Rugby World Cup 2027: In the middle of 2001, Mat Rogers had just signed a deal with the Waratahs and the Australian Rugby Union for the following season. At the time, Rogers was already a well-known star in rugby league, and his move to rugby union quickly became a talking point across the sport.
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One story from that period has been told many times since. After a New South Wales game, Rogers was invited into the Waratahs dressing room. Head coach Bob Dwyer walked him around the room and introduced him to the players who would soon become his teammates.
It was meant to be a friendly welcome, but it also reminded the squad that serious competition for places was coming. As the introductions finished and the group moved on, one back reportedly leaned toward the teammate next to him and muttered, Well, there goes my job.
The comment was said with dark humor, but it captured the mood of the moment. Bringing a big-name recruit from rugby league into the squad naturally made some players nervous about their future roles. In the end, however, the concern turned out to be misplaced. Rogers did not even end up playing in that player’s position.
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Rugby World Cup: A Recruitment Raid for the World Cup
Still, there is no doubt that the recruitment of top NRL stars into rugby union around the turn of the century created a major buzz both inside the game and among fans. As Australia prepared to host the 2003 Rugby World Cup, the Australian Rugby Union made headlines by signing three of rugby league’s biggest names.
Rogers joined the Waratahs in 2002, while Wendell Sailor left the Brisbane Broncos to play for the Queensland Reds. The following year, rising league superstar Lote Tuqiri also switched codes to join rugby. Over time, the trio became so closely linked that many people simply referred to them collectively as Tuqiri-Rogers-Sailor.
All three went on to achieve something special: they became dual internationals, representing Australia in both rugby league and rugby union. Their impact was immediate. Each of them played a key role in the Wallabies squad, and all three started in the 2003 Rugby World Cup final in Sydney.
Although Australia ultimately fell short in that match, their recruitment remains one of the most famous talent raids in rugby history. More than two decades later, that same moment is being talked about again. This week, Rugby Australia sparked comparisons to that era after announcing the signing of another high-profile NRL player.
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Rugby World Cup Final: NRL Stars Eye Rugby World Cup 2027
Former Parramatta Eels and New South Wales Blues winger Zac Lomax has joined the Western Force, making the switch to rugby union. His move follows another notable transfer earlier this year. When Kangaroos forward Angus Crichton also returned to rugby union with hopes of competing for a place in Australia’s squad for the Rugby World Cup 2027, which will again be held on home soil.
These signings come after several other league stars have already made the jump. Rising NRL talent Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii switched codes in 2024. And Kangaroos winger Mark Nawaqanitawase has also left rugby league in an attempt to earn another chance with the Wallabies.
Because of these moves, many observers have noticed the similarities between the build-up to the 2003 World Cup and the current preparations for 2027. One person who understands that comparison better than most is Phil Waugh, now the chief executive of Rugby Australia. Back in 2003, Waugh was actually a teammate of Tuqiri, Rogers, and Sailor in the Wallabies squad.
Looking back at that period, Waugh says the motivation then was clear. When you go back to those early 2000s years leading into 2003, the goal was to do everything possible to win the World Cup, he explained. We have that same intention now.
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