Analysis
Australian rugby
The two vital decisions that could make or break Australian rugby this Christmas
It’s the time of the year when most workplaces shut down for the festive period. But Rugby Australia is sweating on a pair of massive calls as the year winds to a close.
- by Iain Payten
Latest
Eddie Jones’ Japan will face the Wallabies next year. Will he still be in charge?
Japanese Rugby officials unveiled the Australian as their new coach last December, just weeks after he quit the Wallabies. A year on, the JRFU appear to be re-considering their decision.
- by Iain Payten
Watch Gout Gout v Usain Bolt: How fast can the Australian run?
Usain Bolt was a teenage prodigy tipped for extraordinary things – and then he started losing. His bumpy path to becoming the world’s fastest man could provide guidance for a young Aussie following in his footsteps.
- by Iain Payten
Can Charlotte Caslick and co help Australia win a Rugby World Cup? We’re about to find out
A group of Australia’s sevens superstars, including Charlotte Caslick and Maddison Levi, will switch to 15s next year to try to help the Wallaroos win a world crown.
- by Iain Payten
Updated
Australian rugby
Win Bledisloe every two years: Rugby Australia sets out bold five-year goals
A new strategy paper through to 2029 released by RA includes some lofty ambitions.
- by Iain Payten
‘He would have been proud of you’: Touching message to Gout Gout from family of Peter Norman
Set in a famous race at the 1968 Olympics, Peter Norman’s Australian record for the 200 metres stood for more than five decades. Until an incredible Queensland teenager finally broke it.
- by Iain Payten
Have the Wallabies got their mojo back? Why fans are pulling out the Johnny Howard tracksuit
After a disastrous 2023, rugby supporters – and even casual fans – are dusting off their Australian kit after a morale-boosting month tour of Europe. But the rebuild is a much longer-term project.
- by Iain Payten
Analysis
Australian rugby
The 15 things we learnt about the Wallabies in 2024
They started the year in a deep hole and ended it on a comparative high. So what parts of the Wallabies’ game are flying, and what still needs work?
- by Iain Payten
A try, a scrap with a star and a trophy from grandma: Sione’s incredible day
Former Junior Wallaby Sione Tuipulotu captained Scotland to a famous win over Australia. He – and his 77-year-old grandmother – were in the middle of absolutely everything at Murrayfield.
- by Iain Payten
Scotland 27 Wallabies 13
Australian rugby
Dominant Scots bring Wallabies’ grand slam dream to crashing halt
A former Junior Wallaby was one of the Scottish stars who ended Australia’s unbeaten run in a match in which Joseph Aukuso-Suaalii left the field injured.
- by Iain Payten
How new Wallaby Harry Potter earned his own place in the pages of history
He has lived a life with a world-famous name that was just another name when he was born. But now the newest Wallaby has earned his own fame.
- by Iain Payten
Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/by/iain-payten-p4yvrz