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'It's your move' - Wallaroos take to social media to hit out at Rugby Australia
By AAP
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 have shared a statement on social media, 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.
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 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 p roperly 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."
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Latest Comments
Well the other idea I had been toying with which I think is still used in football, is something like each pool winners of the Challenge Cup gets entry into the round of 16 etc (or whateveer equivalnt entry point we can come up with) in the Champions Cup.
Those T2 sides could play a pool or some simple comp with the bottom dwellers (that was actually something else I liked in Jones structure, he left out 2 English sides alltogehter, 4+4-2), and then come into the Challenge Cup when those top4 sides go up?
That idea just helps keep a nice balance for me. I like both comps having exactly the same structure, and raising 4 or so T2 sides requires that to break in some manner.
Neither. You have a situation where like the Stormers lose to la Rochelle in Ro16 but lose out to a lower performing league team in Benneton (5th place v 7th) just because they made it to the semis of Challenge Cup.
Go to commentsWalter has been permanently psychologically damaged since his wife left him and moved in with a man from Sydney.
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