List of Australia national rugby union team records

Last updated

Australia (in gold), playing against New Zealand. Australia vs New Zealand at Telstra Stadium, 13 august 2005.jpg
Australia (in gold), playing against New Zealand.

Australia have competed in international rugby union matches since 1889. They compete in the annual Rugby Championship series and have appeared at every Rugby World Cup, winning the tournament in 1991 and 1999 and finishing second in 2003 and 2015. The records listed below only include performances in Test matches. The top five are listed in each category (except when there is a tie for the last place among the five, when all the tied record holders are noted).

Contents

Team records

Greatest winning margins

Opponent [a] VenueCompetitionDateScoreMarginRef.
Flag of Namibia.svg  Namibia Adelaide Oval, Adelaide 2003 Rugby World Cup 25 October 2003142–0142 [2] [3]
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan Stade de Gerland, Lyon 2007 Rugby World Cup 8 September 200791–388 [4]
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Campo Universitario, Madrid 2001 Australia tour of Europe 1 November 200192–1082 [5]
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania Lang Park, Brisbane 2003 Rugby World Cup 18 October 200390–882 [6]
Flag of England.svg  England Lang Park, Brisbane 1998 England tour of Australasia and South Africa 6 June 199876–076 [7] [8]
Flag of Tonga.svg  Tonga Canberra Stadium, Canberra 1999 Rugby World Cup Qualification – Third Round 22 September 199874–074 [9]
Flag of Samoa.svg  Western Samoa Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney 1994 Western Samoa tour of Australia 6 August 199473–370 [10]
Flag of Samoa.svg  Samoa Stadium Australia, Sydney 2005 June International 11 June 200574–767 [11]
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane 1996 Canada tour of Australia 29 June 199674–965 [12]
Flag of the United States.svg  United States Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington 2011 Rugby World Cup 23 September 201167–562 [13] [14]
Flag of Uruguay.svg  Uruguay Villa Park, Birmingham 2015 Rugby World Cup 27 September 201565–362 [15]

Greatest losing margins

Opponent [a] VenueCompetitionDateScoreMarginRef.
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg 2008 Tri Nations Series 30 August 200853–845 [16] [17]
Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina Estadio Brigadier General Estanislao López, Santa Fe 2024 Rugby Championship 7 September 202467–2740 [18] [19]
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria 1997 Tri Nations Series 23 August 199761–2239 [20] [21]
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand Stadium Australia, Sydney 2020 Tri Nations Series 31 October 20205–4338 [22] [23]
Athletic Park, Wellington 1996 Tri Nations Series 6 July 199643–637 [24] [25]
Eden Park, Auckland 2019 Rugby World Cup warm-up match 17 August 201936–036 [26] [27]
Eden Park, Auckland 1972 Australia tour of New Zealand and Fiji 16 September 197238–335 [28]
Eden Park, Auckland 2021 Rugby Championship 14 August 202157–2235 [29] [30]
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Décines-Charpieu 2023 Rugby World Cup 24 September 202340–634 [31] [32]
Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario, San Juan 2022 Rugby Championship 13 August 202248–1731 [33]
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria 2023 Rugby Championship 8 July 202343–1231 [34] [35]
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne 2023 Rugby Championship 29 July 20237–3831 [36]

Player records

Appearances and caps

Tries and points

Match records

Points

PlayerVenueCompetitionOpponentDateScoreScore invovlementsPointsRef.
TriesCon.Pen.Drop.
Mat Rogers Adelaide Oval, Adelaide 2003 Rugby World Cup Flag of Namibia.svg  Namibia 25 October 2003142–02160042
Matt Burke Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane 1996 Canada tour of Australia Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 29 June 199674–9392039
Elton Flatley Lang Park, Brisbane 2003 Rugby World Cup Flag of Romania.svg  Romania 18 October 200390–81111030
Stirling Mortlock Docklands Stadium, Melbourne Mandela Challenge Plate Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa 8 July 200044–23225029
James O'Connor Stade de France, Saint-Denis 2010 Autumn International Flag of France (lighter variant).svg  France 27 November 201016–59164029
Bernard Foley Twickenham Stadium, London 2015 Rugby World Cup Flag of England.svg  England 3 October 201533–13234028
Michael Lynagh Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane 1995 Argentina tour of Australia Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina 30 April 199553–7234028
Matt Giteau Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier 2007 Rugby World Cup Flag of Fiji.svg  Fiji 23 September 200755–12243027
Matt Burke Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney 1998 Scotland tour of Australia and Fiji Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland 13 June 199845–3144025
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 1999 Rugby World Cup final Flag of France (lighter variant).svg  France 6 November 199935–12027025
Docklands Stadium, Melbourne 2001 British & Irish Lions tour of Australia British and Irish Lions flag with no Lion.svg British and Irish Lions 7 July 200135–14116025
Ben Donaldson Stade de France, Seint-Denis 2023 Rugby World Cup Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia 9 September 202335–15233025
Chris Latham Adelaide Oval, Adelaide 2003 Rugby World Cup Flag of Namibia.svg  Namibia 25 October 2003142–0500025

Tries

PlayerVenueCompetitionOpponentDateScoreTriesRef.
Chris Latham Adelaide Oval, Adelaide 2003 Rugby World Cup Flag of Namibia.svg  Namibia 25 October 2003142–05
Greg Cornelsen Eden Park, Auckland 1978 Australia tour of New Zealand Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 9 September 197830–164
David Campese Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney1983 United States tour of AustraliaFlag of the United States.svg  United States 9 July 198349–34
Jason Little Canberra Stadium, Canberra 1999 Rugby World Cup Qualification – Third Round Flag of Tonga.svg  Tonga 22 September 199874–04
Chris Latham Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane 2000 Argentina of Australia Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina 17 June 200053–64
Lote Tuqiri Docklands Stadium, Melbourne 2005 June International Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 25 June 200569–214
Twenty two players3

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 Updated to 18 August 2025. However, ESPNscrum statistics are until 2016. [1]

References

  1. "Australia – Team Records". ESPNscrum. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  2. Morse, Ben (27 September 2023). "'What chance did we have': Remembering Namibia's record-breaking 142–0 Rugby World Cup defeat". CNN Sports . Archived from the original on 31 January 2024.
  3. "Australia annihilate Namibia". BBC Sport . 25 October 2003.
  4. "Australia 91–3 Japan". BBC Sport. 8 September 2007.
  5. "Wallabies storm into record books". The Sydney Morning Herald . 18 October 2003.
  6. Watt, Stuart (18 October 2003). "Wallabies demolish Romania". ABC News . Archived from the original on 27 October 2016.
  7. Richards, Huw (7 June 2018). "England's 1998 Tour from Hell to Australia, South Africa and New Zealand". ESPNscrum.
  8. "Sport: Rugby Union – Australia 76 England 0". BBC Sport. 6 June 1998.
  9. Wood, Mike (25 October 2022). "Never mind the blowouts: Why Australia must do more to make future World Cups better". The Roar .
  10. "Wallabies pulverise Western Samoa: Rugby union". The Independent . 6 August 1994.
  11. "Wallabies thrash Samoa". ABC News. 11 June 2005.
  12. Cleary, Mick; Griffiths, John, eds. (1997). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook, 1998–98. Rothmans Publications. pp. 334–335.
  13. Lutz, Tom (23 September 2011). "Rugby World Cup 2011: Australia v USA – as it happened". Guardian Australia . Guardian Media Group.
  14. "Rugby World Cup 2011: Australia 67–5 USA". BBC Sport. 23 September 2011.
  15. "Rugby World Cup: Wallabies trounce Uruguay, earn bonus point despite fielding second-string side". ABC News. 27 September 2015.
  16. "South Africa 53–8 Australia". BBC Sport. 31 August 2008.
  17. "Nokwe inspires Boks blitz". Sky Sports . 1 September 2008.
  18. Gallan, Daniel (8 September 2024). "Argentina 67–27 Australia: men's rugby union international – as it happened". Guardian Australia. Guardian Media Group. Archived from the original on 8 September 2024.
  19. Drennan, Jonathan; Payten, Iain (8 September 2024). "'Fell off a cliff': Wallabies humiliated by Pumas in biggest ever defeat". The Sydney Morning Herald. Nine Entertainment. Archived from the original on 8 September 2024.
  20. "Rugby Championship recap: Argentina annihilate Australia in Santa Fe". The New Zealand Herald . New Zealand Media and Entertainment. 8 September 2024. Archived from the original on 8 September 2024. The hosts were down 20–3 before clicking into top gear with 10 minutes to play in the second half, scoring four tries in the last nine minutes. It's the most points the Wallabies have conceded in a test, beating the 61–22 hammering they copped in South Africa in 1997.
  21. Williamson, Nathan (8 September 2024). "'Falling off a cliff': Schmidt reacts after stunning Wallabies defeat to Argentina". rugby.com.au. Rugby Australia. Archived from the original on 8 September 2024. It's the most points the Wallabies have conceded in a Test, passing the 61–22 hammering they copped in South Africa in 1997.
  22. "Australia thrashed 43–5 by New Zealand in record loss as All Blacks retain Bledisloe Cup in Sydney". ABC News. 31 October 2020.
  23. "Bledisloe Cup: New Zealand beat Australia 43–5 to lift trophy for 18th consecutive year". BBC Sport. 31 October 2020.
  24. Maharaj, Rajiv (28 October 2015). "The Joy of Six: Australia v New Zealand classic rugby Test matches". Guardian Australia.
  25. "'Gutted' Wallabies suffer biggest loss to All Blacks in 117 years as Bledisloe dreams dashed". The Sydney Morning Herald. 31 October 2020. The six-tries-to-one thrashing will go down as Australia's darkest night against the Kiwis, topping the 43–6 defeat in Wellington in 1996. Talk about a turnaround from last year's 47–26 triumph in Perth.
  26. Thornley, Gerry (20 August 2019). "Back in Black: New Zealand's 36–0 win leaves Wallabies thunderstruck". The Irish Times .
  27. "All Blacks smash Wallabies 36–0". The Sydney Morning Herald. 18 August 2019.
  28. "The Stats Don't Lie: A decade of Bledisloe dominance?". The New Zealand Herald. 24 August 2012. The most points the All Blacks have scored against the Wallabies at Eden Park was in their 39–10 victory in 2008, while their greatest winning margin at that ground was 38–3 in 1972.
  29. "As it happened: All Blacks beat Wallabies 57–22". Radio New Zealand . 14 August 2021.
  30. McMorran, Steve (14 August 2021). "New Zealand beats Australia 57–22 to retain Bledisloe Cup". AP News .
  31. "WAL 40–6 AUS: Wales crush Australia to book quarter-final berth". World Rugby . 24 September 2023. Archived from the original on 4 October 2023.
  32. Griffiths, Gareth (24 September 2023). "Wales 40–6 Australia: Warren Gatland's side hammer Wallabies to seal World Cup quarter-final spot". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 26 September 2023.
  33. Smale, Simon (14 August 2022). "Argentina crushes the Wallabies 48–17 in the Rugby Championship, All Blacks stun Springboks in Johannesburg". ABC News. Archived from the original on 9 April 2023.
  34. "Springboks steamroll Australia 43–12 in Rugby Championship as Arendse scores hat trick". AP News. 9 July 2023.
  35. Decent, Tom (9 July 2023). "'Show some respect': Jones lashes out at reporter after Wallabies suffer horror 43-12 loss to Springboks". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  36. Howcroft, Jonathan (29 July 2023). "Bledisloe Cup: Wallabies 7–38 All Blacks – as it happened". Guardian Australia.
  37. Statsguru / Ordered by: total matches played, ESPN Scrum, 18 October 2020.
  38. Statsguru / Ordered by: total matches played as captain, Scrum, 30 September 2019.
  39. Statsguru / Ordered by: total tries scored, Scrum, 30 September 2019.
  40. Statsguru / Ordered by: total points scored, Scrum, 30 September 2019.