Rugby Australia is pleased to announce Tim Walsh to the new position of Director of Women’s High Performance which will form part of the organisation’s Executive Team.
Walsh, who coached the Australian Women’s Sevens squad to an Olympic gold medal in 2016 and the HSBC SVNS World Championship earlier this month, will transition to his new position on July 1 and spearhead the technical direction and performance standards for both the Wallaroos and Australian Women’s Sevens programs.
Walsh will oversee the phased integration this year of Rugby Australia’s Women’s High Performance blueprint, developed in collaboration with World Rugby, which was the result of extensive analysis of elite programs across international sport and a review of internal systems.
A key outcome from that work will be the Wallaroos’ transition to a fulltime program later in 2026, joining their Australian Sevens counterparts in a fulltime High Performance environment.
Walsh will now join the selection panels to appoint the next Head Coaches of the Wallaroos and Australian Sevens squads.
Walsh said: "I am thrilled to continue my career at Rugby Australia and thank Phil and the Board for entrusting me with steering the future direction of our women’s High Performance programs.
"The opportunity to harness Australia’s elite rugby talent and align the Sevens and XVs formats into one successful system moving forward is a huge step for the organisation.
"We want to retain, recruit and develop players for sustained success in the global game and the upcoming LA Olympics in 2028 and Rugby World Cup on home soil in 2029 are benchmark events I strongly believe we can achieve great results in."
Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh said: "In a milestone year for Australian Women’s Rugby, marking a decade since our historic Olympic Gold in Rio and the 100th Test for the Wallaroos, we are delighted to appoint Tim to the position of Director of Women’s High Performance.
"Tim has a strong track record of driving high standards, building cohesive squads and achieving success on the field. And with a home Rugby World Cup (2029) and Olympic Games (2032) on the horizon, it is an exciting time to bring a leader of his calibre into a role that will accelerate the growth of Australian Women’s Rugby at both the Sevens and XVs levels.
"Tim’s appointment is a critical component of a broader plan to ensure our future professional framework is athlete-centred and built for success and sustainability."
The fulltime Wallaroos program will be based in Sydney at its commencement and draw upon strategies and systems developed by the world champion Australian Women’s Sevens, which was established as a fulltime program in 2014 ahead of Sevens’ entry into the Olympics in 2016, as well as elite High Performance systems from international rugby and sporting organisations.
The Australians won gold in Rio two years after the Women’s Sevens program was established and have subsequently won every major trophy in the sport ahead of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, including the 2026 HSBC SVNS World Championship following tournament victories in Valladolid and Bordeaux in the last month.
A fulltime program for the Wallaroos was identified as a key objective ahead of the home Rugby World Cup in 2029 following the record-breaking Women’s Rugby World Cup in England last year.
Today’s announcement follows confirmation earlier this year that Rugby Australia will launch a transformative women’s NextGen XVs program and introduce High Performance Player Agreements for emerging talent this year.
Rugby Australia President Kristy Giteau said:
"I had the privilege of being coached by Tim during the early stages of his Australian Sevens coaching journey more than 10 years ago, and even then, it was clear he was building something special. He united the group around a shared vision and created a culture of accountability, innovation and belief.
"Seeing Tim lead both the Wallaroos and the Australian Women's Sevens program is incredibly exciting. His results speak for themselves, and I can't wait to see what our women achieve on the road to LA 2028 and the 2029 Rugby World Cup at home."
World Rugby Director of High Performance Nicky Ponsford said: "World Rugby has enjoyed a productive collaboration with the team at Rugby Australia as it refines its Women’s High Performance structures ahead of several major global milestones.
"The decision to appoint a Director of Women’s High Performance reflects a considered, professional approach to managing the unique demands of both the XVs and Sevens games.
"We believe this focus on sustainable, athlete-centred standards is a positive step for the game's development."
