result of third place.[8]

Previous squads

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Award winners

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The following Australia players have been recognised at the World Rugby Awards since 2001:[9]

Captains

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Captain Years Ref
Piper Duck 2023– [10]
Grace Hamilton 2019 [11]
Liz Patu 2018 [12]
Sharni Williams 2017
Shannon Parry 2017, 2022–23 [13]
Ash Hewson 2016
Dalena Dennison 2014
Tui Ormsby 2014
Chris Ross 2010
Cheryl Soon 2006–2010
Selena Worsley 2002
Louise Ferris 2001
Nicole Wickert 1998–2000
Helen Taylor 1994-1995

Coaches

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Name Tenure Tests Won Drawn Lost Win% Ref
Col Spence 1994 1 0 0 1 0% [14]
Bob Hitchcock 1995–1998 10 3 0 7 30.0% [15][16]
No appointment (Sep 1998–c. Dec 2000)
Don Parry c. 2000–2002 6 2 0 4 33.33% [17]
No appointment (Jul 2002–Jun 2005)
Steve Hamson 2005–2008 9 2 0 7 22.22%
John Manenti 2009–2010 6 4 0 2 66.66%
No appointment (Oct 2010–Aug 2013)
Paul Verrell 2013–2017 17 5 0 12 29.41% [18]
Dwayne Nestor 2018–2021 6 2 0 4 33.33% [19]
Jay Tregonning 2021–2023 19 8 0 11 42.10% [20]
Joanne Yapp 2023–present 10 4 0 6 40.0% [21][22]

As of 12 October 2024.

Honours

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Australia A

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In 2022, as part of their Australian tour, a female Australian Barbarians side played Japan, with the visitors winning 24-10.[23]

In 2024, Rugby Australia announced the launch of a new Australia A program. Similar to the Australia A national rugby union team for the men, the side serves as a development team for Super Rugby Women's players transitioning to the Wallaroos. They would play their inaugural match against Samoa, losing 20-17.[24]

Date Venue Opponent Score Notes
6 September 2024 Apia Park, Apia  Samoa 17–20 [25]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Ballymore Update - April 2022". Reds Media Unit. 12 April 2022. Archived from the original on 6 August 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Our History - Buildcorp Wallaroos". wallaroos.rugby. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  3. ^ Grey, Lachlan (12 October 2024). "Champions: Wallaroos down 13-woman Scotland in WXV2 decider". wallaroos.rugby. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  4. ^ "WXV 2: Australia beat Scotland to claim title at first attempt". www.world.rugby. 12 October 2024. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  5. ^ "Women's World Rankings". World Rugby. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
  6. ^ Williamson, Nathan (1 September 2024). "Wallaroos squad confirmed for European Tour, WXV 2". wallaroos.rugby. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  7. ^ Williamson, Nathan (27 October 2021). "Wallaroos and Sevens legend Cheryl McAfee inducted into World Rugby Hall of Fame". www.rugby.com.au. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  8. ^ a b c "Cheryl McAfee". www.world.rugby. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  9. ^ "Awards Roll of Honour - World Rugby". www.world.rugby. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  10. ^ "Piper Duck announced as 2023 Wallaroos captain". wallaroos.rugby. 16 May 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  11. ^ Robinson, Georgina (21 June 2019). "Amazing Grace: New Wallaroos captain's rapid rise to the top". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 23 June 2019.
  12. ^ Tiernan, Eamonn (13 August 2018). "Kiwi-born Liz Patu named new Wallaroos skipper". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 5 March 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  13. ^ Payten, Iain (5 May 2022). "Eleven new faces in Wallaroos team as frantic World Cup race begins". The Age. Archived from the original on 10 May 2022.
  14. ^ Nix, Alwyn (26 August 1994). "Wallaroos will have a few surprises". The Canberra Times.
  15. ^ "Aust slips in Otago". The Canberra Times. 16 July 1995.
  16. ^ "Teams: Australia". Women's Rugby World Cup. 1998. Archived from the original on 24 August 2006. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  17. ^ "Women's Rugby World Cup: Pool A". International Rugby Board. 2002. Archived from the original on 5 August 2002. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  18. ^ "Team Profile: Australia". Irish Rugby. 26 June 2017. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  19. ^ Decent, Tom (13 February 2018). "New Wallaroos coach Dwayne Nestor says hosting 2021 Women's Rugby World Cup would be a 'fairytale'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax. Archived from the original on 13 February 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  20. ^ Williamson, Nathan (14 September 2021). "Jay Tregonning appointed Wallaroos coach". rugby.com.au. Archived from the original on 14 September 2021.
  21. ^ "Yapp makes history as new Wallaroos head coach". BBC Sport. 12 December 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  22. ^ Williamson, Nathan (12 December 2023). "Wallaroos announce Jo Yapp as new full-time head coach". Rugby Australia. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  23. ^ "Japan hold on for victory over Barbarians". rugby.com.au. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  24. ^ "Monster penalty goal sinks Australia A as Samoa win last-minute thriller". rugby.com.au. 16 September 2024. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  25. ^ "Monster penalty goal sinks Australia A as Samoa win last-minute thriller". rugby.com.au. 16 September 2024. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
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