World Rugby chairman Brett Robinson claimed NRL superstar Reece Walsh can’t begin to compare to one of the leading light’s of women’s union as he unveiled a new deal that amounts to the code’s best news for a decade.
Robinson brought up the Brisbane Broncos fullback as he announced that Channel Nine and Stan will be injecting a huge amount of money into the sport through their deal to exclusively air World Rugby games through to 2029 – including the next three World Cups.
‘For those of you from Brisbane, there’s a little newspaper called the Courier-Mail that on the weekend, a rugby league player called Reece Walsh was touting that he’s just launched a YouTube platform for himself and that he’s close to 500,000 followers,’ Robinson said in Sydney on Monday.
‘I just want Reece to know that Ilona Maher, who plays for the US Eagles and Bristol Bears, has over four million followers around the world [on Instagram].
‘It demonstrates the scale our our game and the connection, particularly to the women of our game.’
Under the deal, every Wallabies and Wallaroos match will be shown live and free on Nine, with the broadcaster and Stan also locking up this year’s Women’s World Cup in England, the 2027 Men’s World Cup in Australia and the 2029 women’s tournament, which is also being held down under.
Reece Walsh (pictured) is one of the biggest stars in the NRL – but he can’t hold a candle to a women’s rugby star when it comes to social media clout
American player Ilona Maher (pictured) has close to five million Instagram followers – a fact World Rugby boss Brett Robinson used to illustrate the global reach of the game
Robinson (right) joined Wallabies legend Tim Horan (second from right) and code-hopping All Blacks great Sonny Bill Williams (third from right) at a big announcement in Sydney on Monday
Two winners of multiple World Cups – Wallabies legend Tim Horan and NRL star turned All Blacks great Sonny Bill Williams – were on hand for the announcement, and both told Daily Mail Australia that they are keen to see the funds from the deal used to invest in grassroots rugby and pathways for young players.
Horan also described the news as the best thing he’s seen happen to the game in Australia for 10 years.
The big focus for the game at the moment, however, is the Wallabies’ upcoming Test series against the British and Irish Lions, which begins next month.
Williams is imploring Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt to pick and stick with a flyhalf for the duration of the three-Test series, as the choice of a No.10 continues to be the Wallabies coach’s biggest conundrum.
Horan believes the apparent race in three between Noah Lolesio, Tom Lynagh and Ben Donaldson is so tight that he’d be inclined to select the best goalkicker of the trio.
Whoever Schmidt opts for, Williams is adamant the playmaker must be given the keys to run the show for the entire series come what may for the Wallabies to win.
‘We just need to pick someone and back them for the whole series and let them get the runs on the board,’ Williams said.
‘For me, I’d probably go with Noah.’
Maher will be hoping to grab a win over the Wallaroos at this year’s Women’s World Cup
Both Horan and Williams are backing Noah Lolesio (left) to be one of the most important players for the Wallabies in the series against the British and Irish Lions
Williams was also pleased to hear Schmidt say last week that veteran James O’Connor, Australia’s No.10 in the 2013 series, is also under consideration after impressing for the Crusaders this Super Rugby Pacific season.
‘It would be good to see him back in the mix, just that old head for players like Noah to lean on for their experience,’ he said.
‘Yeah, that’s what I’d do.’
‘Probably the flyhalf position is where we don’t have a stand-out,’ Horan said.
‘Noah, the last couple of games has been really good, but the flyhalf position at the moment, it’s so tight because everyone’s so even – Donaldson, Lynagh and Noah – that it might come down to who’s the better goalkicker.
‘That’s my opinion because, at the moment, I think Donaldson’s kicking at low 80 per cent, Lynagh’s like 85, 86 per cent.
‘Goalkicking for that first Test match is going to be really important.’
