THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

Rugby Australia hires women's high-performance manager Rugby Australia has announced the appointment of a women's high-performance manager, two days after coming under fire from Wallaroos claiming inequities in resources compared to the men's programs. RA has partnered with World Rugby to welcome three-time Olympic rower and Sydney 2000 silver medallist Jaime Fernandez into the new position. Fernandez will bring a wealth of experience, most recently as deputy performance director at Rowing Australia, where he achieved global excellence in his development of pathway and Olympic athletes alike during 11 years with the organisation. A World Rowing Youth Commission board member, RA says Fernandez is passionate about fostering the next generation of world-class athletes to deliver sustainable international success. Fernandez will work across the Wallaroos, Super W and women's pathways programs to develop high-performance environments and implement clear standards on the path to professionalism. Rugby Australia is the first union to partner with World Rugby on Accelerate, a new global framework for growth and targeted investment that will fast track the development of women's rugby…

Wallaroos stars to meet Rugby Australia bosses as coach eyes full ... The coach of the Wallaroos says upgrading the role to a full-time position would help continue the growth of the Australian women’s rugby side and, in tandem with players becoming professional, help fight off the increasing threat of other sports and foreign raiders. Jay Tregonning spoke on Tuesday as members of the Wallaroos leadership group were preparing to meet Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh on Wednesday. There, they’ll detail the frustrations that led to the national squad slamming Rugby Australia in aco-ordinated social media proteston Sunday. Fed-up Wallaroos stars posted a group letter decrying a lack of equality in resources compared to the Wallabies program and included the factTregonning is still part-timewhen men’s team coach Eddie Jones has a huge staff. Senior Wallaroos players are set to present Waugh with a list of things they’d like to see more action on, including greater levels of promotion and increased funding and clarity around their short and long-term futures. Sources familiar with the situation said players have still not been offered contracts for next year. And though p…

'Win more': New high-performance director Walsh setting lofty Wallaroo ... 'Win more': New high-performance director Walsh setting lofty Wallaroo World Cup ambitions Mon, Jun 22, 2026, 4:30 AM by Nathan Williamson New Director of Women's High Performance Tim Walsh is aiming high as he looks to bring his Sevens success into the 15-a-side program. Photo: Andrew Flakelar/RA Media New Director of Women's High Performance Tim Walsh is aiming high as he looks to bring his Sevens success into the 15-a-side program. Walsh was appointed to the new position on Monday, which will see the legendary Sevens coach depart his position and oversee the combined seven and 15-a-side programs in Australian Rugby. Watch every second of the 2026 Super Rugby Women's live and on demand via Stan Sport. It comes with the Wallaroos set to officially become full-time towards the end of the year, ahead of the 2029 Rugby World Cup. Walsh found himself at the forefront of the Sevens' move to full-time in 2014, powering them to Olympic gold two years later. The World Series champion is confident of doing the same in 2029 in the hunt for a maiden podium. "I've been doing the Sevens for a fair while, and have an im…

Rugby Australia's new women's high-performance boss sets lofty goals Only three years out from hosting the Women's Rugby World Cup, Australia makes a key appointment it hopes will help deliver success on the international stage.

Rugby Australia's New Women's High-Performance Boss Sets Lofty ... Tim Walsh appointed Rugby Australia's inaugural Director of Women's High Performance, tasked with leading the Wallaroos to 2029 World Cup victory. Tim Walsh has officially taken the helm as Rugby Australia's inaugural Director of Women's High Performance, marking a decisive shift in the union's strategic framework ahead of a monumental decade for the sport. The appointment signals the board’s unambiguous intention to consolidate the disparate threads of the women’s game into a unified, world-beating machine. The appointment arrives at a critical juncture for Australian rugby. With the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and a home Women's Rugby World Cup looming in 2029, Rugby Australia is overhauling its structures to bridge the gap between amateur development and professional excellence. Walsh is tasked with integrating the highly successful Sevens program with the developing 15-a-side Wallaroos, seeking to replicate his prior successes on an institutional scale. Walsh is no stranger to the intense pressure of elite international competition. As a coach, he has forged a reputation for meticulous planning and tactic…

Rugby Australia announce appointment of women's high-performance manager Rugby Australia has announced the appointment of a women’s high-performance manager, two days after coming under fire from Wallaroos claiming inequities in resources compared to the men’s programs. RA has partnered with World Rugby to welcome three-time Olympic rower and Sydney 2000 silver medallist Jaime Fernandez into the new position. Fernandez will bring a wealth of experience, most recently as deputy performance director at Rowing Australia, where he achieved global excellence in his development of pathway and Olympic athletes alike during 11 years with the organisation. A World Rowing Youth Commission board member, RA says Fernandez is passionate about fostering the next generation of world-class athletes to deliver sustainable international success. Fernandez will work across the Wallaroos, Super W and women’s pathways programs to develop high-performance environments and implement clear standards on the path to professionalism. Rugby Australia is the first union to partner with World Rugby on Accelerate, a new global framework for growth and targeted investment that will fast track the developmen…

Tim Walsh appointed Director of Women's High Performance Tim Walsh appointed Director of Women's High Performance Sun, Jun 21, 2026, 11:00 PM by Rugby Australia Rugby Australia is pleased to announce Tim Walsh to the new position of Director of Women’s High Performance which will form part of the organisation’s Executive Team. Walsh, who coached the Australian Women’s Sevens squad to an Olympic gold medal in 2016 and the HSBC SVNS World Championship earlier this month, will transition to his new position on July 1 and spearhead the technical direction and performance standards for both the Wallaroos and Australian Women’s Sevens programs. Walsh will oversee the phased integration this year of Rugby Australia’s Women’s High Performance blueprint, developed in collaboration with World Rugby, which was the result of extensive analysis of elite programs across international sport and a review of internal systems. A key outcome from that work will be the Wallaroos’ transition to a fulltime program later in 2026, joining their Australian Sevens counterparts in a fulltime High Performance environment. Walsh will now join the selection panels to appoint the next Head Coaches of the Wallar…

Rugby Australia appoints Tim Walsh as Director of Women's High Performance Rugby Australia appoints Tim Walsh as Director of Women's High Performance Sun, Jun 21, 2026, 11:00 PM by Nathan Williamson Champions Sevens coach Tim Walsh has been appointed Women's Director of High Performance. Photo: World Rugby Rugby Australia has appointed Olympic-winning coach Tim Walsh as the new Director of Women's High Performance. Walsh departs his role as Australian Sevens coach to take up the position, finishing his tenure as the most successful Women's coach in Australian Rugby history. Watch every second of the 2026 Super Rugby Women's live and on demand via Stan Sport. This includes Olympic, Commonwealth and Rugby World Cup Sevens gold, along with multiple World Series victories, most recently claiming the SVNS World Championship at the start of the month. The coach will oversee the integration of RA's High Performance blueprint, which will see the Wallaroos join the Sevens in a full-time combined program. "I am thrilled to continue my career at Rugby Australia and thank Phil and the Board for entrusting me with steering the future direction of our women’s High Performance programs," Walsh s…