SCG set to host Wallabies Test for first time in 34 years
Australia’s fastest rugby player, Rod “the Rocket” Davies, in line for a shock promotion and the Wallabies set for an SCG return. It’s all in Rugby Confidential.
Australia’s fastest rugby player is in line for a shock promotion to the national sevens team as the coaches search for a way to get their faltering Tokyo Olympic qualification back on track.
Rod “the Rocket” Davies has been given permission from the Western Force to play for a Barbarians team at this weekend’s Kiama Sevens with the possibility of being added to the national squad later on.
Former Wallaby Stephen Hoiles, who recently joined the sevens squad as an assistant coach and mentor, will travel to the South Coast to see how Davies goes.
Now 29, the one-time Wallaby boasts a best time of 10.8 seconds for 100 metres and his blistering speed would be a huge boost for a team that is languishing in sixth spot in the world series standings with only the top four qualifying automatically for Tokyo.
If Australia don’t qualify directly they will get another chance in the Oceania regional qualifiers, to be held in Fiji in early November, but after failing to make it past the quarter-finals in the last three rounds, team officials have been quietly making approaches to players they think can make a difference.
Head coach Tim Walsh has made no secret of the fact he thinks several Wallabies could make the transition from 15s to 7s if they gave it enough time, but knows that won’t happen until after this year’s World Cup.
Sonny Bill Williams represented New Zealand at the 2026 Rio Olympics after making the switch when he won the World Cup in 2015.
Kurtley Beale said the thought of becoming an Olympian was tempting, but not for him.
“I know the Olympics are around the corner so that could be a bit of a carrot for the guys to think about but I haven’t thought about it at all,” he said.
Australia’s next assignment on the World Sevens circuit is on Las Vegas with Matt Hood set to be a surprise inclusion after being left out of the side for more than a year.
RUGBY nostalgics could be in their element next year with the Sydney Cricket Ground emerging as a strong possibility to host its first Wallaby Test in 34 years.
Next year’s international program is still being finalised but The Daily Telegraph understands the SCG is in line to host the Wallabies against Ireland, who are returning to Australia for a two-match series on the back of last year’s hugely successful tour.
With Allianz Stadium already being rebuilt and ANZ set to be refurbished, any matches played in Sydney in 2020 will be held at either at the SCG or the new Western Sydney Stadium. Sydney may get two matches, with a game against Tier II nation played at Parramatta.
The SCG hosted Australia’s first ever rugby Test, against the British Lions in 1899, but hasn't staged one since 1986, when the Wallabies trounced Argentina 26-0.
LAST weekend’s Super Rugby season opener between the Waratahs and the Hurricanes was a winner both inside and outside the ground.
Not only was Brookvale Oval packed for the match, but FOX Sports also drew the biggest television ratings for any first round game in three years.
Now this weekend, Foxtel will be broadcasting rugby in 4K Ultra HD for the first time ever with the Brumbies v Waratahs women’s match and Brumbies vs Chiefs men’s match on Foxtel 4K (Channel 444).
It will be the first football code to be broadcast in the new resolution.
KARMICHAEL Hunt might be an instant hit with NSW fans since joining the Waratahs but there’s little love for him in the deep north where he's just squeezed into a list of The Hottest 50 players with links to Queensland rugby.
Hunt is listed at No. 50, 10 spots behind Aussie Rugby Sevens starlet Emma Sykes (No. 40).
The Top 10 is unveiled on Friday and Israel Folau, not yet listed, will feature somewhere even though he's played his whole career with the NSW Waratahs.
He went to a state high school in Brisbane which never offered rugby and wore maroon in Origin footy so he counts.
Ben Te'o (England, No. 25), Sam Johnson (Scotland, No. 26), Paul Alo-Emile (Samoa, No. 33) and Ben Toolis (Scotland, No. 32) are on the list for deeds with other nations on the road to the World Cup.
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He has been the face of sport at Channel 10 for over a decade, but the Wallabies legend’s time as the network’s chief sports presenter has come to an end.