With an announcement on Joe Schmidt’s future beyond the Lions series potentially dropping any day, it might be tempting fate to crank up a list of the biggest stories in the code this year. Stay or go, Joe’s decision will shoot straight to No.1.
Only someone who’s very brave or extremely foolish would attempt to rank the yarns of the year – but I feel I have at least one of those attributes well covered.
When we woke up with dusty heads on January 1, 2024, suffering a hangover induced by Eddie Jones and our poison of choice, Australia was without men’s or women’s coaches, Michael Hooper was dreaming of a medal at the Olympics, Joseph Suaalii was a mungo and David Campese was bitter about how he’s been treated by rugby in the country. Some things never change, but so much has in a turbulent year for rugby fans.
Without further ado, here are the top 20 stories of the year in Australian rugby.
20: Tim Ryan’s stunning arrival
Everyone loves fresh faces and the Junkyard Dog lit up Super Rugby when introduced to the Reds team by Les Kiss mid-season. His try-scoring impact had him flagged as a Wallabies bolter, but although Schmidt picked about 20 wingers in his first year at the helm, Ryan wasn’t one of them. Ryan revealed Schmidt told him he wants him to bulk up before being rushed into Test rugby.
19: James O’Connor moves to New Zealand
JOC’s decision to leave Queensland for the Crusaders was interesting on a couple of levels, and has allowed him to push the case for Australians to represent the Wallabies from NZ franchises, and vice versa for potential All Blacks. There have been grumblings about the veteran taking a place off a Kiwi youngster, but JOC could ultimately prove a trend setter – just as he was with his snazzy haircuts back in the day.
18: Jake Gordon blocked from playing in France
After being ignored by Eddie Jones for the World Cup campaign, the Waratahs skipper was bidding to cut his contract short and head overseas. While Jones didn’t rate his leadership and steady hand, Schmidt clearly did, as Gordon slipped back into the three-man No.9 rotatation this year with Tate McDermott and Nic White.
17: Global league mooted
In November (not April 1), sketchy details were unveiled about a potential LIV Golf-style competition for rugby. The Times reported star players have been approached with the competition’s top tier players set to earn up to $2m each. The Roar reported that the defunct Melbourne Rebels could be offered a place in the global competition.
16: The Olympics deliver double disappointment
The women’s sevens team was flying high going into the Olympics year but were left distraught and without a medal when beaten in a dramatic bronze playoff by the United States. The men were smashed by Fiji in the semis – with now-departed coach John Manenti copping some flak for failing to start ex-Wallaby Mark Nawaqanitawase in the game after his impact in the poool stages.
15: Brett Robinson heads World Rugby
The former Wallaby backrower has been elected as the first non-European chairman of World Rugby in a huge boost for the game in Australia.
Robinson, who was on Rugby Australia’s board for nine years, has been on the global body’s executive board for eight years, with his appointment looking especially significant for domestic rugby at a time when the Lions’ visit next year and the 2027 World Cup is putting the game firmly back in the spotlight.
Robinson, who was backed by English and New Zealand officials in his bid, says he will aim to deliver “financial sustainability across all member unions” and “competitions that drive audience engagement and commercial outcomes.”
14: Upheaval at the Waratahs
There were problems aplenty on and off the field for the Tahs, who slumped to the Super Rugby wooden spoon. That saw the departure of coach Darren Coleman, replaced for 2025 by former Wallabies assistant Dan McKellar. CEO Paul Doorn followed Coleman out the door, with Simon Raiwalui, who subsequently had health issues, arriving as Director of Rugby.
13: Same old Campo
David Campese is an Australian rugby legend but has a complicated relationship with the country that adored his thrilling style on the field.
Campo told the UK Telegraph that he’s been cancelled in Australia for being too outspoken, then proceeded to give a whack to the players for apparently not knowing who Greg Cornelsen is, and being only in the sport for the money.
12: RA commits to women’s rugby with funding and FT coach, Wallaroos make World Cup
Rugby Australia announced an additional $3 million ahead of next year’s World Cup in England to help make the Wallaroos more competitive. As part of the deal, some Wallaroos players have been offered two-year contracts, while the number of top-tier contracts will increase from 15 to 23.
The investment is clearly needed with Australia struggling to keep up with the top teams in the women’s game. There was light at the end of the tunnel when the team won the second tier WXV2 competition, having lost matches against United States and Canada.
Further boosting the program is the decision by nine of Australia’s sevens stars to join Super Rugby Women’s clubs in a bid to play for the national team in 2025.
Another sign of progress was the decision to appoint Jo Yapp as the Wallaroos’ first fulltime coach this year.
The 70-cap English player, who captained England to the 2006 World Cup final, has set her sights on leading the Wallaroos into the top four and identified two areas where the team can make a big shift – strength and conditioning, and game understanding. It hasn’t been an easy ride since her arrival, but winning the WXV2 title in October was a huge step forward.
11: Michael Hooper retires
After being rejected by Eddie Jones for the 2023 World Cup, Hoops made a bid to play for the sevens team at the Paris Olympics, only to succumb to injuries. He retired mid-year as a legend of the game – a four-time John Eales Medallist and twice nominated as World Player of the year finalist. Hoops didn’t go far – joining the commentary team at Stan Sport where he’s already proving a massive hit.
10: Wallabies suffer humiliation in Argentina
When it comes to picking a low point of the Schmidt era so far it’s an easy call. Having beaten the Pumas in the first of two Tests, the Wallabies raced to a 20-3 lead in the second before a car crash for the ages. Schmidt said the Wallabies ‘fell off cliff’ in losing 67-27. The 40 point margin surpassed the Wallabies previous worst defeat, against South Africa in 1997.
While the loss was followed by Bledisloe Cup defeats, the fallout was nowhere near as dramatic as feared at fulltime in Santa Fe.
9: Wallabies beat England at Twickenham
Those two Bledisloe losses were the only Tests between the Pumas disaster and a visit to play England, where Schmidt’s men dramatically shifted the narrative, winning 42-37 and starting (premature) talk of a Grand Slam, which intensified after they got World Cup revenge on Wales a week later.
Max Jorgensen’s winning try after Len Ikitau’s genius flick pass was the moment of the year for Schmidt’s team – and the young Waratah’s decision to sign a two-year deal to stay in the game in the face of NRL advances was a key retention for RA.
It also had the wonderful side effect of revealing former England veteran Ben Youngs, and Jim Hamilton, as nailed on plonkers for their hot takes on the Wallabies.
8: Jordie Petaia walks out in bid to play NFL
Player retention at the state and national level remains a concern for Rugby Australia with Wallabies such as Izack Rodda, Lachie Swinton, Izzy Perese and Ned Hanigan, heading through the international depature lounge in 2024 for fresh challenges. While they’ve remained in rugby, the Reds’ Petaia has set himself for a road less travelled as he aims to break into the NFL.
7: Carter Gordon quits for rugby league
Gordon was promoted about his peers to wear the No.10 at the World Cup, with Eddie Jones suggesting it was the start of his education to make him a world beater in 2027. But beaten up by the demise of the Rebels, and desiring a move back to Queensland, Gordon joined Mark Nawaqanitawase as a code hopper, with early signs he could be a hit with the Gold Coast Titans.
6: Liam Wright named Wallabies captain, and then Harry Wilson rises
Queensland’s Wright was surprisingly named Australia’s 89th Test captain in his first starting game for the Wallabies and his first Test since 2020 as Schmidt named seven debutants for his first match in charge – against Wales. Unfortunately, injury kept him out of action for the rest of the year, and his club teammate Harry Wilson, another rejected by Eddie but embraced by Joe, laid down a marker to be the team’s skipper long term ahead of the Lions series.
5: South Africa and New Zealand shake up TRC, sidelining Australia
When South African Rugby boss Rian Oberholzer announced plans for the ‘Greatest Rugby Rivalry’ tours with New Zealand it had an immediate impact on Australia too.
With plans well underway for eight-week tours between South Africa and New Zealand every four years rotating through the two nations from 2026, it is the end of the annual Rugby Championship.
Phil Waugh told The Roar that The Rugby Championship would likely proceed in 2027 and 2029 but not 2026, 2028 or 2030 as it stands.
4: Rocky Elsom’s French police drama
Like a subplot from the fabulous French cop drama Spiral on SBS, former Wallaby skipper Elsom was issued with an international arrest warrant over matters pertaining to his time in charge of Narbonne.
He was sentenced to five years in prison in absentia and has so far avoided authorities, while explaining his side of the story in a world exclusive interview.
