Canada 46 – 5 Wallaroos

The Wallaroos’ World Cup campaign ended in Bristol on Sunday morning with a heavy 46–5 quarterfinal defeat to Canada, but the campaign has given the young squad plenty of positives to build towards 2029.

Australia fought hard as they battled to stay in the competition, but looked drained after a bruising run of matches against the USA and England. By halftime Australia had already made 150 tackles and couldn’t keep pace with a Canadian outfit that combined physical dominance with clinical finishing. The Wallaroos tried to rally but were ultimately outclassed, and the scoreboard reflected the gulf between the teams.

Despite the loss and knockout, the emergence of young talent in this World Cup has instilled further confidence in the team. For 15 players out of the 32 chosen this was there first World Cup, and 12 out of the 23 players that took the field were under the age of 25.

“This is an incredibly young and talented team. We’ve got 20- and 18-year-olds in key positions. That’s the spine of the team and what they’re capable of now providing they get the backing they deserve, looks great for the future,” coach Jo Yapp said.

Although their inexperience proved to be costly at times, it exposed the potential of an exciting future with the right investment.

With the invaluable experience of a World Cup now under their belt, the Wallaroos performance in their home 2029 World Cup is optimistic. Fullback Caitlyn Halse in particular is a real prospect, after becoming the youngest ever Wallaroo to play at a World Cup, while also scoring a double on debut.

Halse’s talent throughout the tournament was complimented by another World Cup debutant, Desiree Miller, who grabbed six tries in four appearances across the series. The side’s reputation for electric outside backs remains firm, and the talent of their forward pack has only excelled under coach Yapp.

The loss meant Yapp’s two-year tenure as head coach of the Wallaroos has come to an end as she returns home to the UK. However, her time will not only be remembered by results, but by the grit, resilience and culture she instilled in the side.

Captain Siokapesi Palu said Yapp’s coaching had allowed her to grow as a leader.

There is no limit… because [of] the talent and the belief we’ve now grown in this group and the culture we’re growing here.

“Jo’s taught me an element of you’re not always going to have a good day and so just trying to get that skill of how can I still uplift and empower my team even if I’m not performing and that’s a really hard thing to do,” she said.

Despite her departure, Yapp expressed confidence in the Wallaroos’ future success, but only with outside investment.

“We need to be able to become full-time… You’re going against a group of players who are young mums who are balancing looking after their kids,” she said.

“People who are working full-time, working nine to five, then having to back it up with back to-back trainings till 9pm, and then having to repeat that the next day. I know it sounds clichéd, but we do need to be invested in [the game] so that we can produce good rugby.”

Australia’s future success will also depend on structural reform. Canada showed the value of integrating sevens players into the 15s game, with six Olympians in their squad. Australia’s introduction of seven’s star Charlotte Caslick was an example of how capitalising on cross code athletes can manifest into investment and attraction.

The Wallaroos will now appoint a new coach, have more Tests on the calendar, and the countdown is on to the 2029 World Cup on home soil. The Wallaroos’ losses may sting, but they also lay the foundations of a brighter future, and with proper investment, professionalism, and vision, Australia could emerge as genuine contenders.

Wallaroos forward Kaitlin Leaney said: “There is no limit, I truly believe that [is] because [of] the talent and the belief we’ve now grown in this group and the culture we’re growing here.

“It’s only going to go up and I’m really proud to be part of it and what this 2029 World Cup can offer us.”

Main image supplied by Shee Nathan-Wong (Rugby Australia).