Eddie Jones’ search for Wallabies’ Digger spirit spells end for ‘Wazza’
‘Wazza’, the cartoon superhero David Rennie hung in the Wallabies changing rooms to inspire his players, has been dumped as Eddie Jones tries to bring back the ‘Digger spirit’.
“Wazza”, the cartoon superhero David Rennie hung in the Wallabies changing rooms to inspire his players, has been dumped as Eddie Jones tries to bring back the “Digger spirit”.
The Australian can reveal what Wazza – a Marvel-like figure with a lean muscular figure, glowing eyes and a boomerang – looks like, with the cartoon not previously published outside the locker rooms.
It is understood the emblem is now unlikely to survive the Wallabies’ change of leadership, with Jones saying he wants to draw heavily on Australia’s “Digger spirit” and that “never-say-die” attitude.
It was in 2020, shortly after Rennie was appointed by former Rugby Australia chief executive Raelene Castle, the Kiwi coach encouraged the players to design the “ultimate Wallaby”.
A team source told The Australian the Wallabies met to brainstorm the figure, and a Kiwi graphic designer friend of Rennie in turn created the bold, muscular cartoon of a footballer and he was named “Wazza”.
Rugby Australia chair Hamish McLennan told the Australian: “Yes, I am aware of Wazza. The past is the past from what I know, the team has moved on, it’s a new day for the Wallabies.”
Jones told The Weekend Australian: “I think what always ties Australians together is that Digger spirit, that is fighting for each other.
“And the question now is; how do you make that spirit relevant in a more diverse Australian society?”
Wazza’s first iteration held a Bledisloe Cup and a boomerang, with the background featuring Indigenous and Polynesian cultural motifs, as well as fire and lightning.
In Rennie’s first Test as coach, in October 2020, Australia almost secured a Bledisloe Cup upset win in Wellington but instead the Wallabies drew 16-16 with the All Blacks.
The second iteration of Wazza, which The Australian has also obtained from within the team, did not hold a trophy and was pointing his finger. A large map of Australia with an Indigenous cultural motifs, kangaroos, a shadow of a Digger in a slouch hat, Polynesian cultural motifs, lightning and fire in the background was included.
A large print of Wazza was fixed on the dressing room walls before games as a means to inspire and to remind players of who they were and what they stood for.
Yet the Marvel-type character was not enough to inspire Rennie’s team beyond a 38 per cent win rate.
His coaching style, team selections and training methods ultimately cost him his job.
Last week Rennie made way for super Jones, who has the best record of any coach at a World Cup: a win rate of 73 per cent with his previous team England.
Jones, who is due to start his new job next Sunday, is still in the planning processes and will consult with the Wallabies playing group about how to weave in Australia’s history of having a “fighting spirit” into this team.
“You know, my father fought in wars, so that image of fighting for your mate in the war is relevant to me,” Jones said.
“But I haven’t fought in a war. My daughter hasn’t fought in a war. So we need to find a way to make that Digger spirit relevant for a more diverse society that Australia has become now.”
Jones has made no secret that he wants to win the World Cup this year and plans to do that by bringing back “the Australian way” of playing rugby.
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