‘WAGs get more funding than us’: Wallaroos rugby team say they were lied to over funding

Key Points

• Wallaroos players said Rugby Australia told them there wasn’t enough money for full-time contracts.
• Rugby Australia had previously said it would offer players full-time contracts by 2src25.
• The Wallaroos have said it’s time for the governing body to properly invest in the women’s game.

Wallaroos players have lashed Rugby Australia for inequities between the women’s and men’s national programs, claiming the organisation has lied to their team.

Current Test players have shared a statement on social media, saying it’s time for the governing body to invest properly in the women’s game and referenced the success of the Matildas, who finished fourth in the football Women’s World Cup.

“You told us flying anything beyond economy was too costly, then you flew the Wallabies business class on a trip shorter than ours,” the Wallaroos said in the statement posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

“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.”

“You said our program would go professional and our coach will be full-time. How many coaches has Eddie taken to the World Cup?

“You continually say we don’t have enough resources and yet we all saw the World Cup send off for the Wallabies.”