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National Rugby Competition

Sport	Rugby union
Founded	2006
No. of teams	8
Country	Australia
Current champions	n/a

The National Rugby Competition (it is unknown if this title will be official) is a semi-professional rugby union competition that will commence in Australia in July 2007. The competition, similar to New Zealand's Air New Zealand Cup and South Africa's Currie Cup, aims to bridge the gap between club rugby and 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. Each team will have 28 players, for a total of 224 players. There was some resisitance to the national proposal, in particular from some of the Sydney clubs. However, after a board meeting, the ARU announced on September 6, 2006, that the national competition is officially going ahead as planned. Further specifics regarding funding, teams and players are yet to fully be revealed. Image File history File links Current_sport. ... Womens Australian rules football is a team sport. ... Team mates cooperate to beat the other team Team sport is a term used to distinguish between sports based on one-on-one direct confrontation (such as most raquet sports, boxing or Martial arts) or timed races (such as athletics or swimming), as opposed to those which are practiced between... A scrum Rugby union (often referred to as rugby, union or football) is one of the two codes of rugby football, the other being rugby league. ... // Scheduled events July July 1–July 23: Tour de France July 8–September 9: Tri Nations Series (rugby union) July 10: Home Run Derby takes place as part of the MLB All-Star Game July 11: MLB All-Star Game takes place at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania July 13... Image File history File links Flag_of_Australia. ... A scrum Rugby union (often referred to as rugby, union or football) is one of the two codes of rugby football, the other being rugby league. ... 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 current Super 14 logo The Super 14 is a rugby union championship competed for by teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. ... Emblems: Faunal - Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus); Floral - Cooktown orchid (Dendrobium bigibbum); Bird - Brolga (Grus rubicunda); Aquatic - Barrier Reef Anemonefish (Amphiprion akindynos); Gem - Sapphire; Colour - Maroon Motto: Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Slogan or Nickname: Sunshine State, Smart State Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Const. ... Emblems: Floral - Waratah (Telopea speciosissima); Bird - Kookaburra (Dacelo gigas); Animal - Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus); Fish - Blue Groper (Achoerodus viridis) Motto: Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites (Newly Risen, How Brightly You Shine) Slogan or Nickname: First State, Premier State Other Australian states and territories Capital Sydney Government Const. ... Emblems: The floral emblem of the ACT is the Royal Bluebell and the faunal emblem is the Gang-gang cockatoo Motto: For the Queen, the Law and the People Slogan or Nickname: (none) Other Australian states and territories Capital Canberra Government Const. ... Emblems: Floral - Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos manglesii); Mammal - Numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus); Bird - Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) Motto: none Slogan or Nickname: Wildflower State Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Government Const. ... Emblems: Pink heath (floral)Weedy Seadragon (Aquatic) helmeted honeyeater (bird) Leadbeaters possum (faunal) Motto: Peace and Prosperity Slogan or Nickname: Garden State, The Place To Be, On The Move Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Government Const. ...

Teams

Location

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. Businessman John Singleton announced that he has the intention to get involved in this new rugby competition^[1] - as he owns the Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium in New South Wales. It now appears that the three NSW teams will be based around; northern Sydney, southern Sydney and western Sydney with each calling on four of the existing club teams as player sources. The Central Coast is a region in the Australian state of New South Wales, lying on the coastline north of Sydney and south of Newcastle. ... John Daniel Singleton (born January 6, 1968 in Los Angeles, California) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. ... Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium is a stadium in Gosford, New South Wales, Australia. ... Emblems: Floral - Waratah (Telopea speciosissima); Bird - Kookaburra (Dacelo gigas); Animal - Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus); Fish - Blue Groper (Achoerodus viridis) Motto: Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites (Newly Risen, How Brightly You Shine) Slogan or Nickname: First State, Premier State Other Australian states and territories Capital Sydney Government Const. ...

It is understood that the New South Wales Rugby Union gave up a fourth team to Victoria, in order to make the competition more national.^[2] Queensland Rugby CEO Theo Psaros announced on June 2 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] The New South Wales Rugby Union (NSWRU) is the organisation responsible for the sport of rugby union in the state of New South Wales, Australia. ... 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, and is the third largest city in Australia, with a population of over 1. ... Gold Coast is a popular name for various areas and cities around the world which are located along the coast of an ocean or some other significant body of water, and often have many wealthy residential areas. ... Townsville in 2004. ...

An ARU board meeting failed to 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 decesion to not award the Gold Coast a team was met with mixed feelings from Queenslanders.^[5] There was apparently "deep resentment" towards the proposition.^[6] Wallabies coach John Connolly has said that there must be a significant point of difference between the two Queensland sides.^[6] It is thought that the Gold Coast will likely become involved in the future. Following meetings in late September, it is thought the Gold Coast at least hosting matches in now back on the agenda. John Connolly (26 June 1951 in Brisbane) is a rugby union coach and the current head coach of the Wallabies. ...

Overview

1. Two S14 players from each franchise will likely play for the Victorian team.

Emblems: The floral emblem of the ACT is the Royal Bluebell and the faunal emblem is the Gang-gang cockatoo Motto: For the Queen, the Law and the People Slogan or Nickname: (none) Other Australian states and territories Capital Canberra Government Const. ... For other uses, see Canberra (disambiguation). ... Canberra Stadium, 19-Mar-2005. ... 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. ... Emblems: Floral - Waratah (Telopea speciosissima); Bird - Kookaburra (Dacelo gigas); Animal - Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus); Fish - Blue Groper (Achoerodus viridis) Motto: Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites (Newly Risen, How Brightly You Shine) Slogan or Nickname: First State, Premier State Other Australian states and territories Capital Sydney Government Const. ... The Central Coast is a region in the Australian state of New South Wales, lying on the coastline north of Sydney and south of Newcastle. ... Central Coast Stadium is a football stadium in the district of Gosford, in New South Wales, Australia. ... The New South Wales Waratahs (referred to as HSBC Waratahs for sponsorship reasons, the Waratahs or simply the Tahs) are an Australian rugby union team, representing most of New South Wales in the Super 14 (formerly Super 12) competition—though not the Riverina or other southern parts of the state... This article is about the metropolitan area in Australia. ... Aussie Stadium (Formerly known as the Sydney Football Stadium, or SFS) ( ) was built in 1988 to be the premium rectangular field in Sydney, Australia. ... The New South Wales Waratahs (referred to as HSBC Waratahs for sponsorship reasons, the Waratahs or simply the Tahs) are an Australian rugby union team, representing most of New South Wales in the Super 14 (formerly Super 12) competition—though not the Riverina or other southern parts of the state... 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. ... The New South Wales Waratahs (referred to as HSBC Waratahs for sponsorship reasons, the Waratahs or simply the Tahs) are an Australian rugby union team, representing most of New South Wales in the Super 14 (formerly Super 12) competition—though not the Riverina or other southern parts of the state... Emblems: Faunal - Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus); Floral - Cooktown orchid (Dendrobium bigibbum); Bird - Brolga (Grus rubicunda); Aquatic - Barrier Reef Anemonefish (Amphiprion akindynos); Gem - Sapphire; Colour - Maroon Motto: Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Slogan or Nickname: Sunshine State, Smart State Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Const. ... Brisbane (pronounced ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and is the third largest city in Australia, with a population of over 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. ... Emblems: Faunal - Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus); Floral - Cooktown orchid (Dendrobium bigibbum); Bird - Brolga (Grus rubicunda); Aquatic - Barrier Reef Anemonefish (Amphiprion akindynos); Gem - Sapphire; Colour - Maroon Motto: Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Slogan or Nickname: Sunshine State, Smart State Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Const. ... 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. ... Emblems: Pink heath (floral)Weedy Seadragon (Aquatic) helmeted honeyeater (bird) Leadbeaters possum (faunal) Motto: Peace and Prosperity Slogan or Nickname: Garden State, The Place To Be, On The Move Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Government Const. ... Melbournes Yarra River is popular area for walking, jogging, cycling and relaxing on the banks with a picnic Melbourne (pronounced either or [1]) is the second most populous city in Australia with a metropolitan area population of approximately 3. ... Olympic Park Stadium (more commonly known as simply Olympic Park) was built as a training venue for the 1956 Olympic Games. ... Emblems: Floral - Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos manglesii); Mammal - Numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus); Bird - Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) Motto: none Slogan or Nickname: Wildflower State Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Government Const. ... Perth is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Western Australia, and is the fourth largest city in Australia, with a population of approximately 1. ... Members Equity Stadium is a football stadium in Perth, Australia which was built in 1910. ... Western Force (referred to as Emirates Western Force for sponsorship reasons) is a rugby union team based in Perth, Western Australia playing in the international Super 14 competition. ...

History

The development of a national competition in Australia has been talked about for over a decade. When rugby went professional, or "open" in 1996, talk of developing a national club competition arose. An investigation, known as the Crawford Report took place. 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 died, and always had somewhat of a presence since the mid 1990s. 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 get 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 current Super 14 logo The Super 14 is a rugby union championship competed for by teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. ... The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth world cup in rugby union history. ...

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. However, the competition was not with out its share of controversey, with the self-proclaimed "Coalition of the Unwilling" (principally, Sydney University, Randwick and Eastern Suburbs) was against the forming of a new level of competition, as it would have a detrrimental effect on club and grass roots rugby. Broadcasters have expressed interest in covering the competition, with the ABC being one of them, ^[7] as well as FOX Sports, and possibly others, which have yet to be disclosed. The ARU have estimated that they will spend around $2 million (AU) a year, over a $7.6 million investment. It is expected to be turned into profit by after the fourth season. On Wednesday, September 6, an ARU board meeting gave the competition an official green light. This article is about the metropolitan area in Australia. ... The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australias national public broadcaster. ...

Controversy

The competition has been somewhat controversial since its announcement in mid-2006, in particular in regards to what possible consequences it may have for the rugby clubs and what level of control the local clubs have. The most concerned have been those that are Sydney-based. However, many people feel the introduction of the competition is well overdue and will be great for rugby union in Australia. There are fears that the competition will hurt some of Sydney's weaker clubs. Both Randwick DRUFC and Sydney University Football Club - two of Australia's oldest football clubs were not happy with the proposal, and are pushing for stand alone entry in the competition. Shortly after the official announcement of the competition, Randwick formed a committee to debate the decision.^[8] This article is about the metropolitan area in Australia. ... Rugby union is a popular team sport played in Australia, particularly in New South Wales, Queensland and the A.C.T.. In these states it competes with rugby league, as well as being in competition with soccer and AFL. Rugby union has a lesser following in the AFL dominated states... 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".^[9] However, the ARU later stated that it will be going ahead in 2007. There also appeared to be unanimous 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.^[10] 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 ten weeks, with finals being competed over an additional two weeks. Each side will play ten games, with the top four teams qualifying for the semi-finals where the winners will move into the final. The competition will kick off in July, after club competitions finish (they will run from March to July). Some have expressed concern that the competition will run near the same time that the World Cup in France will, though some 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 Rugby World Cup will be the sixth Rugby World Cup, for the quadrennial world championship. ...

Players

This timeframe will ensure 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 be a salary cap in place. 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). 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.^[11] 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.^[12] 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. ...

The ARU reported that they had received over 180 Expressions of Interestfrom uncontracted footballers (Premier-standard) who would like to be considered for selection. It is understood that each team will have the provision for one "marquee" footballer who will not be subject to financial restrictions of the the player contracting protocol. The player can be either foreign or a non-contracted domstic 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.

References

Notes

June 2 is the 153rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (154th in leap years), with 212 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 3 is the 154th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (155th in leap years), with 211 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 2 is the 153rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (154th in leap years), with 212 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 2 is the 153rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (154th in leap years), with 212 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 24 is the 236th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (237th in leap years), with 129 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 25 is the 237th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (238th in leap years), with 128 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 2 is the 153rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (154th in leap years), with 212 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 2 is the 153rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (154th in leap years), with 212 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... July 19 is the 200th day (201st in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 165 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 25 is the 237th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (238th in leap years), with 128 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 4 is the 216th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (217th in leap years), with 149 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... September 7 is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

General

• "Rugby Workshop agrees to a new eight-team National Rugby Competition". rugby.com.au. Accessed June 2, 2006.

See also

• Australian Provincial Championship

The Australian Provincial Championship 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
• WA Rugby
• Victorian Rugby Union
• QLD Rugby FAQs