the first Australian team toured the United Kingdom and North America in 1908, they followed a recent tour to the UK by the New Zealand team, which the English press, dubbed the 'All Blacks' because of their all black costume. 

It was suggested by the press that the Australian team should also have a name and there is conjecture as to whether the press or some members of the team suggested the 'rabbits'.  The team rejected this as they did not want to represent an imported pest and instead they chose the native Wallaby.

Until the 1980s, only members of touring teams were called Wallabies and the teams who played tests at home were known as Internationals. The touring teams were named according to their chronological order from the 'First Wallabies' to the 'Eighth Wallabies' and the greatest reward for a representative player was to be selected to tour.

The Wallabies  compete annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the Mandela Challenge Plate with South Africa. As at 11 June 2009, Australia are ranked third on the IRB World Rankings.

Australia have competed in all six Rugby World Cups, and have won the World Cup on two occasions, in 1991 againstEngland, and in 1999 against France. Australia also lost in the final after extra time to England in the 2003 competition.