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Encyclopedia > Australian Rugby Championship
This article or section contains information about a future sporting event or team.
It is likely to contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change dramatically as the event approaches and more information becomes available.
Australian Rugby Championship
Sport Rugby union
Founded 2006
No. of teams 8
Country  Australia
Current champions n/a

The Australian Rugby Championship (ARC) is a domestic rugby union football club competition in Australia. The first ARC season will commence in August of 2007. The competition, similar to New Zealand's Air New Zealand Cup and South Africa's Currie Cup, aims to bridge the gap between existing club rugby and international Super 14. The competition will initially involve eight teams: two from Queensland, three from New South Wales and one each from Australian Capital Territory, Western Australia and Victoria. Image File history File links Current_sport. ... Womens Australian rules football is a team sport. ... Womens Australian rules football is a team sport. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A rugby union scrum. ... // For an extensive coverage see 2006 in athletics (track and field) May 12 — Justin Gatlin equals the 100m world record. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... A rugby union scrum. ... The Air New Zealand Cup (also referred to by its previous name of the National Provincial Championship, its abbreviation of NPC, or for sponsorship reasons as the Air New Zealand NPC) is New Zealands professional domestic rugby union competition. ... For the cricket competition originally known as the Currie Cup, see SuperSport Series. ... The Super 14 is the largest rugby union club championship in the southern hemisphere, consisting of provincial teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. ... Capital Brisbane Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Quentin Bryce Premier Peter Beattie (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 28  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $158,506 (3rd)  - Product per capita  $40,170/person (6th) Population (End of September 2006)  - Population  4,070,400 (3rd)  - Density  2. ... Capital Sydney Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Professor Marie Bashir Premier Morris Iemma (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 50  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $305,437 (1st)  - Product per capita  $45,153/person (4th) Population (End of March 2006)  - Population  6,817,100 (1st)  - Density  8. ... Capital Canberra Government Constitutional monarchy Administrator none Chief Minister Jon Stanhope (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 2  - Senate seats 2 Gross Territorial Product (2006)  - Product ($m)  $19,167 (6th)  - Product per capita  $57,303/person (1st) Population (End of November 2006)  - Population  333,667 (7th)  - Density  137. ... Capital Perth Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Ken Michael Premier Alan Carpenter (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 15  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $100,900 (4th)  - Product per capita  $50,355/person (3rd) Population (December 2006)  - Population  2,050,900 (4th)  - Density  0. ... Capital Melbourne Government Constitutional monarchy Governor David de Kretser Premier Steve Bracks (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 37  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $222,022 (2nd)  - Product per capita  $44,443/person (5th) Population (End of September 2006)  - Population  5,110,500 (2nd)  - Density  22. ...

Contents

Teams

The competition will have eight teams for its inaugural season. When first announced, possible locations of the New South Wales sides included Sydney's north, central-west and south-east, the Central Coast and Illawarra. It is understood that the New South Wales Rugby Union (NSWRU) gave up a fourth team to Victoria, in order to make the competition more national.[1] The ARC could be expanded to include further teams in the future, for example it is thought that South Australia, who are hosts to the Australia Sevens, are thought to be wanting an opportunity for inclusion sometime in the future.[2] The Central Coast is an urban region in the Australian state of New South Wales, located on the coastline north of Sydney and south of Lake Macquarie and Newcastle. ... The New South Wales Rugby Union (NSWRU) is the organisation responsible for the sport of rugby union in most of the state of New South Wales, Australia. ... Capital Adelaide Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Premier Mike Rann (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 11  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $59,819 (5th)  - Product per capita  $38,838/person (7th) Population (End of September 2006)  - Population  1,558,200 (5th)  - Density  1. ... The Adelaide Sevens (also known as Australia Sevens) is a rugby union sevens tournament, part of the IRB Sevens World Series. ...


Queensland Rugby announced on June 2, 2006 that one of the Queensland sides will be playing out of Ballymore Stadium in Brisbane.[3] With this announcement, the other team has been speculatively linked to both the Gold Coast and Townsville.[4] An ARU board meeting did not finalise the locations of the new teams. However it emerged in the media that the QRU may in fact base both of their teams out of Ballymore. The decision to not award the Gold Coast a team was met with mixed feelings from Queenslanders.[5][6] Wallabies coach John Connolly has said that there must be a significant point of difference between the two Queensland sides.[6] It was assumed that (at least for the first season), that both Queensland teams would play out of Ballymore, however, in November the Gold Coast was confirmed as the location of one of the two teams. Ballymore Stadium is the name of a Rugby Union stadium which is also the home of Queensland Rugby. ... Brisbane (pronounced ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, as well as the third largest city in Australia, with a greater metropolitan population of 1. ... Gold Coast is a city and local government area in the southeast corner of Queensland, Australia. ... Townsville in 2004. ... John Connolly (26 June 1951 in Brisbane) is a rugby union coach and the current head coach of the Wallabies. ...

Team name City/Area Stadium Affiliation
Club(s) Super 14
Ballymore Tornadoes Brisbane Ballymore Stadium (24,000) Sunshine Coast Stingrays, Norths-QUT, Brothers, Wests, GPS and University Reds
Canberra Vikings Canberra Manuka Oval (15,000) (3 games)
Canberra Stadium (25,011) (1 game)		 Eastern Suburbs, Gungahlin Eagles, Queanbeyan Whites, Canberra Royals, Tuggeranong Vikings, Uni-Norths Owls, West Lions Brumbies
Central Coast Rays Central Coast Central Coast Stadium (20,000) Central Coast,Newcastle,Gordon, Manly, Northern Suburbs and Warringah Waratahs
East Coast Aces Gold Coast Carrara Stadium (18,000) Easts, Souths, Sunnybank, the Gold Coast Breakers and the Country Heelers Reds
Melbourne Rebels Melbourne Olympic Park Stadium (18,500) Boroondara,Box Hill,Cerberus,Eltham, Endeavour Hills,Footscray,Geelong,Harlequin, Hume City,Maroondah, Melbourne, Melbourne University, Melton,Monash University, Moorabbin,Northern,Power House,Southern Districts, Wyndham City. None[7]
Perth Spirit Perth Members Equity Stadium (17,000) West Subiaco, Nedlands, Palmyra, Cottesloe, University, Perth Bayswater, Kalamunda, Wanneroo, Associates, Rockingham. Force
Sydney Fleet Sydney North Sydney Oval (20,000) Eastern Suburbs, Illawarra, Randwick, Southern Districts and Sydney University Waratahs
Western Sydney Rams Western Sydney Parramatta Stadium (20,000) Eastwood, Parramatta, Penrith and West Harbour Waratahs

The Ballymore Tornadoes are an Australian rugby union club that plays in the Australian Rugby Championship. ... Brisbane (pronounced ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, as well as the third largest city in Australia, with a greater metropolitan population of 1. ... Ballymore Stadium is the name of a Rugby Union stadium which is also the home of Queensland Rugby. ... The Queensland Reds (for sponsorship reasons referred to as QR Queensland Reds) represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union. ... For other uses, see Canberra (disambiguation). ... Manuka Oval hosts AFL matches in winter and cricket in summer. ... Canberra Stadium (originally known as Bruce Stadium) is a facility primarily used for the rugby codes, located adjacent to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, the capital of Australia. ... The Brumbies (formerly known as the ACT Brumbies, for sponsorship reasons referred to as CA Brumbies) are a Super 14 rugby union team based in Canberra, Australia and named for the wild horses which inhabit Canberras hinterland. ... Union website www. ... The Central Coast is an urban region in the Australian state of New South Wales, located on the coastline north of Sydney and south of Lake Macquarie and Newcastle. ... Central Coast Stadium is a football stadium in the district of Gosford, in New South Wales, Australia. ... Official website www. ... The East Coast Aces are an Australian rugby union club that play in the Australian Rugby Championship. ... Gold Coast is a city and local government area in the southeast corner of Queensland, Australia. ... Carrara Stadium or Carrara Sports Complex is a sporting venue on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Carrara. ... The Queensland Reds (for sponsorship reasons referred to as QR Queensland Reds) represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union. ... Union website www. ... Melbournes CBD has grown to straddle the Yarra River in three major precincts. ... Olympic Park Stadium is a multi-purpose outdoor stadium located in Swan Street in inner Melbourne. ... Union website www. ... The Perth skyline viewed from the Swan River This article is about the metropolitan area of Perth, Western Australia. ... Members Equity Stadium is a sports stadium in Perth, Australia. ... Western Force is a rugby union team based in Perth, Western Australia playing in the international Super 14 competition. ... The Sydney Fleet are an Australian rugby union club that plays in the Australian Rugby Championship. ... The Sydney Opera House on Sydney Harbour Sydney (pronounced ) is the most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of over 4,200,000 people, and 151,920 within the city centre. ... North Sydney Oval is a multi-use sporting facility primarily used for Rugby League (as home ground of the North Sydney Bears) and Rugby Union but is also utilised for Cricket, Australian Rules Football and Soccer. ... Official website www. ... Union website www. ... Greater Western Sydney is a very general term which is used to describe the region west of the metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia. ... Parramatta Stadium is a sports stadium situated in Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia. ... Official website www. ...

History

Establishment

The development of a national competition in Australia has been talked about for over a decade. When rugby union went professional, or "open" in 1996, talk of developing a national club competition arose. An investigation, known as the Crawford Report took place.[8] The competition did not eventuate in the early years of professionalism, with the franchise-run Super 12 becoming the main focus of competitive rugby below Test matches. However, the idea never faded away, and always had somewhat of a presence since the mid 1990s. The Super 14 is the largest rugby union club championship in the southern hemisphere, consisting of provincial teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. ...


It became ever-more apparent that there was a growing gap between the local club rugby competitions and the Super Rugby competitions. Also, there was also a fear that on a national level, Australia would be left behind by the All Blacks and South Africa, due to perhaps their deeper domestic competition. After the massive financial success of the Australian-hosted 2003 Rugby World Cup, the proposal of starting a club national competition to bridge the gap between club rugby and Super Rugby came to the forefront once again. The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth rugby union world cup. ...


The official announcement on the agreement of a national rugby competition in Australia was made in mid-2006, following a 70-person three day summit in Sydney that determined that such a national competition would be economically sustainable and commercially attractive.[9] However, the competition was not with out its share of controversy, with some of the clubs being against the forming of a new level of competition, claiming it could harm club and grass roots rugby. On Wednesday, September 6, an ARU board meeting gave the competition an official green light.[10] The Sydney Opera House on Sydney Harbour Sydney (pronounced ) is the most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of over 4,200,000 people, and 151,920 within the city centre. ...


Controversy

The competition was somewhat controversial after its announcement in mid-2006. Some of the Sydney-based clubs were concerned with the formation of the national competition. There were concerns that the new competition would impact on finances and grass roots rugby.[11] Both Randwick DRUFC and Sydney University Football Club - two of Australia's oldest football clubs were not happy with the proposal, and were considering pushing for stand alone entry in the competition. Shortly after the official announcement of the competition, a committee was formed to debate the decision.[11] The Sydney Opera House on Sydney Harbour Sydney (pronounced ) is the most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of over 4,200,000 people, and 151,920 within the city centre. ... Randwick Distruct Rugby Union Football Club, also known as the Galloping Greens are one of the most famous rugby union clubs in the world. ... Sydney University Football Club, founded in 1863, is the oldest rugby union club in Australia. ... The title of the worlds oldest football club, or the oldest club in a particular country, is often disputed, or is claimed by several different clubs, across several different codes of football. ...


In July, it was reported that the ARU was being asked to put the competition on hold, and delay its introduction until there could be a guarantee that the rugby clubs could "survive".[12] However, the ARU later stated that it will be going ahead in 2007. There also appeared to be somewhat of an agreement that the competition is needed, as per a Rugby Union Players Association (RUPA) poll, which showed that 88% of contracted players believed an extra level of rugby is needed between the Super 14 and club rugby.


Those players also gave club rugby a 4.7 out of 10 for playing attributes, and an 8.2 for Super 14, and 8.7 for the Wallabies.[13] In addition, senior Australian footballers have come out in support of the new competition, saying that club rugby no longer has the intensity to prepare players for Super Rugby, though they added that Sydney is reasonably strong, it is not like that all over Australia, and that the new competition would correct the lack of depth.[6]


Format

Competition

The competition will run for eight weeks, with finals being competed over an additional two weeks - each side will play at least eight games, with the top four teams qualifying for the semi-finals where the winners will move into the final.[14] The competition will kick off in August, after club competitions finish (they will run from March to July). Some initally expressed concern that the competition will run near the same time that the World Cup in France will, though others argued that this is actually a positive, as a sport's profile is understandably significantly higher during a world cup. There will be in total, around 35 matches played in the competition. The 2007 World Cup will be hosted by France, with matches played in Edinburgh and Cardiff as well. ...


The competition begins after both the Super and club rugby competitions and does not clash with Australian under-19 and under-21 duties and the Pacific Nations Cup (in which Australia A plays).[14] The draw for the inaugural season has yet to be finalised, though it is likely that each team will play each other once (seven rounds), as well as a local derby fixture, making the regular season eight rounds.[14] The competition will in total run for 10 weeks, with games played on Fridays and Sundays as well.[14] The competition kicks off on August 11 and finishes on October 14.[14] The logo of the 2006 IRB Pacific 5 Nations. ... Australia A are a national representative rugby union team of Australian rugby union. ...


Players

This timeframe of the season ensures the availability of Super 14 players (excluding Wallabies). There are no immediate plans for a draft, with players free to choose their team, although there will likely be a salary cap in place.[11] Players will come from local competitions (which includes Super 14 players). Each Super 14 franchise is aligned with the respective teams, except for Melbourne, as Victoria has no Super 14 team (though they have in the past bid for one). First international British Isles 3 - 13 Australia (24 June 1899) Largest win Namibia 0 - 142 Australia (25 October 2003) Worst defeat South Africa 61 - 22 Australia (23 August 1997) World Cup Appearances 5 (First in 1987) Best result Champions, 1991, 1999 The Australian national rugby union team is the representative... A (sports) draft is the process by which professional sports teams select players not contracted to any team, often from colleges or amateur ranks. ...


Two players from each Super 14 franchise will most likely play for the Melbourne team. It has also been speculated that a Sydney club will have an affiliation with the team.[15] The ARU has shown that although 35 footballers will be on international duty for the Wallabies, over 90 Super 14 players will go into the national competition, which leaves way for over 120 footballers to step up from first grade club competitions.[16]


The ARU reported that they had received numerous Expressions of Interest from uncontracted footballers (Premier-standard) who would like to be considered for selection.[17] It is understood that each team may have the provision for one "marquee" footballer who will not be subject to financial restrictions of the player contracting protocol.[18] The player can be either foreign or a non-contracted domestic footballer. If a team signs an Australian as their marquee footballer, they would still be able to sign up a foreign footballer, though they would have to fit within the contract restrictions.


Media coverage

The championship will be broadcast on free to air television during its inaugural season. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) "secured" the rights to exclusively televise the competition from 2007 through to 2009 by agreeing to accept a substantial fee from the ARU in order to cover the matches. The fact that the sport's governing organisation has to pay a television station to broadcast the game arguably has worrying implications for a code struggling to attract mainstream interest in Australia. The ABC has committed to broadcast 19 matches during the season on ABC1 and ABC2.[19] The previous time that the ABC covered elite level rugby was for the 1991 Rugby World Cup (which Australia also won). International interest in coverage of the ARC is also virtually non-existent.[19] Further details of the championship broadcast are yet to be unveiled. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation or ABC is Australias national non-profit public broadcaster. ... The 1991 Rugby World Cup was hosted by England with games also held throughout other nations in Europe. ...


References

20. http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,21420931-5005401,00.html

  1. ^ New national rugby comp for 2007. news.com.au. Retrieved on 3 June 2006.
  2. ^ Warren Partland (7 April, 2007). SA raises profile on rugby stage. AdelaideNow. Retrieved on 7 April 2007.
  3. ^ Queensland Rugby begins planning for new competition. rugby.com.au. Retrieved on 2 June 2006.
  4. ^ North's rugby chance. News.com.au. Retrieved on 2 June 2006.
  5. ^ Two Brisbane rugby teams crazy: Connolly. SMH. Retrieved on 24 August 2006.
  6. ^ a b c New competition vital for Wallabies. The Australian. Retrieved on 25 August 2006.
  7. ^ Two S14 players from each franchise will likely play for the Victorian team.
  8. ^ National comp called for 10 years ago. rugbyheaven.smh.com.au. Retrieved on 21 February 2007.
  9. ^ Rugby Workshop agrees to a new eight-team National Rugby Competition. rugby.com.au. Retrieved on 21 February 2007.
  10. ^ National comp given green light. rugbyheaven.smh.com.au. Retrieved on 21 February 2007.
  11. ^ a b c Power clubs to oppose national competition. Rugbyheaven.com. Retrieved on 2 June 2006.
  12. ^ ARU asked to delay national competition. stuff.co.nz. Retrieved on 19 July 2006.
  13. ^ Sydney clubs consider alternative. rugbyheaven.com.au. Retrieved on 25 August 2006.
  14. ^ a b c d e Fixture. rugby.com.au. Retrieved on 21 February 2007.
  15. ^ Opposition growing to new game plan. Rugbyheaven.com.au. Retrieved on 4 August 2006.
  16. ^ ARU Board approves National Competition. Rugby.com.au. Retrieved on 7 September 2006.
  17. ^ 180 players put hands up for National Competition Championship. rugby.com.au. Retrieved on 21 February 2007.
  18. ^ Competition FAQs. qru.com.au. Retrieved on 21 February 2007.
  19. ^ a b ABC to Broadcast Australian Rugby Championship.. Super14.com. Retrieved on 21 February 2007.

June 3 is the 154th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (155th in leap years), with 211 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... June 2 is the 153rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (154th in leap years), with 212 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... June 2 is the 153rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (154th in leap years), with 212 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... August 24 is the 236th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (237th in leap years), with 129 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... August 25 is the 237th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (238th in leap years), with 128 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... June 2 is the 153rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (154th in leap years), with 212 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... July 19 is the 200th day (201st in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 165 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... August 25 is the 237th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (238th in leap years), with 128 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... August 4 is the 216th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (217th in leap years), with 149 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... September 7 is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ...

See also

The Australian Provincial Championship (APC) is an Australian rugby union tournament that will commence in 2006. ...

External links

Wikinews has news related to:
National Rugby Competition to kick off in Australia
  • Rugby.com.au
  • Research supports move to National Competition
  • Queensland Rugby Union
  • NSW Rugby
  • ACT and Southern NSW Rugby Union
  • RugbyWA
  • Victorian Rugby Union
  • QLD Rugby FAQs
Australian Rugby Championship teams
v • d • e
Ballymore Tornadoes • Canberra Vikings  • Central Coast Rays  • East Coast Aces  • Melbourne Rebels
Perth Spirit  • Sydney Fleet  • Western Sydney Rams
v • d • e
Major sports leagues of Australia

Australian rules football · Basketball · Cricket (First Class) · Cricket (Limited Overs) · Football · Motorsport · Rugby League · Rugby Union Image File history File links WikiNews-Logo. ... Wikinews is a free-content news source and a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. ... The Ballymore Tornadoes are an Australian rugby union club that plays in the Australian Rugby Championship. ... Union website www. ... The East Coast Aces are an Australian rugby union club that play in the Australian Rugby Championship. ... Union website www. ... Union website www. ... The Sydney Fleet are an Australian rugby union club that plays in the Australian Rugby Championship. ... Union website www. ... This article is about the national league in Australian rules football. ... The National Basketball League is Australias top-level professional basketball competition. ... The Pura Cup (formerly known as the Sheffield Shield) is the domestic first class cricket competition in Australia. ... For the 2006/2007 series, see Ford Ranger One Day Cup in 2006-07 The Ford Ranger One Day Cup is the most recent name of the domestic List A cricket (One-day/limited overs cricket) competition in Australia. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category. ... The National Rugby League (NRL) is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. ...



 

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