Quote:
Cheika also addressed the growing concerns around rugby’s future here as he prepares for the first international of 2017.
“Rugby is never going to be the No.1 sport in Australia, we’ve got different upbringings around what our sports have been traditionally, but we’ve got a very strong, committed, loyal following, a huge volunteer base,” Cheika said.
“We also have the ability to be everyone’s second favourite as well because we play as a nation so often, just like I’ll be watching the Socceroos or the cricketers in the Champions [Trophy] or the rugby league team or netball team when they’re playing.
“We’re in a tough spot right now but [we’ll] make the decisions we need to make, we need to be starting to unify, that’s the key issue.
Tevita Kuridrani in action for the Brumbies.
“There’s not a choice for us not to unify our states, down to our clubs, right down into grassroots where our heartland is.”
Having spoken to the rugby community, Cheika acknowledged that the Wallabies must produce winning results to keep fans interested.
“They are looking to us to put things right on the field,” he said.
“We’ve got to play with a certain attitude that says ‘Australian rugby, we’re here for the fight’.”