Rugby union in the Northern Territory: Difference between revisions
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==={{anchor|Northern Territory Rugby Union}}{{anchor|Darwin}}Darwin=== |
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The Darwin club rugby competition runs from March to September since switching from Wet Season to Dry Season in 2003,<ref name="NTRU Facebook"/> and is administered by the Northern Territory Rugby Union. There are six clubs based in the Darwin metropolitan area that have 1st and 2nd grade open teams, and juniors from under 7 to under 17. Some clubs also have a women’s team. |
The Darwin club rugby competition runs from March to September since switching from Wet Season to Dry Season in 2003,<ref name="NTRU Facebook"/> and is administered by the Northern Territory Rugby Union. There are six clubs based in the Darwin metropolitan area that have 1st and 2nd grade open teams, and juniors from under 7 to under 17. Some clubs also have a women’s team.<ref name="2013 Darwin First Grade">{{cite web |
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| accessdate= 14 May 2013 |
| accessdate= 14 May 2013 |
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| publisher= Australian Rugby Union |
| publisher= Australian Rugby Union |
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Revision as of 09:26, 27 May 2014
| Rugby union in the Northern Territory | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Governing body | Northern Territory Rugby Union |
| Representative team | NT Mosquitos |
| First played | 1975 |
Club competitions | |
Hosted competitions
| |
Rugby union is a mostly amateur sport within the Northern Territory in Australia. The game is run by the Northern Territory Rugby Union, composed of representatives from clubs, regional rugby unions, referees, and affiliated bodies for schools and junior rugby.[1]
There is no professional rugby team based in NT but the annual Hottest 7s tournament held in Darwin draws teams from around Australia and overseas, and awards prize money to the winners.[2][3]
History of rugby union in the Northern Territory
Rugby union in Darwin started in the reconstruction phase after Cyclone Tracy. A New Zealander named David Cooper put up a flyer seeking other interested players which led to the founding of the Northern Territory Rugby Union in 1975.[4] The first Darwin club rugby competition match was played on the 2nd of October 1976 at Alawa Oval between South Darwin Rabbitohs and RSL Dragons (now the Darwin Dragons).[5]
From 1983 onward, the Bushratz RUFC from Jabiru played in the Darwin 2nd grade competition, and also briefly in the Katherine competition in 2009.[6] However, due to a shortage of player numbers (as of 2013), the club no longer takes part in these competitions.[7]
In 1984, the Alice Springs club competition was started by the Central Australian Rugby Union. The Katherine club competition was established by the Katherine Rugby Union in 1987.[4] Katherine also later briefly fielded a composite team in the Darwin competition, but found the logistics associated with the travel distance difficult to sustain.[8]
In 1989, the inaugural Territory 7s tournament was held in Darwin and won by Fijian team Duavata. The annual tournament was renamed the Hottest 7s in 2005, and the organizers in 2013 claimed it was the richest rugby sevens tournament in the Southern Hemisphere with a prize pool of $65,000.[3]
The East Arnhem Rugby Union was created in Nhulunbuy in 2004, with a junior rugby competition played during the Dry Season between April and August. Teams from East Arnhem (initially under the name of Gove Rugby) have regularly entered tournaments such as the Darwin Hottest 7s and Singapore CC 7s.[9]
Club competitions
Darwin
The Darwin club rugby competition runs from March to September since switching from Wet Season to Dry Season in 2003,[4] and is administered by the Northern Territory Rugby Union. There are six clubs based in the Darwin metropolitan area that have 1st and 2nd grade open teams, and juniors from under 7 to under 17. Some clubs also have a women’s team.[10][11]
- Casuarina Cougars
- Palmerston Crocs
- South Darwin Rabbitohs
- Darwin Dragons
- University Pirates
- Swampdogs
Alice Springs
The Alice Springs club rugby competition runs over the summer from November to April and is administered by the Central Australian Rugby Union. There are four clubs (as of 2013) with one open grade team each:[12]
- Alice Springs Dingo Cubs
- Devils Rugby Union Football Club
- Alice Springs Eagles
- Kiwi Warriors RUFC
Katherine
The Katherine club rugby competition runs over the Wet Season from October to April and is administered by the Katherine Rugby Union. There are four clubs (as of 2013) with one open grade team each:[8]
- Barbarians Rugby Union Football Club
- Brahmans Rugby Union Football Club
- Pirates Rugby Union Football Club
- Tindal Lions Rugby Union Football Club
Representative teams
Senior and junior Mosquitos teams are selected from players within the Northern Territory each year to compete against representative rugby teams from other Australian states and territories. The team colours are ochre, black and white.[13]
References
- ^ "Northern Territory Rugby Union Constitution" (PDF). September 26, 2006. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 April 2013. Retrieved June 7, 2013.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Hottest 7s line-up closer to being finalised". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Nov 25, 2008. Archived from the original on 9 June 2013.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Hottest 7s welcome". 27 Jan 2013. Archived from the original on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c "History by Year". Northern Territory Rugby Union. Archived from the original on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Brief history of rugby union in the Northern Territory". Northern Territory Rugby Union. Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Time Line for the Jabiru Bushratz". Archived from the original on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ O'Toole, Kate (14 Mar 2013). "Jabiru Bombers the last footy team in town". Darwin: Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
{{cite web}}:|archive-url=is malformed: save command (help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b
"Katherine Club Rugby Competition". Northern Territory Rugby Union. Archived from the original on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^
"East Arnhem Rugby Union". Archived from the original on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Darwin Rugby 1st Grade Ladder: May 11, 2013". Australian Rugby Union. Archived from the original on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Darwin Rugby 2nd Grade Ladder: 11 May 2013". Australian Rugby Union. Archived from the original on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^
"Alice Springs Club Rugby Competition". Northern Territory Rugby Union. Archived from the original on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^
"Representative Rugby in the Northern Territory". Northern Territory Rugby Union. Archived from the original on 7 June 2013. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)