Peter Horne urges disgruntled Wallabies to remain in rugby amid NRL threat

The Wallabies are bracing for a Wallabies exodus of talent, with gun winger Mark Nawaqanitawase’s move to the Sydney Roosters signalling the NRL’s motives.

Peter Horne has a message for rugby players looking to jump ship to the NRL. Picture: Getty Images

Australia’s new high performance boss, Peter Horne, is urging disgruntled Wallabies to remain in rugby following the defection of superstar Mark Nawaqanitawase.

The 23-year-old’s decision to switch to NRL club the Roosters from 2025 has heightened fears that other Wallabies may be looking to jump ship following a disastrous year on and off the field.

“Stay,” said Horne, who was confirmed as Rugby Australia’s high performance director on Friday, and will be in charge of all programs from the Wallabies, Wallaroos, Sevens and Super Rugby.

“There are so many great opportunities, international pinnacle events coming down the track.

“It’s an opportunity not only for themselves, to be a part of success in 27 (home men’s World Cup), 29 (home women’s World Cup) or 32 Olympic Games, but it’s important we continue to develop through our pathways and encourage them to be part of a united, winning Wallabies.

“I’ll be working with everyone to try to keep them within the system in the next coming years.

“For me it’s how do we retain our talent, how do we develop our talent and produce it for the future, we need to look at what we’re doing around our talent pathways and players that are of interest to us, how do we secure and keep them.

New RA director of high performance Peter Horne is urging disgruntled Wallabies to remain in rugby. Picture: Getty Images

“But it’s our next generation too, what are we doing with our year 18s, year 20s and year 23s that are coming through the system.

“And those who we dearly want to keep in the system, how do we retain them for the long play?

“It’s always disappointing to lose players, you don’t want to see them go to another code. But we’ve got plenty of good players coming through the system, there’s an exciting group of young recently capped individuals, the youngest World Cup squad in terms of with Australia, so you can look at it in a positive vain, the green shoots are coming, we just have to hold and retain what we’ve got and build for the future.”

Mark Nawaqanitawase’s decision to switch to the Roosters has heightened fears that other Wallabies may be looking to jump ship. Picture: Getty Images

Money will be a huge factor in how many top-line players rugby can retain.

And as the Melbourne Rebels deal with a crippling $9 million debt that threatens their survival beyond 2024, RA must land an improved broadcast deal from 2026, which will prove difficult given the game’s appeal and market forces during a cost of living crisis.

RA chief executive Phil Waugh said the organisation’s “intent” is to continue with all five Super Rugby franchises beyond 2024, but is wise enough not to make firm promises.

“We’ve said we need to have presence in five markets, and our biggest markets, it’s our intent to continue on that path,” Waugh said.

“We need to lift and elevate the performance, do we get more creative around eligibility of Super Rugby more broadly, those conversations with the establishment of the Super Rugby Pacific commission are all live conversations.

Phil Waugh says Rugby Australia wants to continue with all five Super Rugby franchises beyond 2024. Picture: Getty Images

“It is our intent to have five teams in five markets.

“It’s been well publicised that there are financial challenges, the introduction of the new broadcast deal for this cycle was significantly less than that historically, which has put pressure right across the system.

“The value attribution to Super Rugby is considerably less, and so when we look through the path and revenue events of the Lions, home World Cup in 27, home World Cup in 29, and the debt facility that we’ve taken out, we need to be really disciplined as to how we spend that money to ensure we’re putting as much as we possibly can in reserve so that the game is financially set up going forward.”