Wallaroos players have lashed Rugby Australia for inequities between the women’s and men’s national programs, claiming their team have been lied to.
Current Test players took to social media to share a statement, saying it’s time for the governing body to invest properly in the women’s game and referenced the success of the Matildas, who finished fourth in the soccer World Cup.
The post came after one of the Wallabies’ partners shared a TikTok revealing her luxurious final night at the Sydney InterContinental.
The premise being that Rugby Australia flew partners to Sydney and put them up a five star hotel, while the Wallaroos and, indeed, women’s XV-a-side rugby is not yet fully professional.
Several Wallaroos players shared Instagram stories expressing their anger, saying: “The Wallabies paid for flights, their stays, and their meals at a five-star hotel in Sydney. Eddie [Jones] has more than six coaches in his program – the Wallaroos head coach [Jay Tregonning] isn’t even full time. The Matildas have shown the world’s hunger for elite female sport. The man in charge of Australian Rugby needs to step up and make some changes, before history remembers him as a villain, not a saviour.”
One player added: “Do Better Rugby Australia. More support to be a Wag than a national female Athlete. Must be nice.”
No expense has been spared in the Wallabies preparation for next month’s Rugby World Cup in France, with multiple training camps and a trip to Arnhem Land before their departure to Paris.
Test backrower Grace Hamilton was one of the players to post the statement, which claimed her team, which recently played two Pacific Four matches in Canada, always flew economy while their male counterparts were in business class.
Hamilton recently joined the Sydney Roosters NRLW side.
The Australia Wallaroos (Photo by Andrea Cardin – World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)
The statement said RA told players there was no money for full-time playing contracts and criticised the amount paid to recruit league star Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii.
It also pointed out that their coach, school teacher Jay Tregonning, wasn’t full-time yet Wallabies coach Eddie Jones had multiple assistants.
“You told us flying anything beyond economy was too costly, then you flew the Wallabies business class on a trip shorter than ours,” the Wallaroos said in the statement posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
“You told us full-time contracts are in the pipeline, that there wasn’t enough money to keep the men in the game let alone us then you paid $5 million for an NRL player.
“You said our program will go professional and our coach will be full-time. How many coaches has Eddie taken to the World Cup?
“You continually say we don’t have enough resources and yet we all saw the World Cup send-off for the Wallabies.”
With Australia set to host the women’s Rugby World Cup in 2029, the Wallaroos demanded RA invest properly in their team and development pathways.
“It’s time for the chairman, board and CEO to prioritise the future of Australia women’s rugby and allocate adequate resources,” they tweeted.
“The future of our game hangs in the balance. It’s your move Rugby Australia.”
Rugby Australia have yet to comment.
AAP with staff writers
KTinHK
Roar Pro
Great comment DrBx
Paulo
Roar Rookie
I hadn’t overlooked, just simplified it. I don’t think the Ferns would have it easy away from home, but they wouldn’t get pumped like they were getting. Almost every game has a home advantaged team, England et al pumped the Ferns when they had it, couldn’t do it when they didn’t. Ferns did just scrape last, but a wins a win. It will be harder and harder for those countries without a professional comp to maintain competitiveness. This is what the Wallaroos should be really concerned about.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
its the typical thing of looking at those above but never those below. They could care less about their demands and what it would mean for Super W they want all the money spent on Test side not anyone else.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
You overlook the part about them being at home for the WC which made a big difference as will the XV but away from home I am not sure the results would be much different from 2021. Playing at home infront of home support and just getting by France by 1pt and England by 3pts who played 62mins with 14 players. Lets see how the Fern do away from home. In regards to the Walaroos they have been a top 8 team for most of their existence. They are currently below Canada and New Zealand and all the 6Ns are now professional. Its not a case of just better training and they will be fine like NZ, NZ had the best women's team. Look at the u20s and what professionalism has done for teams like France and Georgia compared to Scotland or Fiji who are not professional.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
Point is it is the money being spent is relative to what everyone else is spending. When they earn about 66% of the NZR they can expect to run the same program. When they earn similar to FIR and SRU who only have to run 2 professional teams then they have alot more money to spend. Not sure why the women spent 3 extra days in Canada, either the flight was cancelled or it was bad planning. Its not like the game changed day. These women are looking for more money but also want more spent on them. It costs about the same to fly around the Wallaroos as it does the Fern but the Wallaroos amount is a much bigger % of their overall beudget.
jameswm
Roar Guru
Yeah I wondered if it was deliberate. You've even gone to the effort of adding an accent (though the wrong way, maybe also part of the "plan").
fiwiboy7042
Roar Rookie
BNHF, that shortfall mentioned in your reply probably could have prevented the Wallaroos spending three days at a Canadian airport waiting on RA to arrange them a flight (saw that on one of the player's SM posts).
The Late News
Roar Rookie
It's part of a cunning plan James.
AGC
Roar Rookie
They don't even have a full-time coach, you can't watch Super W without Stan and its hardly advertised. How do you grow the game without actually funding outputs that generate better quality footy or a better quality TV product?
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Yrah i switched stan on to watch it to find out it was Brisbane.
fiwiboy7042
Roar Rookie
Ditto for me, Jacko. My niece told me when she offered me a ticket which is how I went.
Paulo
Roar Rookie
Different scenario, but it wasn’t that long ago that the Black Ferns got hammered in Europe. There had been no investment and support and they had not kept up with England and a France etc. a bit of money and support, and a home World Cup and they are now World Champions again. Granted the Wallaroos are coming off a lower base, but sometime a bit of investment and support can have a vast improvement.
Donbich
Roar Rookie
You could throw 100 WAGS in the group, pay them all $10k, count them as wallabies, and they'd still return more revenue than the women's game. RA paid for the WAGS because it was an employee benefit to the athletes actually generating revenue in their code.
Donbich
Roar Rookie
The target market HAS to be women. And if they want to keep complaining, then all the feminists out there with no understanding of economics, need to pull their finger out and show they care about these sports. Men would rather watch 4th grade rugby at their local ground than a wallaroos, who'd get touched up by most Under 16's sides.
Donbich
Roar Rookie
Why should amateur sports people be entitled to full time pay when their job isn't actually viable or profitable?
Donbich
Roar Rookie
Nah, they want both mate. They want all the benefits that come with being an athlete in an actual professional sport that generates revenue. Someone just needs to remind them that men were semi pro for almost a century in all of our major codes.
Donbich
Roar Rookie
No I said ANY MORE, not what holes HAVE RA already thrown their money into. Though... they made a profit for the first time in 5 years last year didn't they? It certainly wasn't from revenue generated by the wallaroos.
jameswm
Roar Guru
By the way you know derniers is spelt wrongly, right?
Tight-Head
Roar Rookie
Yeah, I was thinking we could also pay some more coaches to do nothing, sign a few more league wingers, pay for the wallabies girlfriends to come visit them and try to turn the Shute shield into a professional third tier while we are at it.
Donbich
Roar Rookie
Not a chance. Imagine if he cared about wealth inequality as much as he did virtue signaling about women's sport.