About Us

The History of the Wallaroos
In 1993 the Australian Women’s Rugby Union (AWRU) selected the name ‘the Wallaroos’ as the name for the newly formed Australian Women’s team. This was chosen as it was the name of one of the oldest clubs in Australia, the Wallaroo Football Club, which was formed in 1870.

In 1993 the Australian Women’s Rugby Union (AWRU) selected the name ‘the Wallaroos’ as the name for the newly formed Australian Women’s team. This was chosen as it was the name of one of the oldest clubs in Australia, the Wallaroo Football Club, which was formed in 1870.

The first Test match played by an Australian Women’s team took place in 1994, after the AWRU announced that the Australian team would play the Black Ferns in their inaugural Test match on Friday 2nd September, at North Sydney Oval.

Karla Clay has the honour of being the holder of Wallaroos cap number one, which was retrospectively presented in 2008.

The Wallaroos competed at their first Women’s Rugby World Cup in 1998, in the Netherlands, and finished in fifth place. Since then, the team has competed in all other Women’s Rugby World Cups, with their best result being a third-place finish in 2010.

Learn more about Women’s Rugby, its origins and evolution on the Rugby AU website.