Why the Wallabies job remains one of the best in world rugby

After a testing year at Rugby Australia, the slate is slowly being wiped clean. Respected Sydney sports executive Peter Horne is set to be appointed as the new director of high performance, leaving the role of Wallabies head coach as the next piece of a complex puzzle to be completed.

Horne will play a key role in recruiting the right person for the job alongside new RA chairman Daniel Herbert and chief executive Phil Waugh, but who would want to take the job after a disastrous World Cup campaign under Eddie Jones? The answer, perhaps surprisingly, is: plenty of elite coaches.

Waugh said he’s not surprised by the level of interest the job has already attracted from potential candidates.

“Coaching is like playing, you’ve only got a limited career span,” Waugh said. “So you look for big opportunities, it’s a big opportunity, so I’m not surprised [at the interest], I’m more enthused and excited that others see the opportunity similarly.”

Rugby Australia will go to market for the role in the new year and Waugh said that the interview panel will take their time to make the correct decision.

“I like to be really methodical and considered about how we go about things,” Waugh said. “I think getting the director of high performance landed and announced is really important, then ensuring that we’ve got the appropriate selection panel, which captures all the different stakeholders as best we can.

“So that it’s around the Wallaby environment and it’s also around the culture of rugby in Australia as well.”

Waugh has also confirmed he is open to international candidates, which could open the door to the likes of All Blacks assistant coach Joe Schmidt.

“I think that the Australian culture is integral to how this system will be set up going forward,” Waugh said. “That doesn’t preclude any international coach that’s got the appropriate attributes and skill set and track record, but what we will be driving through the system is that real Australian way.”

Here are the reasons why the Wallabies head coach remains one of the most coveted roles in rugby.

The Wallabies brand

In Australia, the Wallabies are locked in a constant fight to stay relevant in a highly crowded and competitive sporting marketplace. But this is less the case internationally.

Regardless of recent results, the Wallabies will still sell out most stadiums when they travel to play against the likes of France, England and Ireland.

The Wallabies remain a major name in international rugby, regardless of resultsCredit: Getty

Rightly or wrongly, Australia’s respected rugby heritage provides a bright international spotlight that will shine on whoever who takes the job.

Elite coaches crave the exposure and the opportunity to showcase their brand of rugby on the biggest stage, and the Wallabies job gives them the chance to do that. If they succeed with the Wallabies, they will have their pick of most jobs in rugby.

The package

In professional sport, romanticism often takes a back seat to remuneration.

The Wallabies coach will have his decisions endlessly scrutinised and debated – not only by fans and the media but also the Rugby Australia board. If they get it wrong, the ending will be short and swift.

The successful candidate will sit near the top of the salary pyramid of world rugby coaches, far beyond the reach of most clubs – particularly in England, where Worcester Warriors, Wasps and London Irish have all ceased trading.

Money isn’t everything, but if salary is key to attracting the best in the business then the Wallabies job is one of the most attractive in the game.

The runway

After defeats against Fiji and Wales in the World Cup and the circus that surrounded Eddie Jones’ brief time in charge, it is easy to forget that the Wallabies have one of the most exciting and attractive runways in world rugby.

Next year’s Rugby Championship will allow the new coach to travel to Argentina, where the Wallabies will have the chance to rebuild confidence on the road and begin to exorcise the memories of France.

The Grand Slam tour next November will provide a stern challenge, but also an opportunity to experiment and build a durable squad capable of competing with the Lions in 2025.

The British and Irish Lions will return to Australia in 2025.Credit: Fairfax

In Europe, the Lions tour is hotly anticipated, especially given fans were locked out of the last series to South Africa due to COVID-19. Ireland coach Andy Farrell is expected to lead the tourists, taking a sabbatical from one of the top jobs in rugby to have a crack at a series win in Australia. It means that much.

After the Lions, the Wallabies can look forward to a home World Cup in 2027. There has rarely been such an attractive calendar in rugby, and it will prove hard to resist for any ambitious coach.

Raw talent

The significant loss of talented winger Mark Nawaqanitawase to the NRL notwithstanding, the new Wallabies coach will revel in the opportunity to shape their squad with a talented cast of youngsters.

At only 19 years old, Waratahs winger Max Jorgensen defines the raw possibilities that are within Australian rugby and in time could prove to be a game-breaker.

In the pack, Jorgensen’s clubmate, loosehead prop Angus Bell is only 23 and could become a future Wallabies captain and one of the best in the world in his position.

In late 2024, the new coach will also be able to blood Joseph Suaalii. The pros and cons of the move can be parked as Suaalii finally gets to play in the Wallabies jumper. The new coach will have an opportunity to help the Sydney Roosters winger become a major hit in rugby.

Seriously lowered expectations

Obviously, Australian rugby is at a low ebb. Boardroom battles, a disastrous World Cup campaign, the Eddie Jones debacle and a long fight ahead to get a centralised model agreed on by all parties.

While the above makes painful reading for any Wallabies fan, conversely, it could make the role more attractive for any coach.

Put simply, the new Wallabies coach can look good with even incremental improvement. The first item on their to-do list is simply to build confidence within the playing squad and, subsequently, the Australian rugby community.

Wales will travel to Australia next July, providing the perfect opportunity to partially banish the nightmares of the past year.

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