Wallabies' woes laid bare amid fears Aussie rugby will 'have to beg for Bledisloe Cup games'

Former England fly-half Stuart Barnes believes rugby is on track to become a minority sport in Australia.

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Fri, 20 Sept 2024, 5:57 am·3-min read

One of the world's leading rugby figures has handed down a damning assessment of where Australian rugby sits, warning the code could die in this country as rugby league continues to soar. With the Wallabies preparing to take on New Zealand two weeks after a humiliating 40-point loss to Argentina, former England fly-half Stuart Barnes predicted union in Australia faced becoming "a minority sport at best and oblivion at worst" if the current downward trend was not halted.

He warns next year's British and Irish Lions tour to Australia, which will followed by a World Cup Down Under in 2027, could prove a poisoned chalice. And it could be the NRL set to benefit most from rugby's predicted demise.

Pictured Wallabies — Former England fly-half Stuart Barnes has warned that rugby could die out in Australia as rugby league surges in popularity. Image: Getty

Writing in the UK Times, Barnes said: "As rugby league soars over the horizon with its dizzying running lines, precise passing and sheer athletic excellence, union fades further from the forefront of Australian sporting minds. So here we are, with a British & Irish Lions tour down under in less than a year. The stadiums will be full, there’s no doubt about that.

"The travelling contingent will pack the venues, but if the result is a one-sided whitewash - and who cannot at the very least envisage such a scenario? - the damage before the 2027 World Cup could be irrevocable. Next year and 2027 should be opportunities for Australian rugby union to fight back against the dominance of league but with the way the game is going, the opportunity could equally evolve into a threat, with national hurt combining with humiliation to send union towards a minority sport at best and oblivion at worst.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JULY 06: Wallabies fans show their support during the men's International Test match between Australia Wallabies and Wales at Allianz Stadium on July 06, 2024 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Hanna Lassen/Getty Images) — Stuart Barnes predicts union in Australia is set to become "a minority sport at best and oblivion at worst" if the current downward trend was not halted. Image: Getty

"New Zealand and South Africa’s plan to tour each other in 2026 and 2030 is a go-alone statement that signals a one-fingered salute to their ailing union ally. Australia will have to beg for Bledisloe Cup games. And then, if they are consistently clobbered, where then for the code?"

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Former Lions star Ben Youngs went even further, saying the team would be better off heading to South Africa instead of Australia to guarantee some competitive rugby. Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh, naturally, does not share the pessimism surrounding the Wallabies despite an indifferent start to coach Joe Schmidt's tenure.

He told Nine Newspapers: “You can see the progress is there. It is not nearly where we need it to be, but if we keep progressing at the speed with which we have moved things in the last six months, then there is plenty of time (ahead of the Lions arriving)." The Wallabies will be searching for their first win over New Zealand in Sydney since 2015 when the teams meet at Accor Stadium on Saturday afternoon.