Australia women's national rugby union team
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Nickname(s) | Wallaroos | |
---|---|---|
Emblem | Wallaroo | |
Union | Rugby Australia | |
Head coach | Jay Tregonning | |
Captain | Shannon Parry | |
| ||
World Rugby ranking | ||
Current | 5 (as of 23 November 2020) | |
Highest | 3 (January 2004) | |
Lowest | 7 (January 2009) | |
First international | ||
![]() ![]() (Sydney, Australia 2 September 1994) | ||
Biggest win | ||
![]() ![]() (Samoa, 8 August 2009) | ||
Biggest defeat | ||
![]() ![]() (Auckland, New Zealand 22 July 1995) | ||
World Cup | ||
Appearances | 6 (First in 1998) | |
Best result | 3rd place, 2010 |

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 as 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.
History[edit]
The Wallaroos played their first international in 1994 against New Zealand, also known as the Black Ferns. The match was played at North Sydney Oval, and NZ won the game 37 to 0. The team placed fifth at their first World Cup appearance in 1998 in the Netherlands. They placed fifth at the 2002 event in Barcelona, Spain also.
In 2014, The Wallaroos played two Test matches in New Zealand against their Tasman rivals, 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.
Records[edit]
Top 20 rankings as of 18 April 2022[1] | |||
Rank | Change* | Team | Points |
1 | ![]() |
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96.26 |
2 | ![]() |
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88.58 |
3 | ![]() |
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88.43 |
4 | ![]() |
![]() |
88.15 |
5 | ![]() |
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78.68 |
6 | ![]() |
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76.63 |
7 | ![]() |
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76.00 |
8 | ![]() |
![]() |
75.12 |
9 | ![]() |
![]() |
73.63 |
10 | ![]() |
![]() |
72.72 |
11 | ![]() |
![]() |
72.10 |
12 | ![]() |
![]() |
65.49 |
13 | ![]() |
![]() |
63.39 |
14 | ![]() |
![]() |
61.10 |
15 | ![]() |
![]() |
59.72 |
16 | ![]() |
![]() |
58.45 |
17 | ![]() |
![]() |
58.27 |
18 | ![]() |
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57.89 |
19 | ![]() |
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57.73 |
20 | ![]() |
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57.72 |
*Change from the previous week |
World Cup[edit]
Year | Round | Position | GP | W | D | L | PF | PA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Did Not Enter | |||||||
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Quarter-finals | 5th | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 84 | 70 |
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Quarter-finals | 7th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 63 | 54 |
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Plate semi-final | 7th | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 118 | 85 |
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Third play-off | ![]() |
5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 115 | 67 |
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Plate semi-final | 7th | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 104 | 49 |
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Fifth play-off | 6th | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 94 | 149 |
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Qualified | |||||||
Total | 6/9 | 3rd | 29 | 15 | 0 | 14 | 578 | 474 |
Overall[edit]
(Full internationals only)
Summary of matches, updated to 10 May 2022:
Opposition | First | P | W | D | L | % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | 2014 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0% |
![]() | 1998 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0% |
![]() | 2022 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 100% |
![]() | 1998 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 20% |
![]() | 1998 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 75% |
![]() | 2017 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 75% |
![]() | 1994 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0% |
![]() | 2009 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
![]() | 1998 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
![]() | 2006 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
![]() | 1998 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
![]() | 1997 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 20% |
![]() | 2002 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
Summary | 1994 | 57 | 19 | 0 | 38 | 33% |
Players[edit]
Recent squad[edit]
Wallaroos squad for the 2022 Pacific Four Series:[2]
Previous squads[edit]
Captains[edit]
Captain | Years |
---|---|
Shannon Parry | 2022 [5] |
Grace Hamilton | 2019 [6] |
Liz Patu | 2018 [7] |
Sharni Williams | 2017 |
Shannon Parry | 2017 |
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 |
Notable players[edit]
- Cheryl McAfee – was the first Wallaroo to be inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2021.[8][9]
Coaches[edit]
Coach | Years |
---|---|
Jay Tregonning | 2021–Present [10] |
Dwayne Nestor | 2018–2021 [11] |
Paul Verrell | 2013–2017 [12] |
No appointment Oct 2010–Aug 2013 | |
John Manenti | 2009–2010 |
Steve Hamson | 2005–2008 |
No appointment Jul 2002–Jun 2005 | |
Don Parry | c. 2000–2002 [13] |
No appointment Sep 1998–c. Dec 2000 | |
Bob Hitchcock | 1995–1998 [14][15] |
Col Spence | 1994 [16] |
See also[edit]
- Laurie O'Reilly Cup
- Super W
- National Women's Rugby Championship – predecessor tournament of Super W
- Australia women's national rugby sevens team
- Women's rugby union in Australia
References[edit]
- ^ "Women's World Rankings". World Rugby. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
- ^ Williamson, Nathan (19 May 2022). "Wallaroos announce squad for Pacific Four". www.rugby.com.au. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
- ^ "Wednesday's Rugby News". 25 October 2016.
- ^ http://www.rugby.com.au/news/2016/10/25/00/00/wallaroos-black-ferns-albany-team-announcement
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Cheryl McAfee - World Rugby - Hall of Fame". www.world.rugby. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Williamson, Nathan (14 September 2021). "Jay Tregonning appointed Wallaroos coach". rugby.com.au. Archived from the original on 14 September 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Team Profile: Australia". Irish Rugby. 26 June 2017. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
- ^ "Women's Rugby World Cup: Pool A". International Rugby Board. 2002. Archived from the original on 5 August 2002. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
- ^ "Aust slips in Otago". The Canberra Times. 16 July 1995.
- ^ "Teams: Australia". Women's Rugby World Cup. 1998. Archived from the original on 24 August 2006. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
- ^ Nix, Alwyn (26 August 1994). "Wallaroos will have a few surprises". The Canberra Times.
External links[edit]
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