Why Aussie sport boss insists it's inevitable that soccer will one day be the ONLY football code in the world
- Both Matildas and Socceroos have raised their profiles
- Rugby union continues to lurch to new lows
- Former sport boss believes that is a sign other footy codes will perish
Matildas and Socceroos fans can rejoice because according to a former high-ranking sports boss, the round-ball form of football will be the dominant code in Australia within 100 years.
Australia is a unique nation, with soccer sitting alongside the NRL, AFL and rugby union to form a four-way competition for crowds, TV ratings and sponsorship dollars.
However, former chair of the Australian Sports Commission and the MCG Trust John Wylie believes rugby union's recent fall from grace makes it the 'canary in the coal mine of world sport'.
The Wallabies have not won a Bledisloe Cup since 2002 and the last time the Aussies won a World Cup was in 1999.
In recent years the code has been eroded by the withdrawal of South African and Argentinian clubs from the Super Rugby tournament while the Japanese franchise collapsed.
![The Matildas captured the hearts of the nation at the Women's World Cup](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/01/23/79516691-12917523-image-a-20_1704153034693.jpg)
The Matildas captured the hearts of the nation at the Women's World Cup
![Legions of new football fans have been unearthed following the success of both the men and women's national teams last year](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/01/23/79516689-12917523-image-a-21_1704153042775.jpg)
Legions of new football fans have been unearthed following the success of both the men and women's national teams last year
There have been numerous scandals, including the governing body being forced to pay out former fullback Israel Folau after he was sacked for homophobic comments on social media, while the Aussies failed to progress through the group stage of the World Cup for the first time in history.
Wylie doesn't think Rugby Australia's issues are isolated, foreseeing a global trend where soccer becomes the sole football code.
'Australia is the only country in the world with four football codes – Aussie Rules, rugby union and league and soccer,' he told the Sydney Morning Herald, adding that it was 'generally agreed that rugby union currently sits fourth'.
![The Socceroos made history at the FIFA World Cup, escaping the group stage and playing a thrilling knockout match against Argentina](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/01/23/79516749-12917523-image-a-22_1704153046344.jpg)
The Socceroos made history at the FIFA World Cup, escaping the group stage and playing a thrilling knockout match against Argentina
'Rugby union in Australia is the canary in the coal mine of world sport,' Wyle said. 'Soccer is the dominant code in most countries around the world. Rugby union is the No.1 sport in only New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa and possibly Wales, with NFL and the college gridiron game eclipsing soccer in the US. Rugby league is the No.1 sport only in PNG.
'TV dollars are flowing to the top sports globally and soccer, or football as it is called in most countries, will only get stronger.'
Wylie suggested that rugby league may follow rugby union by declining in Australia. It ranks a distant third in England and possibly New Zealand, while also being a niche sport in France.
![The NRL is trying to expand its global footprint by kicking off the 2024 season in the US (pictured left to right, stars Aaron Woods, Campbell Graham, Spencer Leniu and Billy Waters on a promotional tour in the USA late last year)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/01/23/79516793-12917523-image-a-24_1704153057990.jpg)
The NRL is trying to expand its global footprint by kicking off the 2024 season in the US (pictured left to right, stars Aaron Woods, Campbell Graham, Spencer Leniu and Billy Waters on a promotional tour in the USA late last year)
![It has been a long time between drinks for Aussie rugby fans, with the Wallabies last winning the World Cup in 1999 (pictured)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/02/00/79516755-12917523-It_has_been_a_long_time_between_drinks_for_rugby_fans_with_the_W-a-5_1704154117354.jpg)
It has been a long time between drinks for Aussie rugby fans, with the Wallabies last winning the World Cup in 1999 (pictured)
![While AFL does not have an international presence, it is the dominant code in Australia... for the time being](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/01/23/79516783-12917523-image-a-25_1704153061189.jpg)
While AFL does not have an international presence, it is the dominant code in Australia... for the time being
However, rugby league's international presence sets it apart from Aussie Rules, which is played exclusively in its country of origin.
The NRL is also trying to expand in the US market, launching the 2024 season with a double-header in Las Vegas to try and generate American interest.
Despite soccer's current disadvantage as an expensive grassroots sport in Australia, Wylie anticipates improved broadcasting deals, especially after the success of the Matildas and the Socceroos in the 2023 World Cups.
Soccer's safety advantage, coupled with increasing concerns over head injuries in the three other codes, should contribute to its rise.
Wylie highlights the NFL as a potential last bastion to fall to soccer, as the sport grapples with the consequences of head injuries while enjoying a significant increase in broadcasting revenue.