Australia A national rugby union team

Australia A, also known as Australia XV, is Australia's second national rugby union team, behind the Australia national team (Wallabies).

History Officially formed in 2001 as part of the 2001 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia, Australia A played host to the British & Irish Lions in a mid-week game and offered fringe Wallabies players a chance to impress the national selectors ahead of the test series. Australia A won the match 28–25, inflicting the Lions' first loss of the tour.Clockwatch: Australia A 28-25 Lions

Australia A next formed in 2003 as part of the 2003 Rugby World Cup warm-ups and 2003 June rugby union tests, where they faced Japan in back-to-back matches coming away with two victories in Osaka and Tokyo. Up until 2004, Australia A was used as a team to offer touring teams a chance to play mid-week matches or developing rugby nations a chance to play stronger opposition to maintain non-test match status. However, in November 2004, Australia A was used when the Wallabies toured Europe, whereby they played the French Barbarians in the lead up to the national sides meeting later on tour in Paris.

By 2005, Australia A had won every match they had played in, but after playing the Junior All Blacks (the All Blacks second team at the time) in 2005, their unbeaten run came to an end, losing 23–19 in Canberra.

In 2006, Australia was originally invited to take part in the inaugural IRB Pacific Nations Cup but decided against sending a team, stating a need to focus on domestic competition. However, Australia did however host two games in the opening stages of the 2006 tournament, where Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium hosted Tonga vs Fiji and later Tonga vs Samoa. Australia A later played two matches against Fiji after the 2006 tournament, and then joined the competition in 2007.

In the 2007 Pacific Nations Cup, Australia A played 5 matches for 3 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss. The team finished second in the tournament won by the Junior All Blacks.

In the 2008 Pacific Nations Cup, Australia A played 5 matches for 4 wins and 1 loss. The team finished second in the tournament won by New Zealand Māori. At the end of the 2008, however, the Australian Rugby Union decided to scrap the Australia A team, citing financial constraints. Australia withdrew from the 2009 tournament.

Despite withdrawing from the Australia A programme, between 2009 and 2010, Australia fielded several XV sides against Home Nations clubs, and although not officially titled Australia A, the side was often referred to it with these games used for fringe Wallabies players. For the 2010 England tour to Australia, the ARU arranged for the Australian Barbarians Rugby Club to play two matches against the visiting England national team. This side was nominated as the second national team and was, as such, essentially Australia A by another name for the England matches. The Australian Barbarians also played a pre-World Cup friendly against Canada in 2011.

Australia XV also returned in 2016, when they played against the French Barbarians during the Wallabies Spring tour. The side was selected from a handful of fringe players and with the team not being the official Wallabies side, the selectors were able to select players from outside the Australian Rugby Union selection policy and chose players based in Europe.

In February 2020, Rugby Australia had hinted at a possible return of the Australia A side where they would face Tier 2 opposition to strengthen the sides.Australia A back on radar as World Rugby look to strengthen 'tier two' schedule However, any possible plans where paused due the COVID-19 pandemic, and in May 2022 having not formally participated in any event since 2008, the Australia A team was reignited by Rugby Australia to compete in the Pacific Nations Cup for July 2022 against Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, to take place in Fiji.

In 2024, Rugby Australia confirmed that Australia A will return (under the 'Australia XV' name) as they announced games against Bristol and England A. The program also expanded into the women's program, with the governing body announcing the first-ever women's Australia A side as a development team for Super Rugby Women's players transitioning to the Australia women's national rugby union team. The side would play their first ever match in 2024 against Samoa, losing 20-17.

In 2025, Rugby Australia announced that Australia A will play one game against Japan XV in October as a warm up leading up to the Wallabies test against Japan later in the month.

Matches against international sides Scores highlighted in red color denoted a loss. Home team's score listed first. These results denote being against non-provincial international opposition, played under the moniker of Australia A, Australia B, Australia XV, or Wallaby XV.

Men Date Venue Opponent Score Notes Competition6 August 1991Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane15–211991 New Zealand rugby union tour of Australia19 June 2001Central Coast Stadium, Gosford28–252001 British & Irish Lions tour of Australia5 June 2003Nagai Stadium, Osaka5–638 June 2003Chichibunomiya Stadium, Tokyo 15–665 November 2004Stade Jean-Bouin, Paris French Barbarians15–472004 Australian tour of Europe26 June 2005Canberra Stadium, Canberra19–231 July 2005Sydney Football Stadium Sydney 31–341 November 2005Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux French Barbarians12–422005 Australian tour of Europe15 July 2006Adelaide Oval, Adelaide 47–1822 July 2006Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne 80–915 November 2006 Thomond Park, Limerick17–242006 Australian tour of Europe21 November 2006McDiarmid Park, Perth20–4425 May 2007Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney60–152007 Pacific Nations Cup2 June 2007Coffs Stadium, Coffs Harbour27–159 June 2007Willows Sports Complex, Townsville71–1016 June 2007 Carisbrook, Dunedin50–023 June 2007 ANZ National Stadium, Suva14–148 June 2008Hakatanomori Stadium, Fukuoka21–422008 Pacific Nations Cup14 June 2008Apia Park, Apia15–2022 June 2008North Sydney Oval, North Sydney90–729 June 2008Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane50–135 July 2008Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney New Zealand Māori18–2124 November 2016Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux French Barbarians19–112016 November international30 October 2020TG Millner Field, Sydney15–192020 Tri Nations series warm-up match7 November 202024–572 July 2022ANZ National Stadium, Suva26–312022 Pacific Nations Cup9 July 2022Churchill Park, Lautoka18–3216 July 2022 Churchill Park, Lautoka22–391 October 2022Chichibunomiya Stadium, Tokyo22–34 2022 Autumn Internationals8 October 2022Best Denki Stadium, Fukuoka21–22 14 October 2022Yodoko Sakura Stadium, Osaka52–4814 July 2023Teufaiva Sport Stadium, Nukuʻalofa27–212023 RWC warm-up27 August 2023Stade Jules-Ladoumègue, Brou-sur-Chantereine, France17–3017 November 2024Twickenham Stoop, London38–172024 Autumn Internationals18 October 2025Yodoko Sakura Stadium, Osaka7–712025 Autumn Internationals

Overall Opponent Played Won Lost Drawn % Won 4 0 4 0 0% 2 0 2 0 0% British & Irish Lions 1 1 0 0 % 1 0 1 0 0% 5 5 0 0 % French Barbarians 3 2 1 0 % 1 1 0 0 % 4 4 0 0 % 4 3 1 0 % New Zealand Māori 1 0 1 0 0% 1 1 0 0 % 3 2 1 0 % 1 1 0 0 % 4 3 1 0 % Total 35 23 12 0 % Updated: 19 October 2025

Other matches Other non-international matches played as Australia, Australia XV, Wallaby XV, Australia A or Australia 'B' when selected as the second national team. This does not include matches involving the Australian Barbarians.

Date Moniker Venue Opponent Score Winner Competition1 November 2006 Australia XVSwansea Stadium, Swansea Ospreys24–16 Ospreys2006 Australian tour of Europe3 November 2009 Australia XVKingsholm Stadium, Gloucester Gloucester5–362009 Autumn Internationals24 November 2009 Australia XVCardiff City Stadium, Cardiff Cardiff Blues3–319 November 2010 AustraliaWelford Road Stadium, Leicester Leicester Tigers15–262010 European Tour16 November 2010 AustraliaThomond Park, Limerick Munster15–6 Munster8 November 2024 Australia XV Ashton Gate, Bristol Bristol Bears10–10draw2024 Autumn Internationals

Squad On 9 October, a 26-player squad was named for Australia A's match against Japan XV.10 capped Wallabies included in Australia A squad to face Japan XV 9 October 2025.

On 16 October, Lachlan Anderson was named in the matchday 23 in place of Sid Harvey who was ruled out due to hamstring strain.Faessler to captain Australia A against Japan XV 16 October 2025.

Players in bold are players capped by the main national team.

Head Coach: Simon Cron

+ Forwards Player Position Franchise Liam Bowron Hooker Brumbies Ethan Dobbins Hooker Waratahs Matt Faessler Hooker Reds Tevita Alatini Prop Brumbies Daniel Botha Prop Waratahs Isaac Kailea Prop Waratahs Lington Ieli Prop Brumbies Rhys van Nek Prop Brumbies Josh Canham Lock Reds Matt Philip Lock Waratahs Darcy Swain Lock Force Joe Brial Loose forward Reds Luke Reimer Loose forward Brumbies Pete Samu Loose forward Waratahs Rory Scott Loose forward Brumbies Seru Uru Loose forward Reds

+ Backs Player Position Franchise Henry Robertson Scrum-half Force Teddy Wilson Scrum-half Waratahs Ben Donaldson Fly-half Force Harry McLaughlin-Phillips Fly-half Reds Ollie Sapsford Centre Brumbies Hamish Stewart Centre Force Joey Walton Centre Waratahs Lachie Anderson Outside back Reds Mac Grealy Outside back Force Sid Harvey Outside back Waratahs Tim Ryan Outside back Reds

List of Coaches

Eddie Jones (2001, vs. British & Irish Lions tour) Adrian Thompson (2003, vs. Japan) Eddie Jones (2004, vs. French Barbarians) Ewen McKenzie (2005, vs. Junior All Blacks) Eddie Jones (2005, vs. French Barbarians) Laurie Fisher (2006, vs. Fiji) John Connolly (2006 European Tour) Laurie Fisher (2007, Pacific Nations Cup) Phil Mooney (2008 Pacific Nations Cup) Robbie Deans (2009 European Tour) Robbie Deans (2010 England Series) Robbie Deans (2010 European Tour) Scott Wisemantel (2016, vs. French Barbarians) Jason Gilmore (2022 Pacific Nations Cup & Japan tour) Jason Gilmore (2023 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches) Rod Seib (2024 Northern tour) Simon Cron (2025, vs. Japan XV)

Australia A national rugby union team

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