Major honours
The Wallabies played their first Test against a touring British side in 1899, but the sport's organizations in New South Wales and Queensland weren't unified under a single national body until 1949. Despite that late start, Australia has lifted the World Cup twice, beating England 12-6 at Twickenham in 1991 and France 35-12 in Cardiff in 1999, and reached two further finals, in 2003 and 2015. Its four final appearances rank second only to New Zealand. John Eales is one of the few players to have won titles in both 1991 and 1999, and George Gregan's 139 caps was once a world record. A 2000 clash with New Zealand at Stadium Australia drew 109,874 fans, still the largest crowd ever to watch a rugby union match. Australia was eliminated at the pool stage for the first time ever at the 2023 France tournament, though, and shrinking domestic market share against rugby league and Australian rules football has remained the union's biggest challenge throughout the 2020s.
Record comparison
Bars are scaled to the strongest team in this list.
Club legends
Rivalry
The Bledisloe Cup against New Zealand, a Tasman Sea derby dating to 1931 and contested every year, is one Australia has failed to reclaim since 2002.