Rugby Australia has announced the appointment of Sione Fukofuka as head coach of the Wallaroos until the 2029 Rugby World Cup.
Fukofuka will officially take over the role in 2027 after his departure from Scotland, with a transitional coaching group to lead the team for the rest of the year.
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This will include Olympic gold medal-winning coach Tim Walsh, along with Super Rugby W-winning boss Mike Ruthven, current Sevens coach Reg Tayler, former Wallaby and Brumbies assistant Ben Mowen and Waratahs assistant Duncan Chubb.
Fukofuka returns home after several years overseas, having started his international career as an assistant coach for the Wallaroos under Jay Tregonning.
This included the 2022 Rugby World Cup, and he moved into a role with the USA Eagles shortly afterwards for the following World Cup in 2025.
He departed his post with Scotland to return to Australia with his family, where he started his career in the Queensland system.
“I would like to express my gratitude to Scottish Rugby for their understanding of my family situation and desire to return home to Australia," he said in a statement. “Although a difficult decision to leave the Scottish role, this opportunity allows me to be in Sydney closer to my family. I wish the players and staff all the best for the future.
“I know many of the players and coaches well from my time in the Queensland and Australian systems and, as we transition to a fulltime program this year, the opportunity for growth is enormous.
“The opportunity to align the 7s and 15s programs and work closely with Reg Tayler is an exciting prospect and one I am very much looking forward to.”
In the interim, the transitional coaching staff will guide the Wallaroos through the O’Reilly Cup and the WXV Global Series, taking over from Sam Needs and Gill Bourke after they took the team during the Pacific Four Series.
“Sione’s appointment to the position of Wallaroos Head Coach comes at an exciting time for the game in Australia as the program transitions to fulltime status for the first time in its 32-year history," Walsh said.
“Sione is a pioneer among international coaches of Pasifika heritage and a proud product of the Australian Rugby coaching system. He is highly regarded by players and staff alike for his connection, team culture and driving high standards within the daily training environment and is well-positioned to lead the Wallaroos into a new era and a generational opportunity presented by the home Rugby World Cup in 2029.
“Sione’s deep passion for and knowledge of Australian Rugby, along with his outstanding international coaching resume, makes him the ideal person to take charge of the Wallaroos’ program as it transitions to fulltime status and schedules a minimum of ten Tests per year through this World Cup cycle.
“I look forward to leading a transition team of Mike, Duncan, Ben and Reg for the remainder of an exciting three-month program that includes the Wallaroos’ 100th Test match and the inaugural WXV Global Series.”
The Wallaroos will confirm their squad to face New Zealand later in the week, set to play in their 100th Test.
"An enormous amount of planning and effort has gone into remodelling and invigorating the Wallaroos program as we look towards the home Rugby World Cup in Australia in 2029 and we are delighted Sione will lead the squad through this important phase in the position of Head Coach," RA CEO Phil Waugh added.
“Sione is a leader with a comprehensive knowledge of Australian and international systems and a reputation for creating world-class team environments and standards.
"He also has a strong relationship with recently-appointed Director of Women’s Rugby Tim Walsh and is respected across Australian Rugby for his previous work with Queensland, the Australian Sevens and Wallaroos programs.
“Tim has appointed a strong and experienced transition team to lead the Wallaroos until Sione’s commencement and I thank Sam and Gill for their commitment and contribution to the squad’s development for Tests against Fiji, Canada, USA and New Zealand this year.”
