Rugby Australia has split with all other major sporting administrators, calling for government intervention to ensure more Wallabies, Wallaroos and Super Rugby matches run on the free-to-air broadcasters’ primary channels.

In contrast to the AFL, NRL, football, netball and tennis, which blasted the government’s anti-siphoning list of key sports as “unfairly anti-competitive”, “unreasonable” and inappropriate”, Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan – a former chief executive of the Ten Network – says the current regime has been a boon for sporting bodies.