Greetings my fellow Australians (and those in Tasmania). I’m back in the saddle for another Friday’s Rugby News, refreshed, reinvigorated with renewed fervour for our great game and our side’s chances for the remainder of ’25. Also a big thank you to Eloise for stepping in with a cracking article last week and for Nutta’s two bobs’ with his Lions wrap.
Today we launch into the big items first with ‘Rebel Rugby Revolution‘. Then we discuss a growing trend in rugby with ‘Rank Fetish’. Travel to the lands of the Dutch Dirt Farmers for ‘Boer Me Senseless’. Drop in on our golden girls in ‘Wallaroos Wrap’, before climbing into another booming ‘Friday’s Goss with Hoss’, clinically proven to increase rugby libido.
Rebel Rugby Revolution.
For the record, not as in Victorian rugby (been there, done millions on that), instead I speak of the proposed R360. I must admit that when the rumblings around the proposed R360 first appeared I gave it short shrift. How many iterations of the same Rebel Rugby innovations have we heard over many a year, right? But with growing reports and momentum that are starting to look more like destiny then hope, I’ve shifted my thinking to: just how does RA make it work as a recruitment, retention and cost cutting tool?
And I’ve arrived at a point where I believe, if used correctly, it can relieve financial pressure on RA, while retaining players for Wallaby duty and helping nurture stronger pathways for gen-next into Super Rugby and beyond. Plus, as Happyman instructed in Thursday’s News, it rightfully rewards players for their skill in a global game and they can earn substantial sums of cash at the same time.
One of the big news items that kinda crept under the radar was the announcement that the Giteau Law is now redundant. Sure, since St Joe’s tenure began it has been common knowledge that he could pick from wherever he chose, but with his penchant for picking Oz based players first, unless the OS player was substantially better, Will Skelton for instance. But it wasn’t until last week that the language around the Giteau Law became so, well, transparent and final: it’s dead. ‘Redundant’ is a nice word, but I looked up its literal definition and found out it means: no, or not longer needed, or useful, which sheds new light into why Mrs Hoss looks at me and mutters same.
So, with the demise of the Giteau Law and the possible arrival of R360, why wouldn’t RA look to lower its exposure to large wages for the likes of Caitlyn Jenner (JAS) or The Bull (Angus Bell) and co and instead look at implementing flexible contracts for those of national interest? In this example, for the sake of spits and giggles, I’m going to use The Funky Bunch himself, Mr Mark Nawaqanitawase for the benefits of recruitment, retention and some cost relief.
It’s old news that The Bunch left because RA had spent all its coin on recruiting JAS but, with R360 circling, wouldn’t it be the perfect opportunity to reach out to him and others like him? Something along the lines of: Bunch, we can’t pay you the full $800k pa you’re after, but what we can do is offer you $650k retainer, plus match day payments of $X for each test you play, bumped up to $Y for every test we win. This contract means you have to play SR with ABC team, but we would release you to play in R360, should you be selected. And that’s key, ‘should you be selected’. Think about it for a minute. The Funky Bunch would have to play to a standard and level on a weekly basis to warrant R360 selection. His form would need to be consistent, his skill levels be sharp and his desire levels amped up every week. In other words, he needs to play consistently better, and in doing so everyone associated with him or in his rugby orbit also wins.
The upside for all stakeholders is immense. RA potentially saves money and can divert some of those funds for payment of agreed KPIs for test results, or for campaign results like winning/second in the RC, or making the semis of our RWC. The player wins because they have access to a guaranteed RA contract, agreed payments for tests, plus a KPI ‘kicker’ and access to an extremely lucrative R360 event to pad their own purse. I get there are some grey areas in this: what happens if a player takes a lesser $ contract to chase R360 selection and misses out on selection, for example. So perhaps RA could look at having something like an R360 Flexible Package (lower contract value, but with option to play in R360) and also have a R360 Inflexible Contract (higher contract value, no option to play in R360). Shrewd operators realise there is always a deal within a deal to be had, you just have to tailor it to suit the needs of all, as opposed to just a one size fits all approach.
From a pure business perspective I love the flexibility and potential R360 offers RA, if it’s used intelligently (say what you will but RA over the last two years or so has been outstanding in its handling and oversight of the game). I’ll close with this: if an organisation came along and said they’ll take cost pressure off my business; help me attract and retain talented staff; help grow my current staff to perform more consistently and with improved results; plus have them available to me for critical performance periods, what do you reckon I’d say?
Rebel Rugby? Hell yeah.
Rank Fetish.
Let’s start at the beginning. For the first time ever, starting with RWC2027 on our shores, there will be six pools of four teams competing for Bill. For those of you educated in Queensland that’s 22 in total, coincidentally the same number of cousins you have named ‘Cletus’. To improve the chances of success (for the cup, not with your cousin) you must be ranked in World Rugby’s top 6 at the end of November 2025, therefore ensuring you avoid running into another top 6 ranked side in your pool. Conversely, finish outside the top 6 and you’re guaranteed a match against one of the top 6 titans.
The rankings at the end of the November internationals will be the only ones that matter, and in December of this year the draw for RWC2027 will take place. Which brings us nicely to the 2025 iteration of the Rugby Championship. Of course every player and every coach wants to win every test, (unless you’re from Wales, where a one in twenty win ratio is considered acceptable) but for the Wallabies the question must be raised: are you better keeping your powder dry for selected outings over others? In other words, should St Joe target certain games by resting some players ahead of pivotal clashes in order to lock-in a top 6 spot, or should it just be the best team selected for every match? With 32 tests between now and RWC2027 kick-off, do we have the luxury of player rotation or player ‘resting’?
For me, like most things in life, it’s going to be about balance and a bespoke approach to each player on a game by game basis, dependant on individual factors. While St Joe has certainly increased depth across our team, we don’t have the layers of talent that those in SA or NZ enjoy, so we need to use those like Sideshow Bob, Will Skelton or 7As.
One thing’s for sure, with our Wallabies currently ranked #6 on 82.08 points, on a wafer thin margin of .03 over the #7th placed FISMs on 82.05 and who pantsed us last outing and we play twice in the RC, wins, all wins, are at an absolute premium (especially against the FISMs) with weighting as explained by Eloise last Friday.
You can check out the current rankings here at worldrugby/rankings.
Boer Me to Tears.
South Africa v Wallabies. Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg on Sunday August 17, 12.30am AEST on Stan.
I am kinda over hearing how unrelentingly good these SAFFAs are. Sure as spit they are worthy RWC champions. Sure, their coach is a cheat innovator. Sure they’re big, but so what? We have some size to not only match but maybe lay our physical footprint on this one. So if not now, when?
Our lot are in the ancestral lands of the Dutch Dirt Farmers for their first two rounds of TRC against the back-to-back undisputed heavyweight champions of world rugby, the Boks. Coach Jaco Johan named his side early in the week, with many pundits getting firm in the crotch area about the ‘masterstroke’ from the revered coach, one even going so far to call ‘an Alpha move’. For me, it’s ‘meh’, they’re not going to win or lose based on an early team release. In contrast St Joe last night confirmed our XXIII as well. Age division sprinting champion, Christy Doran, as well as Eddie’s best mate, Tom Decent, both ran news midweek that JOC was going to get the nod as starting #10, and that proved correct. In fact JOC 3.0 is the only change to the starting XV, with de Crespigny replacing Choppa Donaldson on the bench as part of a 6-2 split. The noticeable omission is Bobby V who is perhaps still recovering from injury or lacks enough match fitness for this one, especially at altitude.
I like this side and I like Joe’s thinking. There’s size, confidence and combinations in place. They’re coming off a win, they are battle hardened and will have a spring in their step. But does it mean we will win? Probably not. The reality is the BOKs are spoiled for rugby riches and could name a second XXIII perhaps as strong as the one picked, if not stronger. Although a pack containing du Toit, Etzebeth, Marx and Nche is still rather impressive. Add the size of their centres and the blinding pace of their wingers and they’re the complete packages. Then there’s the history, the altitude, the consecutive world titles and on and on and on it goes. But for me, it just makes our upcoming victory even sweeter as I’m bored with all the Super Boer stories. Although I shuddered when I saw who had the conch for this one.
Fearless Prediction: Wallabies by 2. Now there’s a scoop for you.
SPRINGBOKS (15-1): Aphelele Fassi; Edwill van der Merwe, Jesse Kriel, Andre Esterhuizen, Kurt-Lee Arendse; Manie Libbok, Grant Williams; Siya Kolisi (capt), Pieter-Steph du Toit, Marco van Staden; Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth; Wilco Louw, Malcolm Marx, Ox Nche
Replacements: Bongi Mbonambi, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Franco Mostert, Kwagga Smith, Cobus Reinach, Canan Moodie, Damian Willemse
WALLABIES (15-1): Tom Wright; Max Jorgensen, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Len Ikitau, Dylan Pietsch; James O’Connor, Nic White; Harry Wilson (capt), Fraser McReight, Tom Hooper; Will Skelton, Nick Frost; Taniela Tupou, Billy Pollard, James Slipper
Replacements: Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Angus Bell, Zane Nonggorr, Jeremy Williams, Langi Gleeson, Nick Champion de Crispigny, Tate McDermott, Andrew Kellaway.
Referee: Cataracts O’Keeffe (NZR) Assistant Referee 1: James Doleman (NZR) Assistant Referee 2: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR) TMO: Tual Trainini (FFR) FPRO: Richard Kelly (NZR).
Wallaroos Wrap.
Our golden girls are in the UK ahead of the official RWC kickoff on 22 August with the Wallaroos in action in Pool A on Saturday, 23 August. Our girls find themselves alongside the hosts and women’s rugby powerhouse England, the USA and Samoa with conventional wisdom saying that to progress the Wallaroos must beat USA (tough) and Samoa (likely). Indeed, by the time the match against the lady Soap Dodgers rolls around, the Wallaroos will likely know their RWC destiny:
- Saturday, 23 August v Samoa: Salford Community Stadium Manchester, 9:00pm AEST
- Saturday, 30 August v USA: York Community Stadium, York. 4:30am AEST
- Saturday, 6 September v Poms: Brighton & Hove Albion Stadium, 2:00am AEST
Terrible news for Charlotte Caslick this week with injury ruling her out of the cup, for now. Both the player and the coaches haven’t given up on the possibility of CC making the later rounds of the RWC should injury recovery and Wallaroo form dictate such.
The updated squad is as follows:
Forwards
- Katalina Amosa
- Bree-Anna Browne
- Emily Chancellor
- Annabelle Codey
- Piper Duck
- Ashley Fernandez
- Brianna Hoy
- Asoiva Karpani
- Lydia Kavoa
- Kaitlan Leaney
- Michaela Leonard
- Ashley Marsters
- Tania Naden
- Bridie O’Gorman
- Siokapesi Palu
- Faliki Pohiva
- Adiana Talakai
- Tabua Tuinakauvadra
Backs
Charlotte Caslick- Lori Cramer
- Waiaria Ellis
- Georgina Friedrichs
- Caitlyn Halse
- Tia Hinds
- Desiree Miller
- Faitala Moleka
- Manu’a Moleka
- Layne Morgan
- Trilleen Pomare
- Cecilia Smith
- Maya Stewart
- Caitlin Urwin
- Samantha Wood
You can find all details for the 2025 RWC, teams, times, fixtures, fantasy league and coverage details at rugbyworldcup.com
Friday’s Goss with Hoss.
Shute out.
It’s semi-finals time in the Shute Shield with the Coleman Bros. Hunter Wildfires still very much in the mix.
Saturday, 16 August
Eastern Suburbs (1) v Randwick (6): Woollahra Oval 3:10pm.
Northern Suburbs (3) v Eastwood (4): North Sydney Oval 3:10pm
Sunday, 17 August
Warringah (2) v Hunter Wildfires (5): Pittwater Rugby Park 3:05pm
Hospital Cup
It’s also the finals of the QPRQ Hospital Cup with the semi-finals held on Sunday:
StoreLocal Hospital Cup: Brothers v Easts** 3:10pm Field 1
StoreLocal Hospital Cup: Wests v Bond University* 12:35pm Field 1
rugby.com.au has all the details of all grades & teams
Rugby Porn
Ever inherited a work laptop with some, ahem, ‘content’ the previous user didn’t delete? Eddie Jones has. Taking over from Rassie in 2007 as Bok technical advisor, Eddie was given Rassie’s old computer and what he found still titillates him today. planetrugby.com has more.
It gives you wings (and a heap of cash).
Austrian canned caffeine and sugar purveyor, Red Bull, has acquired English rugby premier side the Newcastle Falcons reportedly paying £39 million pounds ($52.9 million real dollars) plus a free six pack of the Bogan Bubbles. The new owners have wasted no time in renaming the club the Newcastle Falcon Red Bulls and in signing 27yo former Crusader (and cracking player) Tom Christie on a 2 year contract.
Red Bull reported* Tom Christie as saying: Es ist aufregend, mich der Meisterriege der Newcastle Falcons Rugby-Union-Spieler im Dienst unseres Oberherrn Red Bull anzuschließen. Ich freue mich darauf, jenen, die unserem Ruhm im Weg stehen, empfindliche Verluste zuzufügen. Hiermit schwöre ich meine Treue denen, die Katzenpisse in Dosen verkaufen. Danke.
*maybe not actually reported, but I’m sure he probably thunk it.
The forgotten ranga.
Harry Johnson-Holmes, the soprano prop (he likes to sing, when he’s not whacking people) has put an injury plagued two years behind him and signed on with the Farce for 2026. A more than handy player and capped Wallaby, Harry deserves an ounce of luck go his way after missing 2025 when he buggered his ACL in a pre-season match against the Brumbies. Go well Big H, here’s to an injury free year.
Who cares.
Los Pumas play host to the Nearlies this week somewhere other than the Falkland Islands. Having said that, the FISMs got touched up by an English B side and this after they beat the world’s greatest Lions side a few weeks earlier. The Darkness had the warm up ‘tests’ against a Contiki Holidays French side, so when it comes to the form guide, make of that what you will.
If you really must, you can catch the game on Sunday 7:00am AEST on Stan.
Your Hoss fantasy awaits.
We’ll post an article later today with details for joining the G&GR Fantasy League for the Rugby Championship. Stay tuned for more.
That’s all for another Friday. Go the Wallabies.
Hoss – out.
