Rugby Australia eyes brighter future as Lions tour brings cash windfall
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From left: Rugby Australia chair Dan Herbert, chief executive Phil Waugh and chief operating officer Richard Gardham at a press conference in Sydney on April 22, 2026, following the organisation’s annual general meeting.
PHOTO: AFP
SYDNEY – Rugby Australia (RA) announced a record surplus on April 22 on the back of the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour, saying it would enable a sustainable future for the sport after years of losses.
RA chief executive Phil Waugh said the “record operating surplus” of A$70 million (S$63.82 million) had injected fresh confidence into the 15-man game ahead of hosting the 2027 men’s Rugby World Cup.
“We are delivering on our promise to reset the game’s finances, restore pride and set a new strategic course for Australian Rugby,” the former Wallaby said following RA’s annual general meeting.
“A period of resilience has transitioned to an era of opportunity and Australian rugby – with its dedicated team and well-defined strategy – is well-positioned to capitalise on it.”
A dedicated investment fund will manage the surplus and an expected further windfall of between A$70 million and A$100 million from hosting next year’s World Cup.
The once-in-every-12 years British and Irish Lions tour drew huge crowds to nine matches, three of them Tests, and brought in tens of thousands of fans from overseas.
The run of lean years had coincided with an underperforming Wallabies side struggling to compete as an attraction against the hugely popular Australian Rules and rugby league.
Getting back on a sound financial footing would enable Australian rugby to “achieve great things”, said RA chair Daniel Herbert.
“There is still much work ahead as we build a successful and sustainable model for Australian Rugby,” he said. “But, given the great strides we have made in recent years, I am more confident than ever in the strategic direction and delivery of our great game at all levels.”
More than 370,000 fans attended the Wallabies’ seven home Test matches in 2025, said RA’s annual report, a record for a non-World Cup year.
In other news, former Australia fly-half Bernard Foley, who earned the nickname “Iceman” for nailing crucial kicks, will retire from rugby at the end of the Japanese season, his team Kubota Spears said.
The 36-year-old earned the last of his 76 caps for Australia in 2022 before heading to Japan, where he helped the Spears to the League One title in 2023.
Once a rugby sevens specialist who won a Commonwealth Games silver medal at Delhi 2010, Foley booted a 79th-minute penalty from 45 metres to seal the New South Wales Waratahs’ first Super Rugby title in 2014 with a 33-32 win over the Canterbury Crusaders in the final.
He attained national hero status the following year as Michael Cheika’s Wallabies reached the 2015 World Cup final in England, producing a 28-point game to knock out the hosts in the pool phase, before booting an 80th-minute penalty to eliminate Scotland 35-34 in the quarter-finals.
New Zealand beat Australia 34-17 in the final at Twickenham to win their third title. AFP, REUTERS
