Rugby Confidential: Rugby Australia’s bold bid to secure first match at new Sydney Football Stadium

Cash-strapped Rugby Australia bosses are on the verge of pulling off a major coup to help rebuild the struggling game’s brand and finances — at the expense of the National Rugby League.

Eddie Jones and Michael Cheika are set to go head-to-head again at the Rugby World Cup. Picture: Adrian Dennis/AFP

Cash-strapped Rugby Australia bosses are on the verge of pulling off a major coup to help rebuild the struggling game’s brand and finances — at the expense of the National Rugby League.

Rugby Confidential can reveal the Wallabies are close to securing the opening match at the newly rebuilt Sydney Football Stadium later this year, against world champions South Africa.

Already in pole position to be awarded the hosting rights for the 2027 men’s and 2029 women’s Rugby World Cups, Rugby Australia officials have been quietly plotting their next power play — to snatch the opening match at the SFS from the NRL.

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It has always been assumed the Roosters would be the first team to run out on the new 42,500-seater stadium when it reopens this winter, but highly-placed sources have told Rugby Confidential that the investors in the state of the art facility have had a rethink.

With NSW keen to send a message to the entire world that the state is back open for business and welcoming foreign tourists after the border lockdowns, officials now want to cut the ribbons on the dazzling new Moore Park stadium with an international blockbuster that will be seen by millions of eyeballs around the globe.

The Wallabies could play the first game at the new Sydney Football Stadium later this year. Picture: Toby Zerna

A regular season NRL match between two local Sydney teams just doesn’t have the same international appeal so senior officials have pencilled in the Wallabies’ eagerly-awaited clash against the world champion Springboks, who are returning to Sydney this year for the first time since 2011.

The top-level talks are still ongoing because both codes are desperate to be given the honour of playing the first match at the ground.

The Roosters have proposed kicking it off with their round 25 match against the Rabbitohs on September 2, while Rugby Australia has offered two possible dates against the touring South Africans — August 27 or September 3.

The delicate talks have delayed Rugby Australia’s announcement of where it will play its six home matches in 2022 — which will comprise three against England in July, two against South Africa and one against New Zealand in the second half of September.

Rugby Confidential understands that Sydney will host matches against South Africa and England while Perth’s Optus Stadium and Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium have been pencilled in for the other two clashes with the Poms.

Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium will be chosen as the host for the Bledisloe Cup match against the All Blacks as well as the other Springboks’ Test.

The Wallabies clash against South Africa is in the mix to open Sydney’s new stadium. Picture: Jono Searle/Getty Images

OLD FOES SET FOR COACHING REMATCH AT WORLD CUP

Michael Cheika and Eddie Jones are set to go head-to-head at another World Cup.

Argentine newspaper La Nacion reported overnight that Cheika is now the new head coach of Los Pumas and will take them through to the 2023 World Cup.

Cheika, whose phone went to message bank when we tried calling, is to replace his friend Mario Ledesma, who recently announced his shock decision to resign.

According to the La Nacion report, Cheika will be head coach and Felipo Contemponi his assistant until the World Cup, and then Contemponi will take over as head coach after the tournament in France next year.

Ironically, Argentina’s first World Cup game is against England on September 9, 2023 in Marseille.

That means Cheika will face nemesis Eddie Jones yet again.

England coach Eddie Jones and Michael Cheika are set to go head-to-head again at another World Cup. Picture: Adrian Dennis/AFP

In 2015, Cheika’s Wallabies thumped England 33-13 at Twickenham to knock the hosts out in the pool stages, which forced England to sack coach Stuart Lancaster and replace him with Jones.

In 2019, England had their revenge, hammering Australia 40-16 in the quarter-finals – the Wallabies’ worst result at a World Cup.

Cheika had previously been helping Ledesma in the Argentine set-up, and helped them in their famous win over the All Blacks in 2020.

The pair are close, with Ledesma helping Cheika as forwards coach for NSW Waratahs and the Wallabies during their 2015 campaign, when they made the World Cup final before losing to the All Blacks.

Cheika and Jones, former Randwick teammates, have a rollercoaster history and continually traded barbs during their international clashes.

Jones finished with a staggering 7-0 record against Cheika in England versus Wallabies matches from 2015-19, before Cheika vacated the job for Dave Rennie.

Before Cheika can get at Jones, he will coach directly against Rennie and the Wallabies this year during The Rugby Championship.