Is Rugby Union officially back in vogue?
Australian rugby appears to be at the beginning of a potentially well-timed resurgence ahead of a home World Cup in 2027
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Our next Happy Hour Sports Industry Networking event, presented by Groblox (Melbourne) is TODAY!
We’re teaming up again with MEE Agency to launch our next sports industry networking event in Melbourne:
Date: Thursday 9 October
Time: 3:00pm - 6:30pm
Location: Melbourne
Venue: Royal Saxon Hotel, Richmond
Tickets: $27
Who’s coming? (so far)
We’re bringing together a mix of professionals from across the sports ecosystem including rights-holders, brands, agencies, media, government, education and suppliers.
Melbourne Storm, MKTG Sports & Entertainment, AFL, Bursty, Marvel Stadium, Medibank, Essendon FC, Speedo, Sports Design Australia, Groblox, Maake, Fanzo, Wicket, Wildbear Entertainment, Spacecube, Victorian Institute of Sport, Nine, MEE Agency, Analyst Economy/Scout, Phototainment, Australian Sports Technology Network (ASTN), North Melbourne FC, Western Bulldogs, JAM TV, Australian Chinese Jockey Club, Wells+Co, Source For Me, Southern Cross Austereo, Sportsbet, Gold Coast Titans, National Basketball League, TGI Sport, KOJO, Bastion, Australian Sports Foundation, REVO Fitness, ActiveXchange, FutureLabs, PIM Group, Tennis Australia, Sport Australia Hall of Fame, Motorcycling Australia, Greyhound Racing Victoria, Asahi, Gemba
We know that there’ll be more to come!
Celebrating our new and renewed event partners 🤝
Groblox - Who have returned as our Presenting Partner and who are helping ensure that we can deliver our sports industry event series in a fun, meaningful and sustainable way. What’s Groblox? Their modular structures are tailored for modern sports & entertainment events and experiential marketing - Check them out here
Sport Design Australia - A top-tier sports creative agency that can help turn your creative desires into game-changing results. They’re experts in branding, design and creative support for sport and are trusted by top sports organisations to deliver creative that builds brand, engages fans and increases revenue. A HUGE thank you to the team for joining us as a sponsor this week! Check out their Instagram out here. Looking for creative support? Reach out to Ryan.
Asahi Super Dry - is returning to make Happy Hour extra special!
Cant wait to connect later over a drink! Cheers 🍻 🥂
Cricket Australia and Woolworths extended their partnership for a further 3-years - as part of the partnership the supermarket giant will continue to support cricket from the grassroots up as naming rights sponsor of the Woolworths Cricket Blast program
Australia’s largest non-bank share trading platform CMC Invest extended its Co-Principle partnership with St Kilda FC until the end of 2028 which will see it continue to feature prominently on the AFL and AFLW guernseys
Sydney Swans announced a partnership extension with Bitcoin and cryptocurrency exchange bitcoin.com.au which will see it continue to have a strong presence at all Swans AFL matches
Chemist Warehouse extended its long-standing partnership with the NRL which covers the Men’s and Women’s Premierships and key representative events
Whiskymofo joined Essendon FC as the Club’s Official Whisky Sponsor - the collaboration will deliver special releases which will be unveiled at key Club events, and online offers & giveaways will also be available to members and supporters
Perth Wildcats secured a partnership extension with Alinta Energy which will feature prominently at RAC Arena on game nights - it will also extend its support to the Perth Lynx
Hoops Capital secured a new partnership with Australian investment firm Remara which will be behind both the Sydney Kings and Sydney Flames for the commencement of the NBL 25/26 season
Cairns Taipans announced a 2-year partnership with compression technology brand SKINS
Brisbane Heat and Queensland Cricket announced a new 3-year partnership with hospitality giant Minor Hotels Australasia - The recently refreshed Oaks Hotels, Resorts & Suites will be the focus of the partnership
South Australian Cricket Association announced a 4-year extension of its long-standing partnership with Lion, owner of brands including West End and Hahn
Melbourne Stars welcomed Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme VicReturn as an official partner of the club’s Team Green sustainability initiatives - the 3-year deal reaffirms the Stars’ commitment to reducing its environmental impact and promoting sustainable practices
GWM announced its first ever cricket sponsorship, signing a multi-year partnership with Sydney Thunder and Sydney Sixers - This new deal comes off the back of GWM being named a new major sponsor of Richmond FC from 2026
Homestar Finance has been announced as Principal Partner of Sydney Thunder’s WBBL team for the 2025/26 season
Flinders University will feature as the front of shirt sponsor for Adelaide United’s Ninja A-League Women’s side for the 2025/26 season thanks to a partnership extension
Disney+ became the presenting partner of the inaugural NBL Ignite Cup starting Wednesday, October 8 - a total of $400,000 in prize money is on the line, the largest in NBL history - the tournament will be played on the Gold Coast (in partnership with Experience Gold Coast)
NBL hosted its Bounce Nation Fan Zone event at Melbourne Park which saw over 60,000 fans, skill challenges, live entertainment, and appearances by Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and the Harlem Globetrotters, via Seeker Agency
Adelaide Lightning WNBL welcomed a group of South Australian investors (Mohan Koo, Jeevan Koo, James Begley and John Paul Drake) who bought into the team, with their initial 30% stake to grow to become 100% over the next 3 years - following the news, Drakes Supermarkets was announced as the team’s jersey partner
ASX-listed Brisbane Broncos’ share price soared by over 26% following their NRL and NRLW grand final victory’s last weekend - the club’s value soared by ~$50m
Victoria Racing Club announced global DJ phenomenon FISHER will close the 2025 Melbourne Cup Carnival with a performance on TAB Champions Stakes Day
Cricket Australia and the Victorian Government, together with the City of Melbourne, launched the Boxing Day Test Summer Fest - a free four-day festival in Yarra Park/outside of the MCG, coinciding with the NRMA Insurance Boxing Day Test Match
Australian Open unveiled the ‘Million Dollar 1 Point Slam’ - a new competition giving Pros, celebrities and amateurs from across the country an opportunity to face off at Rod Laver Arena during Opening Week, and a chance to win $1 million - World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz will headline the pro player line-up
The Australian Open and Untitled Group revealed the biggest artist lineup for the highly anticipated return of AO LIVE in 2026 - The Kid LAROI, Peggy Gou, Spacey Jane, The Veronicas, and Sofi Tukker will hit the stage, with more exciting artists to be announced
Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz are among a group of star players that’ve sent a letter to the 4 x grand slam tournaments asking for an increase in prize money from 16% to 22% of tournament revenue by 2030, which would result in a $100m+ prize pool
A Nike Melbourne Marathon-branded hot air balloon flew across Melbourne to build hype for this weekend’s marathon event
Sports Entertainment Network announced it is teaming up with the Nike Melbourne Marathon Festival and it will deliver six hours of live and on-demand content across its multi-platform network
The NRL Grand Final between the Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm became the single biggest sporting event for 2025 with 4.46m Australians tuning in to watch, up 33% on audiences for the 2024 decider
Volleyball Australia announced the appointment of RWS Global which will deliver the full event presentation, entertainment and festival program for this November’s Beach Volleyball World Championships, Adelaide 2025
adidas unveiling TRIONDA: The Official Match Ball for the FIFA World Cup26
Guest Writer: Dr Hunter Fujak
Dr Hunter Fujak is a Senior Lecturer in Sports Management at Deakin University. His research focus areas include sport consumer behaviour, media strategy and sport broadcasting. Dr Fujak is the author of Code Wars- The Battle for Fans, Dollars and Survival, and a leading media commentator and regular contributor to The Conversation. He has previously consulted within media and sponsorship for Australasia’s largest sporting leagues, events and brands.
In today’s article Hunter breaks down how Australian rugby risen from its lowest ebb in 2023, exploring the key turning points, leadership changes, and commercial decisions that have sparked its resurgence.
Enjoy the read!
Is Rugby Union officially back in vogue?
While the Wallabies suffered a record 11th straight defeat to the All Blacks over the weekend, Australian rugby appears at the beginning of a potentially well timed resurgence ahead of a home World Cup in 2027.
Rugby World Cup 2023: Australia Rugby’s Lowest Ebb:
Such a resurgence seemed highly improbable only two years ago, when the Wallabies were for the first time ever eliminated at the pool stage of a Rugby World Cup. This elimination included the Wallabies first defeat to Fiji since 1954 (22-15) and a record 40–6 capitulation to Wales, as Australia’s largest World Cup loss and Wales’ biggest win over Australia. Australia sank to 10th in the world rankings, an all-time low.
The 2023 World Cup was widely considered Australian rugby’s lowest point, not just because of the team’s on-field performance, but the perception that these results reflected a game in broader crisis.
During this time, media reports broke the scandal that national coach Eddie Jones had interviewed for the Japan national team job during the World Cup build-up. Meanwhile, the World Cup performance appeared to vindicate critics claiming Rugby Australia had underinvested in junior development and pathways. Rugby Australia’s perilous financial situation also became widely known and discussed, forming another pillar of negative discourse diminishing the code’s status.
Perhaps most critically however, there appeared to be an alarming lack of public outrage over the World Cup performance, reflecting a cultural apathy that had developed towards the Wallabies, who only 20 years ago were widely considered Australia’s pre-eminent national team (alongside men’s cricket).
The turnaround: 2024/2025
Whilst not yet reflected in silverware, it is apparent that Australian rugby is in the midst of a renaissance.
The recruitment of Joseph Sua’ali’i on an approximate $1.6 million annual contract was fraught with risk, given code’s financial situation. Yet, he has provided the necessary star power to catalyse a resuscitation of a stagnant Wallabies brand.
Joe Schmidt was hired as Wallabies head coach in January 2024, bringing stability to a key role in antithesis to the melodrama that surrounded Eddie Jones.
Rugby Australia then secured a five year broadcast extension with Nine to 2030 in April 2025, albeit with a seemingly modest increase in commercial return to approximately $43 million per annum.
Most recently, the 2025 Lions Tour was the commercial success it was always likely to be. The tour’s profits were largely used to repay a $80 million debt facility.
Doing so however, leaves the code debt-free for the first time in the post-pandemic era. Equally critically, the Wallabies were able to remain competitive with the nation’s eyeballs upon them.
The Wallabies’ would go on to beat South Africa at Ellis Park for the first time since 1963 in August.
Can Rugby Maintain the Momentum?
Like its peer Netball Australia, Rugby Australia appears to have finally steadied itself after a period of self-reinforcing spiral of decline, where each crisis compounded the next to deepen the code’s troubles.
The code appears to now have a clearer strategic direction. With Rugby Australia describing the ‘Giteau Law’ as redundant, the national team now takes clearer precedence over domestic Super Rugby. This prioritization is astute because for most Australians, the Wallabies are the primary engagement point with rugby union. Hence the Wallabies are the critical driver of rugby’s mainstream popularity, which trickles down to commercial outcomes such as sponsorship value, attendance and viewership metrics.
The sport has also ‘right-sized’ itself in recognition that it now sits in a second tier of sports below AFL, rugby league, cricket and tennis.
This is notable because the commercial gap between tier 1 and tier 2 sports is accelerating
Whereas the AFL generated approximately four times the central revenue of Rugby Australia upon professionalization in 1995, the AFL now generates eight times the central revenue (and the NRL six times).
Whilst Rugby Australia’s recent media deal with the Nine Network to 2030 provides much needed surety, its modest uplift reveals the code’s status in the Australian sport hierarchy. Whilst the comparisons to the AFL and NRL are obvious, Nine Entertainment now also pays more than double ($100 million) for English Premier League rights than for Australia rugby.
Rugby Australia can thus no longer compete in a financial arms race with its fellow codes and must be highly strategic with both its investment and expenditures.
This was most publicly visible via the cessation of the Melbourne Rebels, but also in a reduction in staff head count since Covid.
Yet Rugby Australia’s more resource constrained environment will continue to pose challenges in building upon the code’s momentum.
The proposed R360 competition provides yet another league who are capable of offering player salaries in excess of those available domestically. Rugby Australia has confirmed that any players who defect to the proposed R360 competition will be ineligible for the Wallabies.
With the AFL entering a $650 million per annum media rights cycle and the NRL likely to soon achieve an uplift on its $400 million per annum deal, rugby’s largest competitors are only becoming more resource rich at a time of reinvestment in areas of rivalry: women’s semi-professional leagues, junior development/pathways and geographic market expansion.
Notably, Rugby Australia has been in the past criticized by its own athletes for not sufficiently supporting the women’s game. This case exemplifies Rugby Australia’s delicate balancing act in managing its own financial sustainability whilst competing with more resource rich organizations who are raising the floor of expectation in the women’s sport space.
In relation to junior development, it is encouraging that Rugby Australia’s 2024 Annual Report suggests total player participation across clubs, events and schools rose by almost 15% year on year, despite being heavily out-resourced by its larger rivals.
Perhaps most significantly however, there appears a current crop of young, talented and marketable Wallabies who are committed to genuinely competing for the 2027 World Cup in Australia. For all the strategy, planning, and governance any sport organisation can put in place, sustaining rugby’s revival will ultimately hinge on one thing more than most: delivering a home-soil World Cup triumph in 2027.
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