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Wallaroos coach Jo Yapp reacts to ‘really exciting’ announcement

Jo Yapp head coach of the Wallaroos speaks to players after their defeat during the International Test Match between Australia Wallaroos and New Zealand Black Ferns at Ballymore Stadium on July 14, 2024 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)

Wallaroos coach Jo Yapp has opened up about last Thursday’s “really exciting” announcement, with Rugby Australia confirming that nine HSBC SVNS Series stars have linked up with Super Rugby Women’s clubs in a bid to play for the national team in 2025.

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World Rugby’s reigning Sevens Player of the Year Maddison Levi headlines a star-studded Queensland Reds-bound group that also includes sister Teagan, three-time Olympian Charlotte Caslick, sevens captain Isabella Nasser, and Olympian Khali Henwood.

Sariah Paki is the only sevens representative who has committed to the NSW Waratahs, while the trio of Demi Hayes, Tia Hinds and Bienne Terita are all off to the ACT Brumbies. These nine athletes have all set their sights on playing at the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England.

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It’s understood they’ll all be able to play a couple of matches for their respective SR Women’s clubs in March during a four-week break between SVNS Series stops in Vancouver and Hong Kong China. To play for Australia in 15s, they won’t have many opportunities to impress coach Yapp.

But, before a ball is kicked or a pass is thrown, coach Yapp seems incredibly enthusiastic and positive about this significant announcement. With the support of sevens coach Tim Walsh as well, it’s now up to the players to make their mark.

“From a depth point of view it’s really exciting, and it’s great because the girls seem really excited about being involved as well, which is what you want,” Yapp recently told Nathan Williamson at rugby.com.au.

“It started before the Olympics… just that expression of interest in the first instance and then obviously wanted to respect their time when they came back and then picked up conversations face to face since then.

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“We’re just trying to get a good process because it’s important that we do get a good process and they feel that they’re being supported, but equally we’re respecting the players we’ve got and we’re creating playing opportunities for them to play and that’s through Super Rugby W.”

These nine are established within the nation’s sevens side, with some standing out as genuine world-class talents, but 15s is a new challenge. The Levi sisters, Paki and some others are yet to play a game of 15s at any level, but they’ll look to knock off Wallaroos for spots in the squad.

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Australia are coming off a history-making end to their first international season under coach Yapp, where they won the first major trophy in team history at WXV 2. Maya Stewart and Desiree Miller were among the standouts as the Aussies knocked off Wales, South Africa and Scotland.

The Wallaroos had lost all three of their matches in World Rugby’s Pacific Four Series before falling to New Zealand, Ireland and the Welsh. But for this team to then finish the year as they did, and look supremely confident as they made history, is in itself a positive sign.

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“I think it’s definitely huge in that list of names there’s Olympians, there’s incredible athletes, there’s a whole lot of rugby knowledge and experience,” captain Michaela Leonard told RugbyPass.

“It’s super huge for us as a Wallaroos group that one, players and athletes of that calibre are interested in challenging themselves to be part of the 15s game and putting their hand up to be part of what’s been a pretty special group this year and looking into a World Cup year next year is pretty special.

“It’s incredibly exciting for us too to be able to build the depth of our group, have a harder selection pool, a harder selection pool to select players from.

“That much opportunity to welcome some pretty phenomenal rugby athletes into our environment and take over the best team that we can into the World Cup next year.”


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J
JW 3 hours ago
Where is the new breed of All Black 10?

Players like Prendergast and Finn Smith already have a few seasons at top club level under their belt and are now test players, at an age when NZ players make their debuts in SR.

That’s just a difference in standards. You’re confusing SR for being their local domestic comps, where it’s more accurately comparable to Champions Cup, apart from that teams are happy to throw games as it’s in a bit of a limbo in terms of importance atm.


All these kids have been playing for a comparable NPC team for years now. Sam is no where near ready for tests but he has a great temperament, much like Sextons, that makes it a good choice to speed up his development. He wasn’t even a comparable Super Rugby starter before playing for Ireland, so not a great comparison.


Fin would be much better example, but then England don’t have 3 world class Test tens in front of him (not that I’d put Beauden their but obviously in terms of young NZ players chances, he is). Would he otherwise have debuted at the same age as Fergus Burke (injury and leaving withstanding), around 24, a couple of years later? England also aren’t as pedantic to who they give jerseys to, in NZ a test jersey is very hard earned for the most part.


In general I think the effects are as you say, but the only difference is the money involved, as you yourself said, their paths are just as all over the show being loaned out playing for clubs etc. My solution to that, and what you perceive as the problem, would be to introduce university football that utilitizes the large investment they have into high performance sport.

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Jennifer Ross 5 hours ago
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