wrwc in kanada:

"Don't be surprised if Australia don't make it to Edmunton. Even after 13-years, the ARU still doesn't have a handle on the women' game. It is now April 2005, just a year or so away and there appears to have been no preperation whatever by the ARU. Last's Sydney Herald newspaper carried a report that the ARU Board was considering funding for the Wallaroos to attend the WRWC.

There have been no trials of any sort, only an ARU sponsored development camp late last year in Sydney, but (believe it or not) the ARU forced every game to played according to U19 Law variations, that is, loose bound scrums. As well, the ARU has proactively attempted to force all women's competitions to adopt the U19 variations.

The two strongest competitions in Australia are the Sydney Women's RU (13 teams) and Hunter WRU (11 teams). Hunter plays ACT women June 26 at Canberra Stadium as the curtain raiser to Australia A vs the Junior ABs, then plays Sydney in three rep grades two weeks later.

Other than the annual Southern States tournament between Victoria, ACT and NSW Country in June, and the above mentioned inter-regional rep matches, it seems unlikely there will much preperation whatever if the Wallaroos do get the nod from the ARU Board. I add that the NSW Country side is composed of the Hunter women all but for about 5-6 players from other NSW country zones."

(IRB forum)