Rugby Australia has announced that former England captain Jo Yapp has been appointed the new head coach of Australia women on a two-year deal.
Yapp becomes the first female head coach of an Australian senior national team in a major football code.
The 44-year-old previously spent time as director of rugby at Worcester and has twice coached Barbarians.
“I am looking forward to getting started and building further towards the 2025 Rugby World Cup,” Yapp said.
“It is a great honour. I have fond recollections of battling Australia as a player, and you cannot help but be impressed by the strides the Wallaroos have made in the past couple of years.
“For a semi-professional team to reach the knockout stages of the World Cup last year, and to then finish third in the WXV tournament this year, is a huge testament to the talent in the country.”
Before the announcement of Yapp’s arrival, no senior Australian national team in rugby union, rugby league, Australian rules football or association football had hired a female head coach.
Yapp won 70 caps for England, including at three World Cups in 1998, 2002 and 2006, before becoming head coach of England under-20 women’s team and working as director of rugby at Exeter University.
After being promoted from skills coach to director of rugby at Worcester, Yapp took the club to sixth in the Premier 15s before they folded.
“This appointment is a crucial one as we work towards our goal of continuing to grow Women’s Rugby in Australia,” said CEO Paul Waugh.
“It is a huge opportunity for our game as we continue to grow sustainably as investment increases in the coming years.
“Jo is a highly sought-after coach, and I am confident that she is the right person to lead the development of the Wallaroos program as we look towards the next World Cup in England in 2025.”