‘Once-in-a-career opportunity’: Rugby greats issue plea to undecided stars

Wallabies greats Lote Tuqiri and James Horwill have called on Australia’s off-contract stars to consider the legacy they can leave if they rescue the nation from the rugby doldrums and deliver World Cup glory on home soil.

Rugby Australia is in the midst of determining its retention priorities, with more than a dozen stars – including Harry Wilson, Fraser McReight, Noah Lolesio, Taniela Tupou, Len Ikitau and Tom Wright – coming off contract and considering their futures.

But as Brisbane was revealed as the host of 10 fixtures for the 2027 World Cup, Tuqiri told this masthead players needed to consider what they would be giving up at home if they pursued lucrative contracts overseas.

Lote Tuqiri and Wendell Sailor celebrate a win during the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia.Credit: Fairfax

The dual-code legend and 2000 NRL premiership winner with the Broncos made a high-profile defection to the 15-man game before the 2003 World Cup in Australia.

He said the game’s international showcase was the drawcard for him, as “it should be” for current players, who could help redeem the Wallabies’ 2023 failings.

“You’ve got your family and friends who don’t have to travel too far to watch you play, there’s green and gold in the stands everywhere, you get a pat on the back in the streets – there are so many positives about,” Tuqiri said.

“Playing a Rugby World Cup in your home country, I think it’ll make a few guys stick around who are thinking about maybe chasing the money in a couple of years.

“Squads who have kept together for two or three years, if you look at the [World Cup] winners, they’ve gone through their fair bit of pain around where they were, and they built that squad around being in the trenches with each other.”

Horwill spoke of his longing to have taken part in a home World Cup, having captained the country to a third-place finish in 2011 to follow Tri-Nations and Queensland Reds triumphs in the same year.

The champion forward said coach Joe Schmidt laid the foundations during last year’s Spring Tour to launch Australia into trophy contention by 2027, after suffering a group stage exit in 2023.

“There’s a fair bit to play for, not only for these blokes, but their fans in the Australian public.”

Lote Tuqiri

He called on those yet to determine their future to appreciate this spectacle as a “once-in-a-career opportunity”.

“It’s something you can be part of – and potentially be part of history. Imagine being a Wallabies team who wins a World Cup here – it could be one of the great sporting events in national folklore,” Horwill told this masthead.

“I think they’ve got a lot more consistency around their play. You can see some structures that they’re working on, Joe has his fingerprints all over it. That you saw when he coached Ireland.

“Some of those structures, those little loop plays that are used under the Irish system, you can see them coming in … [and] the breakdown work was really efficient.

“That’s the core development. The onus over this next period is building that, and building the depth – that’s always the challenge we have in Australian rugby, the depth of players below our top level.

“If we’re continuing to build that exposure at Super Rugby level, and also Test level, I think it will serve us well.”

In 2027, 10 games will be played at Suncorp Stadium, including two round-of-16 matches and two quarter-finals, however the semi-finals and finals will be played at larger stadiums in Sydney.

The tournament will be the biggest international sporting event in Australia ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Queensland government is awaiting advice on the stadiums and other venues required to host the Games.

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