Australia’s women’s rugby team have slammed Rugby Australia over inequality and lack of investment in the game, highlighting the different treatment afforded to the men’s team, the Wallabies.
In a coordinated move, almost every current women’s Test player posted the same statement on social media late Sunday demanding that the governing body address their concerns.
Their anger appears to have been triggered by wives and girlfriends of Wallabies players being flown to Sydney to “say goodbye” to the men’s team last week as they departed for the World Cup in France.
“You told us flying anything beyond economy was too costly. Then you flew the Wallabies business class on a trip shorter than ours,” they said.
“You continually say we don’t have enough resources and yet we all saw the World Cup send off for the Wallabies.”
No expense has been spared for Eddie Jones’s under-performing men’s team ahead of the World Cup, with training camps and a trip to northern Australia before their departure.
The women’s team, the Wallaroos, are employed part-time and also took exception at the number of assistants given to Jones, with the former England coach accumulating an 11-strong backroom team.
They also criticised Rugby Australia’s decision this year to recruit rugby league star Joseph Suaalii on reported Aus$5 million (US$3.2 million) contract.
“You told us full-time contracts were in the pipeline, that there wasn’t enough money to keep the men in the game, let alone us. Then you paid $5 million for an NRL player,” they said.
“You said our program would go professional, and our coach would be full-time. How many coaches has Eddie taken to the World Cup?
“We’ve seen the impact that women’s sport has had on the Australian sporting landscape, thanks to the @matildas,” they added, referring to the groundswell of support for the Australian football team at the just-completed Women’s World Cup.
“It’s time for the chairman, board, and CEO to prioritise the future of Australian women’s rugby and allocate adequate resources. It’s time to acknowledge that we are not promoted equally, even on a free platform.
“The future of our games hangs in the balance. It’s your move, Rugby Australia.”
Rugby Australia did not address any of the specific issues in a statement, but admitted it needed to do more.
“Rugby Australia will continue to involve the Wallaroos playing group … in all planning and developments regarding investment in women’s rugby,” it said.
“We are taking steps towards a fully professional future for the Wallaroos and investing more broadly in women’s rugby across national and community competitions — and we know we have a way to go.”
In February, RA announced it would begin contracting Wallaroos players on a part-time basis in the first step of what it said was a staged increase in investment over the next five years.
