World Rugby honcho Brett Robinson senses a seismic shift is approaching the Australian game, despite the looming threats of rival codes and competitions plotting to swipe the nation’s leading talent.

For years, young men from the nation’s elite rugby union schools have been the targeted of NRL and European poaching raids, while the push from the rebel R360 competition has thrown another spanner in the works.

But the former Wallabies forward declared Australian rugby was in “rude health”.

Twice this year the Australian under-18s thwarted New Zealand, while Test coach Joe Schmidt has shown signs the gold jumper were casting aside the ill-fated 2023 World Cup in which they fell in the group stage.

Speaking to this masthead after being unveiled as the University of Queensland’s Alumnus o

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