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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
Angus Fontaine

Local rivalries are key for Wallabies as Super Rugby starts the new season full of hope

Wallabies Rugby Les Kiss Carter Gordon World Cup Joe Schmidt Tom Lynagh Super Michael Cheika Australia
Fraser McReight, Tom Wright, Nic Dolly and Eamon Doyle pose for a photo at the Super Rugby Pacific 2026 season launch.
Fraser McReight, Tom Wright, Nic Dolly and Eamon Doyle pose for a photo at the Super Rugby Pacific 2026 season launch. Photograph: Andrew Cornaga/AAP

The 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season kicks off this weekend and Australia needs its four provinces to make a stirring statement ahead of the 2027 home World Cup. No local side has won the men’s competition, or even made the final, since Michael Cheika’s NSW Waratahs upset now 13-time champions the Crusaders in 2014. If the Wallabies want to conquer the world, it has got to start with beating the neighbours.

The year after his Super triumph, Cheika took the Wallabies to the Rugby World Cup final (losing to New Zealand 34-17) and Rugby Australia will be praying for a repeat act in 2026. Ideally it’s the Cinderella story of Les Kiss leading the Queensland Reds to glory before he takes the reins from Joe Schmidt as Wallabies coach this July, a feat that would supercharge the Kiss era and ignite home fans before next October’s tournament.

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