May not have the truth bombs of
@DannyCipriani87
, the triumph of
@SiyaKolisi
or the wisdom of Hansen and
@Nigelrefowens
, but happy to see our book sharing space with the big dogs! Go get yourself a copy! Available in digital and paperback form!📙👇
Squidge: I'm going to devote lots of time and creative energy to promote the final of your showcase event to as wide an audience as possible in an easy to view format and engaging style and it won't cost you a thing!
World Rugby: No.
After just a few hours up, the video has been taken down manually by an employee of World Rugby, and copyright strike given to the channel.
Some 60+ hours of work went into that one video, so rest assured we shall try our upmost to get it restored, but this is not in our hands.
Missing the point Peter. The Wallabies should study the Penrith system that has delivered them 3 premierships in a row. A case study in cohesion from junior to senior levels and maximizing team shared experience.
Never in doubt.
Fabulous match.
Great comeback by Penrith.
If we Wallabies are going to raid NRL, Cleary and Walsh should be the first targets!
#NRLGrandFinal
Not trying to be an advocate for
@StanSportAU
but there are very few, if any, countries in the world that have so many different global rugby competitions and Test series all on the one network. It is quite exceptional to have all this content in the one place. Bravo 👏
Premiership Rugby is live and exclusive to Stan Sport 💥
The season kicks off with Bristol v Saracens from 4:40am AEST tomorrow morning.
Stan Sport, The Home Of Rugby.
Message to Wallaby fans in Lyon:
- The Welsh will be loud so let's be louder
- Eddie will get booed. Let's stick up for him
- When you hear "Aussie" bloody well scream "Oi!!"
This isn't a polite club reserve grade game. It's test footy, get LOUD!!
Go you Wallabies! 🦘
Australian rugby fans, a multi episode docu-series called that follows Australian rugby and the Eddie Jones era over the next 5 seasons leading up to the 2027 World Cup. Interested?
#TheLastDance
#OneMoreJob
#WC2027
What a game. Australia never deserved to get out of that pool and Portugal absolutely deserved to win that game. A very worthy result. Bravo Os Lobos and good luck in finals Fiji!
#FIJvPOR
@giteau_rugby
I saw Drew on the way out of the stadium last night and said to him "a few Mai Tais tonight eh?" to which he replied "ugh, theres not enough Mai Tais mate!"
#maitaimakeover
Funny the amount of rugby chat I've heard from non-rugby people in the last 4 days. Really tells you the impact a winning Wallabies team can still have over the general public. 🦘🏉
Saying Au Revoir to France today. Some great times and memories save for the rugby 😬. Was a real highlight to meet former Wallabies, journos and many fellow folk from social media. The game might have its struggles but the hard core followers remain staunch!
This is a video we have put together as a summary analysis of what has happened to the Wallabies and Australian rugby in the last 40 years. Research and data from
@GLAnalytics
and animation from
@cubstudio
1/3
🚨AUSTRALIAN RELEASE!!🇦🇺📽️
It gives us great pleasure to finally announce that 'Gold Digger: The search for Australian Rugby' will be released to Aussie audiences on 15th September 2022 when the
@wallabies
v
@AllBlacks
square off!
📺 Watch on Fox Docos via
@Foxtel
and
@binge
👀
This sentiment in this advert is just so spot on. I also reckon I haven't chuckled this hard about an Australian rugby advertisement since Owen Finegan served Duck à l'orange. More of it please
@wallabies
👏👏
🎗An exclusive interview with a former Wallaby coach will be getting dropped this coming weekend on our YouTube channel. Subscribe now to get an immediate update of release:
Gee I wonder if anyone thought about this 4 years ago and decided to make a documentary interviewing former Wallabies, coaches and both former and current RA officials about these same big issues.
Ben Darwin is the Michael Burry of Australian rugby. He, Simon and their company saw this coming yet few people and absolutely no one at
@RugbyAU
listened to them. Don't blame Eddie or the players. Blame the leadership of the last decade.
#AusRugbyRevolution
Don't blame altitude. Don't blame Eddie. Don't blame Hooper/Slips. Don't blame Vuli. Don't blame the ref. If Australian rugby fans are fed up with the same old script then blame our system that produces the same old result and demand more from your local union rep and
@RugbyAU
.
Interesting idea I heard yesterday about how to streamline rugby in Australia to create alignment and minimise schedule overlap:
Friday - All school rugby games
Saturday - All club rugby games
Sunday - All Super Rugby games
Thoughts?
Pretty stoked as a Wallaby supporter after that game. But also stoked for captain Michael Hooper who is now our most experienced skipper through one of the most challenging periods. The bloke just endures and excels. He deserved to celebrate his milestone that way.
#AUSvSA
Imagine a world...NRL pundits pump up the Wallabies. Bledisloe cross promoted in league, vice versa State of Origin during union. Cross code clubs form "brother clubs" to train and exhange info. An annual mixed code game plays for charity. Just Aus rugby, moving together. 🪙⛏️
Great win. Almost like we relish playing 14 man rugby these days. Perth is back as a cauldron. Brumbies spine is a great support and good riddance to that 🏴streak!!
God bless South Africa. Just when Australian rugby is on the verge of another crisis we play the Springboks at home and all is right again for another week or two!
#AUSvRSA
#rivalry
Great weekend for Oz rugby. Tahs excite their fans, Brums dominate, Rebels close it out and Reds/Force oh so close. I don't think this is the second coming of Australian rugby as some are making out but its a damn good feeling and shows the benefit of playing quality opposition.
State unions wanting to oust the Chairman that was appointed by the board they themselves selected. The same board who backed the Chairman's "Captains Calls" that the States are not happy with.
Welcome back to the shitshow that is Australian rugby governance.
🍀Mack Hansen, with a tour to NZ still to come, has in one professional season in Ireland 🇮🇪 played the equivalent of 45% of the pro games (including Oz U20s) that he played in Australia 🇦🇺 over four seasons. How can we catch the rest of the world when we don't play enough? 🏉
Love the Wallaby number 1s today. But more in love with my new supporter jersey that arrived today. My custom, bespoke vintage 80s project of 2023. How about those lines!!!
While the All Blacks are on "welfare" watch, what can Australian rugby do while they wait? Play a friendly against the Force? Have a Green vs Gold trial? 2 games that would fill the void plus also give the people of Perth something to watch.
Ardie Savea does throat slitting gesture on a Melbourne rugby field in Super Rugby = general outrage and a one week ban.
Months later, Ardie Savea does throat slitting gesture on a Melbourne rugby field in Bledisloe = Inspiring the next generation!
All about context I guess 🤷♂️
Here's a thought for the upcoming review
@RugbyAU
:
Make it public. Give us full transparency on what's going on. The problems, challenges, how little $ we have. And no more media mind games. People are leaving this sport while those left are hanging by a thread. Help us help you!
Tier 1: Wallabies
Tier 2: Sydney Green and Brisbane Gold playing in Super Rugby Pacific
Tier 3: Super Rugby AU (All 5 SR teams)
- Better high performance outcome
- Better chance of beating Kiwi teams
- Retains local tribalism
- No team gets cut
- Grow from 5 pro teams to 7
What advantage did
@wallabies
have in the 90s?🔎
EJ: “Australia got a head start on other countries by being more professional quickly. And the reason for that was being able to borrow from rugby league teams and AFL teams.”
Watch the full interview:
To celebrate the release of our 2023
@rugbyworldcup
jersey this Thursday, we want you to vote for your all time favourite jersey!
Vote now and be in the running to win your own 2023 Wallabies RWC Jersey 👉
#Wallabies
@eToroAU
🏉XV: One of my favourite things to do used to be to make rugby teams of random groups of people (classmates, teachers, movie stars, wrestlers, etc) so it occurred to me that I should do one on Australian Rugby Twitter! 🇦🇺🏉🤳
So here is my Australian Rugby Twitter XV!
I'll go a step further, Rebels not choosing to chance their arm and help Force make finals at the end is probably an unfortunate reflection of Australian rugby. Individual mindset and lack of self sacrificing between different clubs and unions. No sacrifice for the collective.
@AndyGoode10
Calls of "play on" during rucks of a few seconds as well as the 60 second rule for kicks...if these arent enforced moving forward across the board in Test rugby this decision will remain as arbitrary as it currently appears.
Bit of soul searching today over ☕️and 🥐 after the agonising defeat v Fiji. It occurs to me that there is probably 10,000 Aussies within the Lyon area right now with the same pain but passion who have traveled so far to watch this team we just can't quit. That's something. 🪙⛏️
Congrats to the 7s team and all involved 🏆💪 A second success story in 7s in as many weeks. Now how to capitalise on this momentum
@RugbyAU
?? You have a men's and women's product that is performing brilliantly yet not enough people in Australia are getting exposed to it?
For AUD$30 right now you're getting all Super Rugby, Premiership Rugby and Six Nations. Plus the club rugby in Aus, NZ and SA, and internationals later in the year. Rugby wise, it's a great deal and one that would cost far more in other countries.
You know you're watching a Wallabies game when in the last two minutes you go from almost kicking the TV in to leaping off the couch and fist pumping the air (sometimes it's the other way round!). A win is a win! 💛
#SCOvAUS
Post Bledisloe Thought: May not like getting walloped by NZ every year but for over 100 years our rivalry has served as a barometer of Oz rugbys strength. If we can find a way to claw back to a degree of parity with NZ we are more than likely to return to being a top 3 team.⛏️🪙
The sad thing is, this Wallaby loss won't change a thing. Oz rugby and its powerbrokers will continue to prioritize the commercial over a sacrificial reset which is what we unfortunately need. Ah well, at least Lyon looks beautiful and the wine and cheese will be delightful.
Here's my AB predication, Scott Robertson will inevitably coach NZ, he'll pack the team with a heavy Crusaders spine and fill it in with Barretts and the like and they will return to being no. 1 everyone will go back to celebrating the coach and ignore the system.
Dave Rennie: I'm bringing Quade into the squad.
Wallaby coaching team: Why?
DR: We're limited due to Covid, he's in QLD and he's still fit.
Wallaby coaching team: No worries.
(Five minutes later)
Wallaby coaching team: Dave, phone call for you...Radike Samo wants a chat.
As painful as recent seasons have been, Oz teams need Kiwi teams to get better. Taking the ball and leaving to create our own comp would set us back. Brumbies competiveness against strong opposition is crucial for Oz rugby. Hopefully others will follow that lead.
#GoldDiggerRugby
Eddie Jones has taken the Wallabies backwards quicker than I used to run to the buffet! Whoever sacked Dave Rennie at Australian Rugby needs sacking for being inept at their job!
#EddieOut
Well we've been here before. And it will continue until something drastic changes. And for anyone suggesting that the solution is to stop playing the All Blacks or NZ teams more frequently, I would love to see an example where a team got better by playing weaker opposition.
I've always liked the Welsh and reckon there has always been a close connection between them and the Wallabies. But tonight, I want revenge for Tokyo!
#WALvAUS
🏴 v 🇦🇺 🏉
I just can't get on board the "replace the coach" mentality. It's like replacing the captain of a rusty, fault ridden ship with an ever changing crew of disjointed sailors and expecting them to do better under new leadership.
Not ex-players, pundits or journos but just two cheerful rugby servants putting in their own time to pump up the game they love across the whole rugby ecosystem.
And in what has been one of the most challenging seaons to be positive, Mitch and Ando still find a way!
👏
Nice to finish the year alongside some excellent Rugby pods.
Thanks for all the listens and engagement in our 66 episodes for 2023.
We go again in 2024 💪
What still bothers me is that EJ has international rugby IP, a strong understanding of Oz rugbys issues and had a blank cheque and juicy schedule (Lions, Home WC) to aim for. He had all that but still looked at it and thought...nah, it can't be done. God help the next coach.
Congratulations
@Aussie7s
🏆. How about we capitalise on this effort and create a mini local 7s comp that could be televised, family friendly, tribal, feature cameos and sit outside the World Rugby 7s window. Could fill a gap as the BBL of Rugby and be a winner for
@RugbyAU
🔍
Such outrage about EJs selection. Yet the omissions most are complaining about (QC, MH, Holloway, Ikitau, Hodge) were part of the Boks and Argie defeats. The most promising game we saw all season against NZ in Dunedin belonged to last week's starting team. So maybe not so crazy.
"Following the culling of the National Rugby Championship, RA believes that bringing back the ‘A’ team will allow the next crop of players important minutes."
Hopefully RA works towards having both rather than one or the other.
Exclusive: Australia A is set to make their return to the Pacific Nations Cup in 2022. It's a tasty prospect given they'll confront a Tongan side featuring Folau and Piutau
MORE >>
People seem surprised
@westernforce
are looking strong and point to "Twiggy's cheque book". 8 players in this 23 have been with the team consistently since 2019 when the club played over 20 games. Plus Fines/Godwin returned to the setup. Building not buying. ⛏️🏉
Well, turns out my recent interview with formerly former now current Wallaby coach Eddie Jones is the most recent candid chat he's given prior to this new announcement. Will be uploading Part 2 shortly but check out Part 1 if you haven't yet.👇
Losses like this are why I decided to make a film/podcast about the state of Oz rugby union. It's not an easy fix but one thing is certain; Australia does not lack the talent, desire, heart or intent of it's players and coaches. Don't hate the player, hate the system.
#AUSvFRA
You know what the painful reality is for Wallaby fans? We all have Saffa/English/Kiwi/Irish/French mates or colleagues that used to give us so much stick when the Wallabies lost. Now they barely chirp at us out of pity which is worse. Sad state of affairs.
#MondayMood
I went down the road of reflection 4 years ago after the poor showing at the 2019 RWC. And then made a documentary about it. Much has happened since we filmed but the key issues remain. Check it out on
@binge
or Fox Docos. Will be out globally soon.
Our
@Aussie7s
Women have once again delivered gold! 🏅
But just like post Rio how can this high performance program be leveraged to benefit
@WallaroosRugby
. Are we just developing talent to be snapped up by league? What needs to happen to ensure we get maximum benefit? 🦘⛏️
Why is Eddie chopping/changing and experimenting? Same reason Rennie did. Because our Super Rugby system isn't built to service the Wallabies anymore and RA cant afford to keep and develop the best talent. Very hard for Eddie to say that at a presser but that's the issue.
Drew doesn’t hold back 😡 after the Wallabies defeat to Fiji. He wants some answers from Eddie and he wants them now!
Watch 📺 and listen 🎧 to the latest episode of
#GBRA
now.
Powered by Harvey Norman
🎙EP 29: The C Word Part I 🎗
The most revelatory episode yet. We dig deep with former Wallaby
@bendarwin
and the work of his company
@GLAnalytics
to examine what determines sporting success and how it has influenced Australian rugby 🦘🏉
🎙️EPISODE 27: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Ollie Hoskins
We talk with gentlemen prop
@omdhoskins
about his career from
@westernforce
to
@londonirish
and of course that magical week where he became
#949
for the
@wallabies
🦘Dig into an inspiring journey! ⛏️
WORLD PREMIERE: Gold Digger the Search for Australian Rugby ⛏️🏉
is going to screen Easter Weekend in the rugby loving country of South Africa! 🇿🇦 🏉 Any Saffa media please get in touch for more details.
*Aussie audiences, awaiting confirmation but August 2022 looking likely.
Here, here! Never a truer word spoken. We never had Wally, Ricky or Joey Johns and lost Wallabies like Papworth/O'Connor in their prime. Yet while NRL and AFL thrived we won every trophy there was to get. The idea that League is to blame for our decline is a cop out and myth.
Really good, this, from
@paulcullystuff
in the SMH today...
"You can spare me the hurdles facing Australian rugby: the current predicament is purely the result of self-inflicted wounds, poor decisions and an inability to properly develop gold nuggets.."
As negative as I often am, I do believe this team can be great, maybe even pull off the smash and grab. I believe all our coaches and players are doing the best they possibly can. But man, have we as a code and administration made it a lot harder for ourselves.
"The truth is the Wallabies were never going to win that game. 🏉
"But for 33 minutes the Wallabies kept the All Blacks to five points and for 26 minutes the Wallabies were ahead, something neither world champs South Africa nor Argentina could do." 👇
Hard to expect much when we don't pay our best players and the high performance program isn't what it should be. We have the talent, but the support structure is not in place.
Caught up finally with rugby so far:
- How bloody good are World Cups!
- Wallabies win...finally!
- Questionable red card (Eng v Arg)...not the last we'll be seeing.
- Drop Goals are so 2003 (yet effective).
- I reckon there will be few undefeated Pool winners.
#seeyouinLyon
Oh November, that time of the year when Michael Buble starts warming up his voice and Ollie Hoskins pulls his Wallaby jersey out of the cupboard.
#Wallabies
#WALvAUS
The Gold Mafia and an offer that Australian rugby can't refuse
***
'When it really comes down to the power behind rugby union in Australia, at the top of this pyramid, it’s firmly “old and gold”.'
My latest piece for
@TheRoarSports
Good old Brumbies. They have been for some time and remain to be Australia's shining light amongst the darkness. Time to upset the script next week in Auckland! 🐎🏉💪
4 years ago, during my research for Gold Digger, one person spoke to me off the record and said they had been asked to take part in the 2019 RWC review. They knew it was a charade and box ticking exercise so they refused. So understandably, I'm a little skeptical of this.
Lots of discussion about the Beale card and Tompkins try. For the record I don't think it went backwards and deserved a 🟨. But WBs had the lead and possession with 2 mins to go and should have closed it out. Can't blame the officials for that.
Anyone in France know where I can get a can of Chernobly? I think I might be able to use this hot tub to time travel back to 1996 and save the future of Australian rugby.
Fortunate to be recording a pod chat in the next 24 hours with Samoan international,
@pacificwelfare
director and now filmmaker 📽️ Dan Leo. We're going to discuss rugby, the new PI teams, advocacy work and guerrilla filmmaking!
Subscribe now:
@RugbyReg
Brad Thorn in the post match chat was the most insightful interview I've seen this year.
1) Queensland first;
2) Getting many players to 50 games;
3) Importance of staff and players working together
It's a case in point for Australian rugby 🔎
To mark World Rugby's amendment to international eligibility, here's one of my favourite Saffa Wallabies from the good old days...Aussie Tiaan!
#ThrowbackThursday
#worldrugby