Rugby: Rugby-Review recommends raft of changes for Wallabies after World Cup misery

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Rugby Australia is hoping to draw a line under the country’s worst ever World Cup campaign after an independent review on Thursday made 23 recommendations for improvements in the Wallabies setup.

Twice champions Australia crashed out of last year’s World Cup in the pool stage for the first time and won only two of nine tests in 2023 during the brief second reign of coach Eddie Jones.

Former Wallabies Justin Harrison and Andrew Slack as well as high performance specialist Darlene Harrison and Pasifika advisor Moana Leilua conducted the review with the help of 94 participants.

Chief executive Phil Waugh said Rugby Australia had already started the process of implementing structural changes under new high performance director Peter Horne, many of which accorded with the recommendations.

“Last season was a unique situation with a unique set of circumstances, and it was important for us to hold an external process to get a very detailed and honest evaluation from the stakeholders – especially the players,” he said in a statement.

“This will allow us to process the 2023 season and use it to build a stronger Wallabies programme.”

With Jones having resigned last year and moved on to coach Japan again, the review panel was excused having to pass direct judgement on his stewardship even if some of the recommendations clearly addressed perceived shortcomings in his leadership.

Jones was heavily criticised for the manner in which long-serving Wallabies were informed that they had not made the World Cup squad and the review recommended the team selection process should be more transparent for players.

There was also criticism of Jones for chopping and changing his captain in his brief time in charge and the review called for a reset in the “formal player leadership structure” of the Wallabies.

Other recommendations could be seen as a criticism of Jones’s hiring of rugby league and Australian Rules coaches in his team of assistants as well as his use of other coaches outside their areas of speciality.

“I am confident that this review will help draw a line in the sand as we strive to implement the processes and structures that will drive the Wallabies towards a successful future,” Waugh added.

(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Editing by Peter Rutherford)