Wallabies or Kangaroos? Find the Right Australian Rugby Record
Searching for “walaby”? Learn why the Wallabies are rugby union, the Kangaroos are rugby league, and where the names overlap in early history.
If you searched for “walaby” in a rugby context, you probably mean Wallaby, or Wallabies for the team. The Wallabies are Australia’s men’s rugby union side—not its men’s rugby league side. In international rugby league, Australia’s men are the Kangaroos. The distinction matters when looking up Test scores, caps and World Cup records. Rugby Australia and the NRL identify the sides separately.
Which Australian team do you mean?
| Team name | Australian representative side | Records to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Wallabies | Men’s rugby union | Rugby union Tests and Rugby World Cup results |
| Kangaroos | Men’s rugby league | Rugby league Tests and Rugby League World Cup results |
| Jillaroos | Women’s rugby league | Women’s rugby league internationals and World Cup results |
The NRL identifies the Kangaroos and Jillaroos as Australia’s male and female representative teams. For the thirteen-a-side men’s game covered here, start with our Australia Kangaroos history and World Cup record, rather than a Wallabies results list.
Why the names appear together in early league history
Both the Kangaroos and Wallabies began tours of Great Britain in 1908, representing different rugby codes. The NRL’s history identifies the touring teams as Kangaroos in league and Wallabies in union. Rugby Australia’s account of the first Wallabies tour says captain Herbert Moran objected to the British press calling his team the “Rabbits”; after a team vote, Wallabies was selected.
There is a genuine rugby league connection behind the names. In 1909, returning Wallabies players were recruited to play a four-match series against a representative league side. The National Museum of Australia records two wins apiece for the Wallabies and Kangaroos, followed by many leading Wallabies players switching to league.
That episode does not make Wallabies another name for the Kangaroos. Nor should the four matches be read as an international series between two countries: they involved Australian representative selections associated with the rival codes.
How to find the right score
For an Australian men’s rugby league result, search Kangaroos, the opponent and the year. For a World Cup match, include Rugby League World Cup, not just “Rugby World Cup.” For a historical tour, distinguish Tests from the wider tour programme before counting appearances or wins.
If your question concerns Australia’s rugby league series against Britain, use the Ashes rugby league Test results by year. A Wallabies score belongs to a different national-team record.