Wednesday’s Rugby News sees Marky Mark looking to come back for an Eddie-free World Cup campaign, NZ questioning the formula, Australia in line to be Rugby Championship champions until at least 2029 and a welcome to Wallabies assistant coach Tom Donnelly.
Marky Mark to ditch Funky Bunch for home RWC
RugbyPass reports that former Wallabies winger Mark Nawaqanitawase is reportedly returning to rugby union ahead of the 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup in Straya, with the syllables champion informing the Sydney Roosters of his decision to leave the NRL after the 2026 season.
The 25-year-old finished the regular NRL season as the code’s top try-scorer with 24 tries, which including a hat-trick against the Bee Gees’ Dolphins and four tries against the Melbourne Creative Salary Cap Accountants.
Narwhalscanbenasty is set to chase his dream of representing Australia at a Rugby World Cup without Eddie ruining the experience, but the 11-Test Wallaby plans on heading overseas rather than sign with an Australian Super Rugby franchise, aparently unaware that there are nicer clubs to play at than the Tahs.
After the British & Irish Lions Series, Rugby Australia’s Director of Performance Peter Horne told media that “the Giteau Law’s kind of redundant.” Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt is able to pick overseas-based players if desired for the national side.
AB captaincy chatter
PlanetRugby reports that former All Blacks manager Darren Shand believes that Scott Robertson may have to make a decision over the ABs captaincy in the near future.
After Robertson took charge following the 2023 Rugby World Cup final “Shaver” selected Scott “the thick-looking one” Barrett as his skipper.
It was an unsurprising choice given that Robertson and Barrett worked together during their time at the Crusaders, where they won some Super Rugby titles or something (yawn).
Many thought Ardie Savea should have been handed the role, however, and those calls have persisted given the mixed results under Robinson.
Shand, who was ABs manager for 20 years before departing in 2023, has given his verdict on the situation.
“Looking from the outside, the captaincy looks heavy on Scott for me, I think that’s one thing they’ve got to think about,” he told Sport Nation’s The Rugby Run.
“Sometimes captaincy lifts you and sometimes it crushes you, and it looks more of the latter for me at the moment.”
Ardie Savea is the natural replacement should Robertson decide to make a change.
“Ardie is very similar to Tana [Umaga], his actions, his personal mana, he’s shown that he can take people with him, so it’s an interesting situation for Razor with both of those,” he said. “Unlike Umaga, if Ardie Savea had fought the mud-covered Dutch in the jungle, Ardie wouldn’t have stood under that dead-fall log and got squushed at the end of Predator.” Shand should have added.
“Let’s use the best of both of them to get the best out of both of them.” Shand added in gnomic style.
Rugby Championship to be put on back-burner for tours
The SMH reports that the Rugby Championship will not take place next year, and the current format of the competition is unlikely to be played again until 2029.
New Zealand are heading to South Africa next year for a seven-game tour featuring matches against the Bulls, Stormers, Shorks and Lions, as well as three Tests – with a fourth Test to be tacked on at the end in Europe.
That will replace the Rugby Championship in 2026, 2027 is a World Cup year and plans are afoot for tours involving all four SANZAAR nations in 2028. The Wallabies are set to play two three-Test series in 2028, meaning they could either head to New Zealand for three Tests or host the All Blacks, followed by a similar arrangement with either South Africa or Argentina.
The Rugby Championship has been enjoying a strong couple of years – particularly in 2025. However, some of that success can be attributed to the “mini-tour” format introduced in 2022, which saw each nation play back-to-back Tests in one country.
Wallabies assistant coach Tom Donnelly: “Smish ’em bro“
Nathan Williamson reports that Wallabies assistant coach Tom Donnelly is ready to join a growing group of Kiwis tasked with stopping the All Blacks’ 23-year lucky streak with the Bledisloe Cup.
Donnelly joined the coaching staff at the start of the Rugby Championship after Geoff Parling’s exit to Leicester, having turned the Western Force’s set-piece into a weapon.
The Otago lock made his debut for the All Blacks against the Wallabies in 2009, going on to win 14 of his 15 Tests he played in.
Now, the 43-year-old has made home in the Australian camp alongside fellow New Zealanders Joe Schmidt and Mike Cron.
“I suppose when you’re in professional sports, whatever team you’re involved with, you get emotionally invested in it pretty quickly. I’m just trying to do a really good job here with the Wallabies and really enjoying it,” Donnelly said to reporters.
“Preparing to beat an opposition is nothing changed, just go about my work and make sure that we prepare these boys as best we can so we turn up on Saturday and give a performance that we’re really proud of.”
“To be able to coach international footy is a dream or a goal when you first start out coaching, so it’s awesome to be here now.”
“…It’s a long time since I was involved with the All Blacks, so my memory’s not that great, but I can certainly add my little bit of two cents here and there where I see fit.”
Donnelly has been loving life in Wallaby camp as the team enjoy top spot of the Rugby Championship with two rounds to go.
“The environment’s outstanding. The people that are involved make you feel unbelievably welcome,” he added. “Not at all like the prucks in Otago” we added.
“It’s a hard-working environment. Everyone’s there for a reason, to do really well in the Wallaby gold. It’s been really, really enjoyable so far.”
