Australian rugby lacks a marquee event that captures the national imagination each year, but this could change if a bold Bledisloe Cup proposal gets approval.
Australian rugby lacks a marquee event that captures the national imagination each year, but this could change if a bold Bledisloe Cup proposal gets approval.
It is feared soft-power politics and a $240m war-chest could leave Samoa and Tonga uniquely vulnerableThere’s a new war in the Pacific brewing, with the Super Rugby side Moana Pasifika collapsing and rugby league on a new signing spree in union’s traditional heartlands.The conflict spells trouble for Rugby Australia (RA), whose federal government is funding a $600m NRL franchise in Papua New Guinea, $240m of which will go into poaching talent and creating pathways throughout Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and the Cook Islands. Continue reading...
Rugby Australia announced a record operating surplus of A$70 million (US$50 million) driven by the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour, which drew huge crowds to nine matches including three Tests and brought tens of thousands of overseas fans. CEO Phil Waugh said the surplus would enable a sustainable future for the sport after years of losses, with a dedicated investment fund to manage the funds and an expected further A$70-A$100 million from hosting next year's Rugby World Cup.
Organisation goes from $37m deficit to $70m profit in 12 monthsRecord operating surplus largely thanks to successful Lions tour Supporters of the British and Irish Lions have given Rugby Australia a financial launchpad ahead of the men’s and women’s World Cups, driving a record $70.6m surplus in 2025.The result, helped by strong attendance at the three Lions matches and a full calendar of Tests, reverses the pain of the previous period, when RA recorded a $37m deficit. Continue reading...
