Francesca Rudkin: Schmidt joining the Wallabies is good for all Southern Hemisphere rugby

People – and when I say people, I mean the general public and sports journalists - were quite taken aback with the news this week that Joe Schmidt is the new Wallabies rugby coach.  

 I don’t know why. The Aussie media had him as a contender last November, when the whole Eddie Jones situation imploded.  

But I can see why it was surprising – he left Ireland to spend more time with family in New Zealand. As the All Black’s attack coach, Schmidt was very happy to remain quietly behind the scenes during their run up to the 2023 Rugby World Cup. When it came to replacing Ian Foster, the response was that he wouldn’t be applying for any coaching roles that extended beyond the Rugby World Cup. 

But the man is only 58 years old. While he thought he’d retired when he returned to New Zealand, clearly he has still has a wealth of experience and success after tenures with Bay of Plenty, Clermont, Leinster, Ireland and more recently with the Blues and the All Blacks. So if the time feels right take on another challenge, why wouldn’t he? 

And what a challenge he has found!   

Schmidt will be good for Australian rugby. He’s analytical and intense, he’s competitive and tough, and has a reputation for not tolerating players who make errors or don’t follow instructions. The fact he has taken a 2-year contract indicates he’s keen to take on the young talent in Aussie rugby, and start molding them into a well-disciplined unit with a strong future. There’s a good chance he will do exactly that.  

And it’s a good thing. If Australian rugby is strong it helps make Southern Hemisphere rugby strong, and we all benefit.  

When explaining why he applied for the job, Schmidt said- “I’m desperate for the Wallabies to be competitive - I think the global rugby family is desperate for the Wallabies to be where they need to be.”  

And then he said something which really hit home: "I'd just love for the Bledisloe to be competitive."    

The Wallabies haven't held the Bledisloe Cup since 2002.  

While this is a wonderful record for the All Blacks, wouldn’t it be fantastic to go into the Bledisloe knowing we were in for a great, competitive, nervous game of rugby.  

Schmidt joining the Aussie team is good for all rugby in Australia. No one pays a huge amount of attention to rugby in Australia. When they do get a headline it’s often for the wrong reasons and it’s easy to see why fans prefer to watch the NRL and Aussie Rules. If you’re up against more entertaining games you need to win to get the country behind you.  

And as for the former Aussie players who think another Kiwi coach is a bad idea- got a better one?  

Rugby Australia also secured two of Schmidt’s closest allies. Peter Horne, the new Director of High Performance of Rugby, tasked with looking after all aspects of high performance, including the Wallabies, Wallaroos and Sevens, along with the alignment of Super Rugby's high performance programs and pathways, and David Nucifora, as a High Performance advisor. It appears more than a little thought has gone into getting a power team who can revitalise Australian Rugby. 

For Kiwis who take Schmidt’s move across the ditch personally – don’t. There’s no restraint of trade in this business- and too few top jobs and not enough money in the kitty to add restrictions into contracts.

Schmidt is only doing what every other international coach does. He’s found a project which interests him and where he believes he can add some value. Hopefully we all benefit. This is good news for rugby.  

Although I must say, if we didn’t have Razor at the helm of the All Blacks I’d be a bit nervous…

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