Wally (Wallabies mascot)

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Wally is the name of the official mascot of the Australian rugby union team, the Wallabies.

Contents

Wallabies in the wild Wallabies-mother-and-son.jpg
Wallabies in the wild

Wally is a wallaby.

The stuffed toy version of the mascot is carried with the Wallabies on overseas tours to Europe. It then becomes the duty of the youngest member of the touring party to protect the mascot from pranks by older players to hide and sabotage it. It is considered an embarrassment to the protector if Wally is not safely guarded. The protector is forced to hold Wally at all times. It becomes a source of entertainment for senior players when the team is out socialising.

Stuffed toy toy with an outer fabric sewn from a textile and then stuffed with flexible material

A stuffed toy is a toy with an outer fabric sewn from a textile and stuffed with flexible material. They are known by many names, such as plush toys, stuffed animals, plushies, or stuffies. In Britain and Australia, they may be called soft toys or cuddly toys. Textiles commonly used for the outer fabric include plain cloth, as well as pile textiles like plush or terrycloth, or even socks. Common stuffing materials include synthetic fiber, batting, cotton, straw, wood wool, plastic pellets, and beans. The toy originates from Germany in the late 19th century and has been marked by fads in popular culture that sometimes affected collectors and the value of the toys.

Events

When Berrick Barnes was forced to protect Wally during the 2007 World Cup in France he had to stitch it up several times and perform a search of every member's hotel room to retrieve it, despite the help of Lote Tuqiri. [1]

Berrick Barnes Australian dual code rugby player

Berrick Stevens Barnes is an Australian professional rugby union footballer. His usual position is fly-half or inside centre. He is currently signed with Japanese Top League club Panasonic Wild Knights, but previously played in the Super Rugby competition with the NSW Waratahs and Queensland Reds. He also played for the Wallabies in international matches.

Lote Tuqiri Fijian-Australian rugby league and rugby union footballer

Lote Daulako Tuqiri is a Fijian-Australian former professional dual-code rugby footballer who last played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the NRL. He represented Australia in both rugby league and rugby union, and Fiji in rugby league. He usually played as a winger in both codes. Tuqiri first rose to prominence as a professional rugby league footballer for the Brisbane Broncos and Queensland Maroons, as well as the Fiji and Australia national sides. He was therefore a high-profile signing for rugby union in 2002, winning 67 caps for Australia and being a part of their 2003 and 2007 World Cup squads. He played rugby union for the Waratahs in the Super 14 and Leicester Tigers in England in season 2009–10. Tuqiri's contract with the Australian Rugby Union was terminated on 1 July 2009. No immediate reason was given, and Tuqiri returned to rugby league in 2010, playing for the Wests Tigers of the NRL. In September 2013, he signed a short-term contract with Irish rugby union giants, Leinster to play in the Pro12 in a three-month deal. Just 6 weeks out from the 2014 NRL season, Tuqiri signed with his third NRL club, the South Sydney Rabbitohs on a one-year deal.

During the 2008 tour it became a long-running joke among the players that the mascot could be used by 18-year-old James O'Connor to break the ice with young ladies. [2]

In May 2007 a Welsh rugby fan was ejected from a stadium in Sydney during a match for attempting to dance with the life-size version of Wally. [3]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Lote cures Berrick's insomnia Greg Growden and Rupert Guinness | September 11, 2007
  2. ↑ Tour rookie gets Wally FOX Sports - October 27, 2008
  3. ↑ Fan, 72, ejected for mascot dance BBC News
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