SYDNEY (AP) — Former Wallabies flanker Phil Waugh has been appointed chief executive of Rugby Australia.

A veteran of 79 test matches for Australia, Waugh’s appointment as a replacement for Andy Marinos was confirmed Tuesday by Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan.

Waugh, 43, played for Australia at the 2003 and 2007 editions of the Rugby World Cup and retired from playing in 2011.

He has worked in banking for a decade and has been a non-executive director on the Rugby Australia board since 2018.

Waugh’s appointment follows the selection of 1999 World Cup-winning winger Joe Roff as Rugby Australia president last month.

The Wallabies have slumped in the rankings since a period of international success when they won the Rugby World Cup title in 1991 and ‘99 and reached the final on home soil in ’03, as well as beating the British and Irish Lions in 2001.

Waugh said he was confident Eddie Jones, who is back in his second stint as Wallabies coach after guiding Waugh's team to the World Cup final in ‘03, could return Australia to the top of the rankings. He said Australia could be at the top of the men's and women's 15-a-side and sevens formats.

“I’ve certainly got high aspiration and belief that we can be the best in the world," he said. “We just haven’t put consistent performances out on the field. We haven’t won enough trophies and that’s really important.”

Waugh said he'd be working on reinvigorating the game at the grassroots by getting representative players more involved in club rugby.

“I do think there’s been a huge separation over time," he said. "So to actually connect our rugby community and ensure that the game starts and ends in our crops, we need to really invest in that.”

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