Wallaroos slowly reaping the rewards of increased investment as players pay conditions improve
This year, the Australian Women’s Rugby Union team has enjoyed increased investment and their first full-time coach. But the Wallaroo’s most recent results show they are still off the pace from the worlds best. The team says positive change will not come happen overnight, but a full-time program would help.
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00:00Wollaroos captain Mikaela Leonard has seen a lot of changes throughout her 26 test match
00:07career.
00:08It was wild, we had four games and I think that was the most the Wollaroos have played
00:13in one year for a long time if not ever and to now look that we've got 10 games a year,
00:18we've got full time coaching staff, full time S&C.
00:20Earlier this year, Rugby Australia increased the pay for players in the 15 a side game,
00:26with top tier players earning up to almost $73,000 per year through international and
00:32Super Rugby Women's participation.
00:34The Wollaroos also now have their first full time coach, Jo Yap.
00:38You can see the difference it's starting to make within the players but obviously these
00:43changes do take time but slowly you're starting to see it.
00:47The minimum wage for players in the Super Rugby Women's competition, which has just
00:51five regular season games, is $4,000 plus club payments.
00:56The code is well behind its rivals in Rugby League and Australian Rules where minimum
01:01pay is $30,000 and $50,000 respectively and seasons are significantly longer.
01:08The Wollaroos say they're slowly reaping the rewards of increased investment.
01:12You see girls now are more able to prioritise their rugby so I guess that little bit more
01:16investment on an individual level has allowed us to prioritise our training.
01:20But just the following week, the gap between Australia and the world's best teams became
01:25clear.
01:26The New Zealand side are full time athletes and reportedly earn up to $130,000 New Zealand
01:32dollars a year.
01:33That's the goal isn't it, to get to the point where we're full time athletes and we're doing
01:37this day in and day out.
01:39With the Wollaroos relegated to the World XV2 to be played later in the year and yet
01:44to qualify for next year's Women's Rugby World Cup in England, the investment being made
01:49in the team needs to reap rewards more quickly.