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).
Australia (in gold), playing against New Zealand.
Greatest winning margins
edit
Opponent[ a]
Venue
Competition
Date
Score
Margin
Namibia
Adelaide Oval , Adelaide
2003 Rugby World Cup
25 October 2003
142–0
142
[ 2] [ 3]
Japan
Stade de Gerland , Lyon
2007 Rugby World Cup
8 September 2007
91–3
88
[ 4]
Spain
Campo Universitario , Madrid
2001 Australia tour of Europe
1 November 2001
92–10
82
[ 5]
Romania
Lang Park , Brisbane
2003 Rugby World Cup
18 October 2003
90–8
82
[ 6]
England
Lang Park, Brisbane
1998 England tour of Australasia and South Africa
6 June 1998
76–0
76
[ 7] [ 8]
Tonga
Canberra Stadium , Canberra
1999 Rugby World Cup Qualification – Third Round
22 September 1998
74–0
74
[ 9]
Western Samoa
Sydney Football Stadium , Sydney
1994 Western Samoa tour of Australia
6 August 1994
73–3
70
[ 10]
Samoa
Stadium Australia , Sydney
2005 June International
11 June 2005
74–7
67
[ 11]
Canada
Ballymore Stadium , Brisbane
1996 Canada tour of Australia
29 June 1996
74–9
65
[ 12]
United States
Wellington Regional Stadium , Wellington
2011 Rugby World Cup
23 September 2011
67–5
62
[ 13] [ 14]
Uruguay
Villa Park , Birmingham
2015 Rugby World Cup
27 September 2015
65–3
62
[ 15]
Greatest losing margins
edit
Opponent[ a]
Venue
Competition
Date
Score
Margin
South Africa
Ellis Park Stadium , Johannesburg
2008 Tri Nations Series
30 August 2008
53–8
45
[ 16] [ 17]
Argentina
Estadio Brigadier General Estanislao López , Santa Fe
2024 Rugby Championship
7 September 2024
67–27
40
[ 18] [ 19]
South Africa
Loftus Versfeld Stadium , Pretoria
1997 Tri Nations Series
23 August 1997
61–22
39
[ 20] [ 21]
New Zealand
Stadium Australia, Sydney
2020 Tri Nations Series
31 October 2020
5–43
38
[ 22] [ 23]
Athletic Park , Wellington
1996 Tri Nations Series
6 July 1996
43–6
37
[ 24] [ 25]
Eden Park , Auckland
2019 Rugby World Cup warm-up match
17 August 2019
36–0
36
[ 26] [ 27]
Eden Park, Auckland
1972 Australia tour of New Zealand and Fiji
16 September 1972
38–3
35
[ 28]
Eden Park, Auckland
2021 Rugby Championship
14 August 2021
57–22
35
[ 29] [ 30]
Wales
Parc Olympique Lyonnais , Décines-Charpieu
2023 Rugby World Cup
24 September 2023
40–6
34
[ 31] [ 32]
Argentina
Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario , San Juan
2022 Rugby Championship
13 August 2022
48–17
31
[ 33]
South Africa
Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria
2023 Rugby Championship
8 July 2023
43–12
31
[ 34] [ 35]
New Zealand
Melbourne Cricket Ground , Melbourne
2023 Rugby Championship
29 July 2023
7–38
31
[ 36]
Appearances and caps
edit
Player
Venue
Competition
Opponent
Date
Score
Score invovlements
Points
Tries
Mat Rogers
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
2003 Rugby World Cup
Namibia
25 October 2003
142–0
2
16
0
0
42
Matt Burke
Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane
1996 Canada tour of Australia
Canada
29 June 1996
74–9
3
9
2
0
39
Elton Flatley
Lang Park, Brisbane
2003 Rugby World Cup
Romania
18 October 2003
90–8
1
11
1
0
30
Stirling Mortlock
Docklands Stadium, Melbourne
Mandela Challenge Plate
South Africa
8 July 2000
44–23
2
2
5
0
29
James O'Connor
Stade de France , Saint-Denis
2010 Autumn International
France
27 November 2010
16–59
1
6
4
0
29
Bernard Foley
Twickenham Stadium , London
2015 Rugby World Cup
England
3 October 2015
33–13
2
3
4
0
28
Michael Lynagh
Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane
1995 Argentina tour of Australia
Argentina
30 April 1995
53–7
2
3
4
0
28
Matt Giteau
Stade de la Mosson , Montpellier
2007 Rugby World Cup
Fiji
23 September 2007
55–12
2
4
3
0
27
Matt Burke
Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
1998 Scotland tour of Australia and Fiji
Scotland
13 June 1998
45–3
1
4
4
0
25
Millennium Stadium , Cardiff
1999 Rugby World Cup final
France
6 November 1999
35–12
0
2
7
0
25
Docklands Stadium, Melbourne
2001 British & Irish Lions tour of Australia
British and Irish Lions
7 July 2001
35–14
1
1
6
0
25
Ben Donaldson
Stade de France, Seint-Denis
2023 Rugby World Cup
Georgia
9 September 2023
35–15
2
3
3
0
25
Chris Latham
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
2003 Rugby World Cup
Namibia
25 October 2003
142–0
5
0
0
0
25
^ a b Updated to 25 October 2024. However, ESPNscrum statistics are until 2016.[ 1]
^ "Australia – Team Records" . ESPNscrum . Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
^ 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.
^ "Australia annihilate Namibia" . BBC Sport . 25 October 2003.
^ "Australia 91–3 Japan" . BBC Sport . 8 September 2007.
^ "Wallabies storm into record books" . The Sydney Morning Herald . 18 October 2003.
^ Watt, Stuart (18 October 2003). "Wallabies demolish Romania" . ABC News . Archived from the original on 27 October 2016.
^ Richards, Huw (7 June 2018). "England's 1998 Tour from Hell to Australia, South Africa and New Zealand" . ESPNscrum .
^ "Sport: Rugby Union – Australia 76 England 0" . BBC Sport . 6 June 1998.
^ Wood, Mike (25 October 2022). "Never mind the blowouts: Why Australia must do more to make future World Cups better" . The Roar .
^ "Wallabies pulverise Western Samoa: Rugby union" . The Independent . 6 August 1994.
^ "Wallabies thrash Samoa" . ABC News . 11 June 2005.
^ Cleary, Mick; Griffiths, John, eds. (1997). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook, 1998–98 . Rothmans Publications. pp. 334–335.
^ Lutz, Tom (23 September 2011). "Rugby World Cup 2011: Australia v USA – as it happened" . Guardian Australia . Guardian Media Group .
^ "Rugby World Cup 2011: Australia 67–5 USA" . BBC Sport . 23 September 2011.
^ "Rugby World Cup: Wallabies trounce Uruguay, earn bonus point despite fielding second-string side" . ABC News . 27 September 2015.
^ "South Africa 53–8 Australia" . BBC Sport . 31 August 2008.
^ "Nokwe inspires Boks blitz" . Sky Sports . 1 September 2008.
^ 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.
^ 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.
^ "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.
^ 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.
^ "Australia thrashed 43–5 by New Zealand in record loss as All Blacks retain Bledisloe Cup in Sydney" . ABC News . 31 October 2020.
^ "Bledisloe Cup: New Zealand beat Australia 43–5 to lift trophy for 18th consecutive year" . BBC Sport . 31 October 2020.
^ Maharaj, Rajiv (28 October 2015). "The Joy of Six: Australia v New Zealand classic rugby Test matches" . Guardian Australia .
^ " '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.
^ Thornley, Gerry (20 August 2019). "Back in Black: New Zealand's 36–0 win leaves Wallabies thunderstruck" . The Irish Times .
^ "All Blacks smash Wallabies 36–0" . The Sydney Morning Herald . 18 August 2019.
^ "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.
^ "As it happened: All Blacks beat Wallabies 57–22" . Radio New Zealand . 14 August 2021.
^ McMorran, Steve (14 August 2021). "New Zealand beats Australia 57–22 to retain Bledisloe Cup" . AP News .
^ "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.
^ 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.
^ 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.
^ "Springboks steamroll Australia 43–12 in Rugby Championship as Arendse scores hat trick" . AP News . 9 July 2023.
^ 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 .
^ Howcroft, Jonathan (29 July 2023). "Bledisloe Cup: Wallabies 7–38 All Blacks – as it happened" . Guardian Australia .
^ Statsguru / Ordered by: total matches played , ESPN Scrum, 18 October 2020.
^ Statsguru / Ordered by: total matches played as captain , Scrum, 30 September 2019.
^ Statsguru / Ordered by: total tries scored , Scrum, 30 September 2019.
^ Statsguru / Ordered by: total points scored , Scrum, 30 September 2019.