Australia's Rugby Renaissance: 3 Factors Powering a Renewed Love of the Sport

Otago Daily Times

11 hours ago

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Rugby union has a lot of competition in Australia, with rugby league, AFL, soccer, and cricket. However, 2025 might go down as a significant year for rugby union.
Is this a real renaissance for Australian rugby? The Hamish McLennan era, which sounded good in theory, resulted in only two test wins. Eddie Jones couldn't lead the Wallabies out of their 2023 World Cup pool and then left for Japan. Going back even further, neither Michael Cheika or Bill Pulver could steer the team to success.
However, since Phil Waugh took over as chief executive of Rugby Australia in late 2023, things have been looking up. Daniel Herbert replaced McLennan a few months later, and Joe Schmidt was brought in as head coach.
This doesn't seem to be another false dawn. Is it just the recent success powering our renewed love of rugby, or is there more to it?
Australian teams have enjoyed success in Super Rugby in 2025, with the Reds, Waratahs, Force, and Brumbies all looking promising.
Between 2016 and 2018, Australian teams lost a staggering 40 consecutive matches against clubs from New Zealand.
There were complaints about the standard of play in Super Rugby after it became a Pacific-only tournament in 2022. Jason Ryan, the All Blacks forwards coach, said in 2023, that super rugby probably isn't up to the standard it once held for itself. But now, the league appears to be back to its best, with the other Australian clubs snapping up talent from Melbourne Rebels after they collapsed.
Writer Gregor Paul observed that teams across the league have clearly improved their skill levels. This progress has been significantly supported by strategic investments in hiring and retaining top coaching talent. For instance, Dan McKellar's move from Leicester Tigers to take charge of the Waratahs has made a notable difference, while Les Kiss, who joined Queensland from London Irish last year, continues to play a transformative role at the Reds.
Schmidt's appointment as Wallabies head coach marked a big turning point as he is known for successful tenures with Ireland and the All Blacks.
The head coach quickly handed debuts to 18 Australia players in 2024, which is the most the team has seen since the 1920s, according to the Irish Times.
Schmidt was able to really get the most out of talent. These included Len Ikitau, who recently signed for Exeter, and Tom Wright. The latter noted after the Wallabies' match against England last year that Australia had also benefitted from Joseph Suaalii's emergence. Wright said the 'best parts of (Suaalii's) game are the physical attributes (…) the instinctual play' and that there wasn't a need to scrutinise the data too deeply.
The Guardian reported on 2025's having higher stakes through faster gameplay and tighter margins, which it said were 'boosting crowd attendances, TV ratings and greater success for Australian sides.'
Super Rugby CEO Jack Mesley said the high-energy play in games such as the early season Reds-Waratahs clash was great for fans, paying particular attention to the pace of games engaging more people.
All this coincides with more reporting and broadcasts, along with a higher level and volume of engagement surrounding the sport across a number of mediums. Australian rugby is here to stay
Australian rugby seems to have turned a corner, not only with improved results but with fresh energy at each level of the game. Leadership changes, smart coaching appointments, and a more engaging style of play are drawing in more fans. Amid competition from the NRL, ARL and cricket, rugby union is gaining significant momentum.