2018 National Rugby Championship

Last updated

2018 National Rugby Championship
Countries Australia
Fiji
Date1 September – 27 October
Champions Fijian Drua (1st title)
Runners-up Queensland Country
Matches played31
Attendance79,400
(average 2,561 per match)
Highest attendance6,000 (Fijian Drua 66-5 Brisbane City) & (Fijian Drua 34-26 Queensland Country)
Official website
www.rugby.com.au/competitions/nrc
←  2017
2019  →

The 2018 National Rugby Championship was the fifth season of the top flight of Australian domestic rugby union. The competition began on 1 September and concluded on 27 October. Matches were broadcast on Fox Sports and the championship featured eight professional teams, seven from Australia and one from Fiji. [1]

Contents

The Fijian Drua won their first NRC title, defeating reigning champion side Queensland Country by 36–26 in the grand final held at Churchill Park in Lautoka. The Drua secured home ground advantage in the final by winning the minor premiership for the regular season and then beating Canberra Vikings in their semifinal. Queensland Country defeated the Western Force in the other semifinal to progress to the grand final. Fijian Drua also finished the season as winners of the Horan-Little Shield for 2018.

Teams

There were two major changes for the 2018 season. The Greater Sydney Rams team was removed from the competition, leaving New South Wales with two participating sides in the NRC, one Sydney team and one Country team. [2] In Perth, the Western Force replaced Perth Spirit as the team in Western Australia, following the removal of the Force from the Super Rugby competition in 2018. [3] The eight teams for the 2018 NRC season include two from New South Wales, two from Queensland, and one each from Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, Western Australia, and Fiji:

RegionTeamCoachCaptainRef
Flag of the Australian Capital Territory.svg  Australian Capital Territory Canberra Vikings Nick Scrivener Ben Hyne [4]
Flag of Fiji.svg  Fiji Fijian Drua Senirusi Seruvakula Mosese Voka [5] [6]
Flag of New South Wales.svg  New South Wales NSW Country Eagles Darren Coleman Paddy Ryan [7] [8]
Sydney Rays Chris Whitaker Damien Fitzpatrick [9] [10]
Flag of Queensland.svg  Queensland Brisbane City Mick Heenan Adam Korczyk [11] [12]
Queensland Country Rod Seib Duncan Paia'aua [13]
Flag of Victoria (Australia).svg  Victoria Melbourne Rising Eoin Toolan Angus Cottrell [14]
Flag of Western Australia.svg  Western Australia Western Force Tim Sampson Ian Prior [15] [16]

Television coverage and streaming

Two of the NRC matches each weekend are broadcast live via Fox Sports, with the remaining matches shown live on the Fox Sports streaming platform. [1] Discussion of the NRC competition is included on the Fox Sports review show NRC Extra Time on Monday nights, and the Kick & Chase program on Wednesday evenings.

Experimental Law Variations

World Rugby adopted all global law variations being trialled as of May 2018 into the rugby law book with immediate effect. [17] As such, the NRC 2017 trial changes to Laws 15, 16 and 20 (renumbered as 14, 15 and 19 in the simplified 2018 laws)  [18] were officially incorporated by World Rugby and thus became variations no more. The other law variations used for the NRC in 2017 were retained for the 2018 season. [19]

NRC Law Variations 2018
Existing Law of the GameVariation
Television Match Official / Global law trial: Law 5
  1. A match organiser may appoint a television match official (TMO), who uses technological devices to clarify situations relating to:
  1. The grounding of the ball in in-goal.
  2. Touch or touch-in-goal in the act of grounding the ball or the ball being made dead.
  3. Where there is doubt as to whether a kick at goal has been successful.
  4. Where match officials believe an infringement may have occurred in the playing area leading to a try or preventing a try.
  5. Foul play, including sanctions.
  1. Any of the match officials, including the TMO, may recommend a review by the TMO. The reviews will take place in accordance with the TMO protocol. [20]
Television match official to only be consulted about tries and in-goal plays.
Conversion: Law 8
  1. (d) [The kicker] takes the kick within 90 seconds (playing time) from the time the try was awarded, even if the ball rolls over and has to be placed again.

Sanction: Kick is disallowed.

Time limit reduced to 60 seconds for conversion kicks.
Penalty goal: Law 8
  1. The kick must be taken within 60 seconds (playing time) from the time the team indicated their intention to do so, even if the ball rolls over and has to be placed again.

Sanction: Kick is disallowed and a scrum is awarded.

Time limit reduced to 45 seconds for penalty kicks.
During a maul: Law 16
  1. The ball-carrier in a maul may go to ground provided that player makes the ball available immediately. Sanction: Scrum.
  2. All other players in a maul must endeavour to stay on their feet.
  3. All players in a maul must be caught in or bound to it and not just alongside it.
  4. Players must not:
  1. Intentionally collapse a maul or jump on top of it.
  2. Attempt to drag an opponent out of a maul.

Sanction: Penalty.

Greater policing of this law, in order to discourage "hold up tackles", by ensuring that the tackler, who holds up a ball carrier in an effort to form a maul, does not collapse the maul as soon as it has formed.
Quick throw: Law 18
  1. A quick throw is disallowed and a lineout is awarded to the same team if:
  1. A lineout had already been formed; or
  2. The ball had been touched after it went into touch by anyone other than the player throwing in or the player who carried the ball into touch; or
  3. A different ball is used from the one that originally went into touch.
Players will be allowed to take quick throw-ins regardless of whether someone else has touched the ball
Location of a penalty or free kick: Law 20
  1. A penalty or free-kick is taken from where it is awarded or anywhere behind it on a line through the mark and parallel to the touchlines. When a penalty or free-kick is taken at the wrong place, it must be re-taken.
Increased latitude will be given to where penalty and free kicks are to be taken
Competition rule - Bonus point awarded for scoring 4 triesBonus point awarded if a winning team scores at least 3 more tries than its opponent.

This particular system was first used in the French professional leagues during the 2007–08 northern hemisphere season. [21] [22]

Regular season

The eight teams competed in a round-robin tournament for the regular season. [3] During this section of the competition, teams also played for the Horan-Little Shield, a challenge trophy put on the line when a challenge is accepted by the holders or mandated by the terms of competition for the shield.

Points for the regular season standings were accumulated by the same method as for The Rugby Championship and Super Rugby. A slightly modified version of the standard competition points system was used, with a bonus point awarded to a winning team scoring at least 3 tries more than their opponent; and a bonus point awarded to a losing team defeated by a margin of 7 points or under. [23] Four points were awarded for a win and none for a loss; two points were awarded to each team if a match was drawn.

Each team's placement was based on its cumulative points total, including any bonus points earned. For teams level on table points, tiebreakers apply in the following order: [24]

  1. Difference between points for and against during the season.
  2. Head-to-head match result(s) between the tied teams.
  3. Total number tries scored during the season.

The top four teams at the end of the regular season qualified for the title play-offs in the form of semi-finals followed by a final to determine the champion team. [3]

Standings

National Rugby Championship
#Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1Flag of Fiji.svg Fijian Drua HL 7601283175+1083027
2Flag of Queensland.svg Queensland Country 7502299211+883124
3Flag of Western Australia.svg Western Force 7502284202+822123
4Flag of the Australian Capital Territory.svg Canberra Vikings 7502221169+521122
5Flag of Queensland.svg Brisbane City 7403205245−401118
6Flag of Victoria (Australia).svg Melbourne Rising 7205239192+472313
7Flag of New South Wales.svg NSW Country Eagles 7106140280−140026
8Flag of New South Wales.svg Sydney Rays 7007167364−197011
Updated: 14 October 2018

Source: rugbyarchive.net
 •Teams 1 to 4 (Green background) at the end of the regular season rounds qualify for the title playoffs.
HL denotes the holder of the Horan-Little Shield.

Team progression

National Rugby Championship progression
TeamRound 1Round 2Round 3NSW Derby  [lower-alpha 1] Round 4Round 5Round 6Round 7
Brisbane City 0
(7th)		0
(8th)		5
(6th)		5
(6th)		9
(5th)		13
(5th)		17
(5th)		18
(5th)
Canberra Vikings 0
(6th)		5
(4th)		9
(3rd)		9
(3rd)		13
(3rd)		17
(3rd)		18
(4th)		22
(4th)
Fijian Drua 5
(1st)		10
(1st)		10
(2nd)		10
(2nd)		14
(1st)		19
(1st)		23
(1st)		27
(1st)
Melbourne Rising 0
(8th)		1
(5th)		6
(5th)		6
(5th)		7
(6th)		7
(6th)		8
(6th)		13
(6th)
NSW Country Eagles 0
(4th)		0
(6th)		0
(8th)		4
(7th)		5
(7th)		5
(7th)		6
(7th)		6
(7th)
Queensland Country 4
(3rd)		8
(3rd)		13
(1st)		13
(1st)		14
(2nd)		14
(4th)		19
(3rd)		24
(2nd)
Sydney Rays 0
(4th)		0
(7th)		0
(7th)		0
(8th)		1
(8th)		1
(8th)		1
(8th)		1
(8th)
Western Force 4
(2nd)		9
(2nd)		9
(4th)		9
(4th)		13
(4th)		18
(2nd)		22
(2nd)		23
(3rd)

The table above shows a team's progression throughout the season.
For each round, their cumulative points total is shown with the overall log position in brackets.
Key:windrawlossbye

Competition rounds

All times are local (and subject to change).

Round 1

1 September Fijian Drua 40–17 Melbourne Rising Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori  
3.00 pm FJT Try: Kurumudu 29' c
Veitokani 34' c
Waqatabu 41', Vularika 60' c
Dyer 62' c, Daveta 76' c
Con: Waqatabu (5/6) 30', 36',
61', 63', 77'		Try: English (2) 27' c, 80+2'
Marsters 55'
Con: Goddard (1/1) 28'
King (0/1)
K. Valetini (0/1)		Attendance: 5,000 [ citation needed ]
Referee: Damon Murphy
1 September Canberra Vikings 35–45 Queensland Country Viking Park, Canberra  
5.00 pm AEST Try: F. Fainga'a (3) 16' c,
62' c, 72' c, Taliauli 21' c
Muirhead 45' c
Con: Hawera (2/2) 18', 22'
Jackson-Hope (3/3) 46',
63', 72'		Try: Casey (2) 5' c, 40+1'
Campbell (2) 12' c, 32' c
Blyth 48' c, Timu 59' c
Puli'uvea 75' c
Con: Tuttle (3/5) 6', 34', 49'
Stewart (2/2) 60', 76'		Attendance: 1,000 [ citation needed ]
Referee: Nic Berry
2 September Brisbane City 29–47 Western Force Norths Rugby Club, Brisbane  
3.00 pm AEST Try: Foley 7' c
Thompson-Te Muunu 16'
Morret 28', Cooper 51' c
Ngamanu 62'
Con: Cooper (2/6) 8', 52'
Cards: Waqavulagi (YC) 34'
Sooaemalelagi (YC) 68'		Try: Davies (2) 4', 44' c
Kaitu'u (2) 57' c, 69' c
Thrush 11' c
McGregor 32' c, C. Orr 37' c
Con: Prior (6/7) 12', 33', 38',
45', 58', 70'		Attendance: 4,500 [ citation needed ]
Referee: Jordan Way
[lower-alpha 1] 19 September Sydney Rays 19–33 NSW Country Eagles Leichhardt Oval, Sydney  
7.00 pm AEST Try: Rona 20', Vui 36' c
Sinclair 76' c
Con: Harrison (1/2) 37'
Burey (1/1) 77'
Cards: C. Betham (YC) 10'		Try: Gordon (3) 11' c, 63' c, 71'
Newsome 18' c, Latu 34' c
Con: Mason (4/5) 12', 19', 34', 64'
Cards: Meafou (YC) 25'
C. Talakai (YC) 80'		Attendance: 1,100
Referee: Angus Gardner

Round 2

8 September Fijian Drua 66–5 Brisbane City Churchill Park, Lautoka  
3.00 pm FJT Try: Kurumudu (3)
13' c, 39' c, 57' c
Lomani (2) 21' c, 48' c
Radrodro 10' c
Waqatabu 23' c
Reece 51' c, Voka 77'
Naqali 80+1'
Con: Waqatabu (8/10) 12', 14', 21', 24', 40', 49', 52', 58'		Try: Ngamanu 68'
Con: Cooper (0/1)		Attendance: 6,000
Referee: Jordan Way
8 September Sydney Rays 17–54 Canberra Vikings Concord Oval, Sydney  
3.00 pm AEST Try: Latunipulu 18' c
Duffy 69'
Burey 76'
Con: Harrison (1/1) 20'
Duffy (0/2)		Try: McInerney (2) 1' c, 6' c
Taliauli (2) 14' c, 60'
Penalty Try 32'
Lonergan 43' c, Hansen 51' c
Jackson-Hope 80' c
Con: Hawera (6/7) 2', 8', 16',
45', 53', 80+2'
Cards: M. Oakman-Hunt (YC) 70'		Attendance: 750
Referee: Damon Murphy
Horan-Little Challenge9 September Western Force 54–28 NSW Country Eagles UWA Sports Park, Perth  
1.00 pm AWST Try: Brache (2) 1' c, 17' c
Dakuwaqa (2) 25' c, 40' c
Alcock 38' c, H. Orr 74'
Penalty Try 77'
Davies 80+4'
Con: Prior (5/6) 3', 18', 27,
40', 41', P. Grant (1/1) 80+5'		Try: Newsome 30' c
Ryan 44' c
Latunipulu 61' c
Holloway 70' c
Con: Mason (4/4) 31', 44',
62', 71'
Cards: Mason (YC) 78'		Attendance: 5,000
Referee: James Quinn
9 September Queensland Country 29–28 Melbourne Rising Hugh Street Rugby Grounds, Townsville  
3.00 pm AEST Try: Tuttle 4',
Blyth 34' c, Campbell 43'
Fittock 51', Maafu 62' c
Con: Tuttle (1/3) 35'
Stewart (1/2) 62'		Try: Ruru (2) 24' c, 29' c
King 49' c
Naisarani 77'
Con: King (3/3) 26', 30', 50'
K. Valetini (1/1) 78'		Attendance: 2,000
Referee: Aaron Pook

Round 3

15 September NSW Country Eagles 7–62 Melbourne Rising Glen Willow Regional Sports Stadium, Mudgee  
1.00 pm AEST Try: Snowden 77' c
Con: Mason (1/1) 77'
Cards: Graham (YC) 41'
A. Latunipulu (YC) 48'		Try: English (5) 13' c,
23', 29' c, 46' c, 48'
Ratu (2) 33', 69' c
Ruru 38' c, Marsters 58' c
Meakes 67'
Con: King (6/10) 14', 14', 30', 39',
47', 58', 70'		Attendance: 1,700
Referee: Will Houston
15 September Queensland Country 52–22 Fijian Drua BB Print Stadium, Mackay  
1.00 pm AEST Try: Petaia (3) 9' c, 24', 32' c
Campbell (2) 21' c, 28'
Paia'aua 14' c
Daugunu 51' c, Wilson 80' c
Con: Stewart (6/8) 10', 15', 22', 33', 52', 80+1'		Try: Daveta 2'
Penalty Try 38'
Waqatabu 49'
Nauma 72'
Con: Veitokani (0/2)
Waqatabu (0/1)		Attendance: 1,200
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys
15 September Sydney Rays 40–61 Brisbane City Woollahra Oval, Sydney  
3.00 pm AEST Try: Vui 17' c
Fitzpatrick 29'
Palmer 47' c, Short 73' c
Clements 78' c
Harrison 80+2' c
Con: Kane (5/6), 18', 48',
74', 79' 80+2'
Cards: Vui (YC) 27'		Try: Maranta (2), 8' c, 22' c
Wallis (2), 34' c, 42' c
Gordon (2) 36' c, 75'
Cooper 14' c, Penalty Try 27'
McReight 63'
Con: Cooper (6/8), 9', 16',
24', 35', 37', 43', 77'
Cards: Cooper (YC) 50'		Attendance: 500
Referee: Graham Cooper
16 September Canberra Vikings 29–19 Western Force Viking Park, Canberra  
3.00 pm AEST Try: Muirhead (2) 4' c, 61'
Jackson-Hope 21' c
Hawera 66' c
Con: Hawera (3/4) 6', 23', 67'
Pen: Hawera (1/1) 32'		Try: Alcock 19' c
Taefu 36' c
Stander 40'
Con: Prior (2/3) 20', 38'		Attendance: 2,000
Referee: Jordan Way

Round 4

22 September Melbourne Rising 28–33 Brisbane City AA Bailey Reserve, Adelaide  
12.30 pm ACST Try: King 5' c
Meakes 13' c
S. Tuipulotu 23' c
Ruru 54' c
Con: King (4/4) 6' 13' 23' 54'
Cards: Noa (YC) 40+3'		Try: Tasi (2) 43' c, 62'
Foley 18' c
Thompson-Te Muunu 51' c
Hunt 59' c
Con: Cooper (4/5) 19' 44' 52' 60'
Pen: Cooper (0/1)		Attendance: 2,250
Referee: Graham Cooper
22 September Queensland Country 40–42 Western Force Bond University, Gold Coast, Gold Coast  
3.00 pm AEST Try: Paia'aua 15'
McDermott 36' c, Campbell 40' c
Finefueaki 43' c
Petaia 54' c, Kibble 70' c
Con: Stewart (5/6) 36' 40+2'
44' 55' 71'
Cards: Slipper (YC) 20'		Con: Davies (2) 11' c, 63' c
Brache (2) 22' c, 30' c
Dakuwaqa 51' c
McGregor 75' c
Pen: Prior (6/6) 12' 23' 31'
51' 63' 76'		Attendance: 2,000
Referee: Nic Berry
23 September NSW Country Eagles 17–24 Canberra Vikings Bellevue Oval, Armidale  
1.00 pm AEST Try: Penalty Try 13',
Newsome 35' c
Con: Mason (1/1) 36'
Pen: Mason (1/1) 65'		Try: Valetini 52' c, Taliauli 60' c,
Jackson-Hope 80+2' c,
Con: Hawera (3/3) 54' 61' 80+3'
Pen: Hawera (1/1) 79'
Cards: Taula (YC) 10'		Attendance: 2,000
Referee: Damon Murphy
23 September Sydney Rays 31–34 Fijian Drua Concord Oval, Sydney  
3.00 pm AEST Try: Rona (2) 28' c, 80+1' c
Vest 5'
Davis 12' c
Buaserau 43'
Con: Burey (3/5) 13', 29', 80+2		Try: Veitokani (2) 35', 74' c
Waqatabu (2) 56', 76' c
Reece 50', Tuisue 64'
Con: Waqatabu (2/3) 75', 77'
Vularika (0/2)
Cards: Daveta (YC) 42'		Attendance: 3,500
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys

Round 5

29 September Fijian Drua 48–7 NSW Country Eagles Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori  
3.00 pm FJT Attendance: 2,500
29 September Canberra Vikings 31–21 Melbourne Rising Viking Park, Canberra  
7.00 pm AEST Attendance: 600
30 September Brisbane City 39–24 Queensland Country Sci Fleet Stadium, Brisbane  
3.00 pm AEST Attendance: 3,000
Horan-Little Challenge30 September Western Force 63–15 Sydney Rays UWA Sports Park, Perth  
3.00 pm AWST Attendance: 2,500

Round 6

6 October Fijian Drua 40–35 Canberra Vikings Churchill Park, Lautoka  
3.00 pm FJT Attendance: 5,000
6 October Queensland Country 64–24 Sydney Rays Bond University, Gold Coast  
3.00 pm AEST Attendance: 1,000
Horan-Little Challenge7 October Melbourne Rising 28–31 Western Force GMHBA Stadium, Geelong  
2.30 pm AEDT Attendance: 1,500
7 October NSW Country Eagles 27–28 Brisbane City Camden Rugby Club, Camden  
3.00 pm AEDT Attendance: 1,000

Round 7

13 October NSW Country Eagles 21–45 Queensland Country Scully Park, Tamworth  
3.00 pm AEDT Attendance: 1,300
Horan-Little Challenge13 October Western Force 28–33 Fijian Drua UWA Sports Park, Perth  
2.00 pm AWST Attendance: 4,500
14 October Melbourne Rising 55-21 Sydney Rays St Patrick's Oval, Ballarat  
1.00 pm AEDT Attendance: 500
14 October Brisbane City 10-13 Canberra Vikings Bottomley Park, Brisbane  
2.00 pm AEST Attendance: 2,500

Title playoffs

Semi-finals Final
      
1 Fijian Drua 35
4 Canberra Vikings 28
1 Fijian Drua 36
2 Queensland Country 26
2 Queensland Country 45
3 Western Force 24

Semi-finals

20 October Fijian Drua 35–28 Canberra Vikings Churchill Park, Lautoka  
3.00 pm FJT Attendance: 5,000 [ citation needed ]
21 October Queensland Country 45–24 Western Force Bond University, Gold Coast, Gold Coast  
3.00 pm AEST Attendance: 2,000 [ citation needed ]

Final

Horan-Little Challenge [25] 27 October Fijian Drua 36–26 Queensland Country Churchill Park, Lautoka  
2.30 pm FJT Try: Tuisue (2) 33' c, 50' c
Radrodro 10' c
Naulago 20'
Veitokani 60' c
Con: Waqatabu (4/5) 11', 34', 51', 61'
Pen: Veitokani (1/1) 79'
Malele (0/1)		Try: Feauai-Sautia 4'
Petaia 29' c
Daugunu 52' c
Maafu 68' c
Con: Stewart (3/4) 30',
53, 70'		Attendance: 6,000
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)

Statistics

Leading point scorers

No.PlayerTeamPointsAverageDetails
1 Apisalome Waqatabu Fijian Drua 9110.117 T, 28 C, 0 P, 0 D
2 Ian Prior Western Force 789.751 T, 35 C, 1 P, 0 D
3 Hamish Stewart Queensland Country 717.891 T, 30 C, 2 P, 0 D
4 Quade Cooper Brisbane City 639.003 T, 21 C, 2 P, 0 D
4 Archie King Melbourne Rising 639.003 T, 24 C, 0 P, 0 D

Leading try scorers

No.PlayerTeamTriesAverage
1 Jordan Petaia Queensland Country 101.11
2 Tom English Melbourne Rising 91.29
3 Levani Kurumudu Fijian Drua 80.89
4 Jock Campbell Queensland Country 70.78
4 Apisalome Waqatabu Fijian Drua 70.78

2018 Emerging States Championship

From 2018 an additional competition was formed for teams from so-called "Emerging States", [26] featuring the Adelaide Black Falcons, Victoria Country Barbarians, Northern Territory Mosquitoes and Tasmania Jack Jumpers. The first Competition was held in Adelaide in September 2018, and the Black Falcons were the inaugural winners. [27]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Round 1 match for NSW teams played at a later date due to Shute Shield Final.

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The Super Rugby competition in rugby union, including teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands and, in the past, from Argentina, Japan and South Africa, is based on a "franchise" system of teams. The original member countries – Australia, New Zealand and South Africa – all have several regional franchises, while the expansion countries – Argentina, Fiji, Japan and the Pacific Islands – have/had one franchise each. The article covers specific detail as to the areas covered by each Super Rugby team. Bold denotes stadiums that are current primary stadiums for the franchises.

The Australian Provincial Championship, or APC was a rugby union football competition played in Australia. It was one of several provincial competitions since the late 1960s, including the Wallaby Trophy and Ricoh National Championship, that have not continued.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Rugby Championship</span> Australian national rugby union competition

The National Rugby Championship, known as NRC, was an Australian rugby union competition. It was contested by eight teams, seven from Australia and one from Fiji. The tournament ran from 2014 until 2019 before being disbanded in 2020 following the change of the Australian rugby TV broadcasting deal from Fox Sports, who had funded the competition, to Stan Sport. The 2020 competition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 National Rugby Championship</span>

The 2014 National Rugby Championship was the inaugural season of Australia's National Rugby Championship, involving nine professional rugby union teams from around Australia. The competition kicked off on 21 August 2014. The final was held on 1 November 2014 and won by Brisbane City.

The 2015 National Rugby Championship was the second season of Australia's National Rugby Championship, involving nine professional rugby union teams from around Australia. The competition kicked off 20 August 2015.

The 2016 National Rugby Championship was the third season of Australia's National Rugby Championship. It involved eight professional rugby union teams, one team fewer than in the previous two seasons. The competition kicked off on 27 August 2016.

The 2017 National Rugby Championship was the fourth season of Australia's National Rugby Championship. It involved nine professional rugby union teams, one more than the previous year, with eight teams from Australia and one team from Fiji.

The Fijian Drua is a professional rugby union team based in Fiji that competes in the Super Rugby. The team was created by the Fiji Rugby Union and launched in August 2017, shortly before the 2017 National Rugby Championship. The team previously competed in the Australian National Rugby Championship competition between 2017 and 2019, when the tournament was disbanded.

The 2019 National Rugby Championship was the sixth season of the top flight of Australian domestic rugby union. The competition began on 31 August and concluded on 26 October. The match of the round was broadcast live each week on Fox Sports and Kayo Sports, with all matches streamed on rugby.com.au live. The championship featured eight professional teams, seven from Australia and one from Fiji.

Mark Nawaqanitawase is an Australian professional rugby union player who plays as a wing for Super Rugby club the Waratahs and the Australia national team.

The 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season is the 27th season of Super Rugby, an annual rugby union competition organised by SANZAAR between teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the previous seasons were replaced with Super Rugby Unlocked, Super Rugby Aotearoa and Super Rugby AU in 2020, and Super Rugby Aotearoa, Super Rugby AU, and Super Rugby Trans-Tasman in 2021. The 2022 edition will revert to a 12-team competition, with a single pool replacing the geographical conference system, as well as introducing a new name for the reformatted competition. The season is expected to run from 18 February, with the final to be played on 18 June - culminating before the start of the mid-year international window.

References

  1. 1 2 Tucker, Jim (4 July 2018). "NRC returns to grassroots with streamlined 2018 structure". The Courier-Mail . Brisbane. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  2. ↑ "New-look NRC provides improved pathways in NSW as royal blue jersey makes a return for Sydney". NSW Waratahs. 6 June 2018. Archived from the original on 6 June 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 "NRC teams spread their wings in 2018". Rugby Australia. 4 July 2018. Archived from the original on 4 July 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  4. ↑ Dutton, Chris (22 August 2018). "Canberra Vikings could be flooded by Wallabies for NRC season-opener". The Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 3 October 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  5. ↑ "Duo for Drua". Fiji Sun. 8 July 2018. Archived from the original on 5 August 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  6. ↑ "Koka leads Drua". Fiji Sun. 22 August 2018. Archived from the original on 28 August 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  7. ↑ McGrath, Nick (13 September 2018). "Country set to rise to Melbourne challenge as NRC rolls into Glen Willow". Central Western Daily. Archived from the original on 13 September 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  8. ↑ "National Rugby Championship 2018 squads, preview, draw, odds". Fox Sports. 31 August 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  9. ↑ Savage, Nic (5 September 2018). "Chris Whitaker interview: NSW great starts job as Sydney Rays coach". Fox Sports. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  10. ↑ "Damien Fitzpatrick extends Waratahs stay". Sport 24. 28 August 2018. Archived from the original on 28 August 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  11. ↑ Tucker, Jim (1 August 2018). "NRC 2018: Quade Cooper, Karmichael Hunt picked in Brisbane City squad". The Courier-Mail . Brisbane. Archived from the original on 1 August 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  12. ↑ "NRC lifeline unlikely for Cooper, Hunt". Rugby.com.au. 4 July 2018. Archived from the original on 4 July 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  13. ↑ "Editorial: Next Focus Drua, Prep time for 2018 NRC is now". Fiji Sun. 5 August 2018. Archived from the original on 5 August 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  14. ↑ "NRC squad announcement Melbourne Rising". Behind the Ruck. 30 August 2018.
  15. ↑ "Sampson appointed Force coach". Rugby.com.au. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  16. ↑ Taylor, Nick (20 August 2018). "Wallabies full-back Dane Haylett-Petty locks in Western Force return". The West Australian. Perth. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  17. ↑ "World Rugby adopts 12 global trials into law book with immediate effect". The42.ie. 24 May 2018. Archived from the original on 16 August 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  18. ↑ World Rugby introduced a simplified law book effective from 1 January 2018. This new version removed the largely redundant section under the previous Law 7 (entitled "Mode of Play") with all Laws following it being renumbered. The scope of this former Law 7 was incorporated elsewhere, particularly within the new introductory 'Principles of the Game' section preceding the numbered Laws of the Game. – MacLean, Scott (1 January 2018). "2018 Laws of Rugby Update–LWOR Resident Referee Evaluation". Last Word on Rugby. Archived from the original on 28 January 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  19. ↑ McKay, Brett (30 August 2018). "NRC Season 5: Less means much, much more". The Roar. Archived from the original on 30 August 2018.
  20. ↑ "Television Match Official (TMO) Global Trial Protocol" (PDF). World Rugby. 14 August 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  21. ↑ "French try out new bonus point system". Planet-Rugby.com. 27 June 2007. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 13 August 2007.
  22. ↑ "Article 330, Section 3.2. Points "terrain"" (PDF). Règlements de la Ligue Nationale de Rugby 2008/2009 (in French). LNR. Chapitre 2 : Règlement sportif du Championnat de France Professionnel. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2008.
  23. ↑ "Rugby Championship to adopt bonus-point system used by Super Rugby". Sky Sports. Reuters. 23 June 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  24. ↑ McKay, Brett. "NRC tie breaker method". Green and Gold Rugby. Archived from the original on 8 October 2016.
  25. ↑ "No Tomorrow for Drua". Fiji Rugby. 25 October 2018. Archived from the original on 25 October 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  26. ↑ "South Australia claim Emerging States Championship". Rugby Australia. 24 September 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  27. ↑ Jack Hislop (26 September 2018). "The NT's representative rugby team has finished second at the Emerging States Championships". Northern Territory News. Retrieved 14 October 2018.

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