Raw moment captured as Wallabies give grieving family some joy
Getty Images photographer Paul Kane captured a poignant picture as jubilant Wallabies captain Harry Wilson celebrated with the grieving Phil and Charlie Waugh on Sunday night.
Jack Waugh - son to Rugby Australia boss Phil and older brother to Charlie - died aged 21 on September 11 after an accidental drug overdose.
Harry Wilson of the Wallabies celebrates with Phil and Charlie Waugh. Getty Images
The rugby community has rallied around the Waugh family this month as they remembered “a fun-loving young man whose warmth and spirit touched all who knew him.”
Phil, a former Wallabies captain, and Charlie were on the Optus Stadium sidelines as Australia pulled off a stunning 42-38 upset of the two-time defending world champion Springboks.
Wilson then made a beeline for the pair after the Wallabies had played with just 11 men in the latter stages of the dramatic Test.
Les Kiss remains unbeaten as Wallabies coach in five Tests after Waugh appointed him as Joe Schmidt’s replacement for next year’s home Rugby World Cup and the 2028 season.
Wallabies fans have quickly warmed to Kiss, the quirky, passionate Queenslander who was a star rugby league winger before turning to the rival code.
Australia had slumped to 10th in the world rankings after an embarrassing showing at the 2023 World Cup under Eddie Jones.
Sunday’s win lifted them above Scotland into sixth place on the updated global pecking order ahead of the Bledisloe Cup opener against the All Blacks at Auckland’s Eden Park on October 10.
The Wallabies led 42-17 following Max Jorgensen’s 64th minute try, before Wilson, Ryan Lonergan, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Hunter Paisami were all yellow carded in the space of seven minutes.
“It was bizarre, for sure. I definitely have not seen anything like that,” Kiss said.
“The last 10 minutes, that’s got very little to do with coaching. These boys, what they have built in the locker room, the heartbeat of any club as I say, is that they are a tight group.
"Their connection piece is strong. They care deeply about what they are doing in this jersey, and we saw that tonight in that last 10 minutes."
Wilson was coached by Kiss at the Queensland Reds before his promotion.
"Les is real big on that care, the care for the jersey, the care for the person beside you," Wilson said.
"And, geez, the boys showed that. We're versing the Springboks with 11 men, and every try the Springboks scored, the boys made them work, which took more time off the clock, which ultimately got us a victory in the end.
"I'm so proud of those boys there."
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