Rugby Australia

Long regarded as a player of significant potential the 24-year-old is entering his prime years as Australian Rugby looks forward to a golden decade including a British and Irish Lions tour in 2025.

He celebrates his new contract by being named the 2022 Harvey Norman Super Rugby Pacific Player of the Year, following his sensational form for the Brumbies last season, who fell one-point short of reaching the Grand Final.

The presentation kicks-off the 2022 Rugby Australia Awards, which will be announced throughout February and March.

The incoming Australian coach has five Tests and eight months to figure out his preferred World Cup squad after Dave Rennie was sensationally axed on Monday.

Rennie himself was still tinkering, particularly in the spine, with a 44-man squad in camp last week not including veteran five-eighths James O’Connor or Bernard Foley.

Japan-based Cooper was there on the Gold Coast alongside young Super Rugby Pacific pair Ben Donaldson (Waratahs) and Noah Lolesio (Brumbies).

In a bombshell move by Rugby Australia, New Zealander Rennie was peremptorily fired after three seasons in the post and replaced by Australian Eddie Jones, who was sacked as England coach in December.

In a statement Rennie expressed disappointment that he wouldn't be able to fulfil his contract and lead them to this year's Rugby World Cup.

"I'm disappointed I won't be able to see out my contract in the way I agreed to back in 2019 but leave knowing I had the full support of the playing group and the staff."

On Monday morning, Dave Rennie was sacked as Wallabies coach following an underwhelming three-year stint as national mentor — his win percentage of 38.24 was the lowest of any Wallabies coach with more than 30 Tests.

Jones was unveiled as Rennie’s replacement, set to lead the Wallabies through to the 2027 World Cup on home soil. He officially starts the new role on January 29.

World Cup-winning Wallaby Simon Poidevin, a Randwick stablemate of Jones, said the 62-year-old should be hired as Dave Rennie’s technical director leading into next year’s World Cup, or as Rennie’s successor after that.

Sources close to RA say Australia is interested in talking with Jones and the Sydney Morning Herald understands there is no non-compete clause in his deal with the RFU. Jones will walk away with a payout worth a minimum of $1.3 million and nothing on his books for the new year.

Australian Cheika was coach of the Wallabies between 2014 and 2019, but after initially taking on a consultant role, took over Argentina fulltime in March.

He masterminded a seven-try romp for his side against a depleted Wallabies, Argentina's biggest ever win over Australia and their largest in the Rugby Championship.

"I love these guys, they're my crew now," Cheika said. "I was up on the last try, cheering. But then I started crying because I know I probably shouldn't be doing this. It was a bit confusing for me, personally.

Jones was involved in two altercations with Australia supporters who called him a "traitor" after his side's 21-17 win at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

Andy Marinos says the comments by spectators were "unacceptable" and "not representative of the values of rugby".

"We have a zero-tolerance policy for inappropriate behaviour," he said.

"We are working with Venues NSW on appropriate sanctions for these individuals.

The Queensland Reds player is glad to be back home.

“For me it’s been a real pleasure to come back home, it’s been 3 years since I’ve been back in the country and really looking forward to see the family,” he said.

The 25-year-old is aiming to give his best performance when they take on the Manu Samoa in Suva tomorrow.

“Do my best and to play good with the brothers and at the end of the day just to make everyone happy from Australia. And not forgetting the family back here in Fiji, just to make them happy.”

RA chairman Hamish McLennan dropped a bombshell last week by reportedly telling Kiwi counterpart Stewart Mitchell that Australia would consider going it alone in Super Rugby from 2024 onwards.

McLennan said in a later interview that RA would fulfil its 2023 Super Rugby Pacific commitments but hinted an all-Australian competition could be launched after that, with a view to the Rugby World Cup in 2027.

Rennie is adamant the model that will benefit the Wallabies the most is the current one, in which Australian sides battle the might of New Zealand's best.

• Japan-based players including Quade Cooper have pulled out
• ‘We want guys who are desperate to be Wallabies,’ says coach

The Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has said Australia will review its selection policy at the end of the year after the fly-half Quade Cooper joined centre Samu Kerevi and back rower Sean McMahon in opting out of the tour of Britain.

Rennie confirmed on Thursday that Cooper had become the third of the Japan-based trio to choose club over country after playing for the Wallabies during the Rugby Championship.