The Rugby Championship,formerly known as the Tri Nations Series (1996–2011),is an international rugby union competition contested annually by Argentina,Australia,New Zealand,and South Africa. These are traditionally the four highest ranked national teams in the Southern Hemisphere;the Six Nations is a similar tournament in the Northern Hemisphere.
The Australia men's national rugby union team,nicknamed the Wallabies,is the representative men's national team in the sport of rugby union for the nation of Australia. The team first played at Sydney in 1899,winning their first test match against the touring British Isles team.
The ACT Brumbies is an Australian professional rugby union team based in Canberra,Australian Capital Territory (ACT),The team competes in Super Rugby and named for the feral horses which inhabit the capital's hinterland. The team represents the ACT,as well as the Far South Coast and Southern Inland regions of New South Wales (NSW).
The England men's national rugby union team represents the Rugby Football Union in men's international rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France,Ireland,Italy,Scotland and Wales. England have won the championship on 29 occasions,winning the Grand Slam 14 times and the Triple Crown 26 times,making them the most successful outright winners in the tournament's history. They are currently the only team from the Northern Hemisphere to win the Rugby World Cup,having won the tournament in 2003,and have been runners-up on three further occasions.
The Scotland national rugby union team represents the Scottish Rugby Union in men's international rugby union. The team takes part in the annual Six Nations Championship,where they are the current Calcutta Cup and Doddie Weir Cup holders. They also participate in the Rugby World Cup,which takes place every four years.
Rugby Australia Ltd,previously named Australian Rugby Union Limited and Australian Rugby Football Union Limited,is an Australian company operating the premier rugby union competition in Australia and teams. It has its origins in 1949. It is a member of World Rugby. Rugby Australia has eight member unions,representing each state and the Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory. It also manages national representative rugby union teams,including the Wallabies and the Wallaroos.
Chris Latham is an Australian former rugby union player who enjoyed a distinguished representative career with the Wests Bulldogs,Queensland Reds and Australia between 1998 and 2007 before signing with Worcester Warriors in the UK and later Japanese club Kyuden Voltex.
Tim Horan AM is a former Australian rugby union footballer of Irish Descent,raised in Queensland. He played for the Queensland Reds in the Super 12,and represented Australia. He was one of the best centres in the world throughout the 1990s due to his attacking prowess,formidable defence and playmaking ability. He became one of only 43 players who have won the Rugby World Cup on multiple occasions.
George Smith is an Australian retired rugby union player. He was a flanker for 12 years (2000–10,13) at the ACT Brumbies in Super Rugby,earning 142 caps.
Alastair Baxter is an Australian former rugby union footballer. He played his entire professional career with the Waratahs in Super Rugby. He played in the 2003 and 2007 Rugby World Cups,including the loss to England in the 2003 final.
Rugby union in Australia has a history of organised competition dating back to the late 1860s. Although traditionally most popular in Australia's rugby football strongholds of New South Wales,Queensland and the ACT,it is played throughout the nation.
Mark Chisholm is a retired Australian rugby union player. Chisholm usually played as a lock,but could also cover blindside flanker.
Australia A/Australia XV is the second national Rugby union team of Australia,behind the Wallabies. Matches played under the 'Australia A' title are traditionally non-test match fixtures and often offer a stepping-stone to Wallaby national selection. Aspiring Wallaby players were given a chance to impress selectors during these games. In the past,the team would also play touring sides,such as the British &Irish Lions,or play mid-week games when the Wallabies are on tour.
Kurtley James Beale is an Australian professional rugby union representative player who has made over 90 national representative appearances in a ten-year playing career at the world-class level. He is of Aboriginal descent,has had a long Super Rugby career with the New South Wales Waratahs and has played for the Melbourne Rebels and the Wasps club in England. Beale usually plays at full-back or centre but can play fly-half or winger. In 2011 Beale received the John Eales Medal,awarded to Australian rugby's Player of the Year.
Ewen James Andrew McKenzie is an Australian professional rugby union coach and a former international rugby player. He played for Australia's World Cup winning team in 1991 and earned 51 caps for the Wallabies during his test career. McKenzie was head coach of the Australian team from 2013 to 2014. He has coached in both southern and northern hemispheres,in Super Rugby for the Waratahs and Reds,and in France at Top 14 side Stade Français. During his playing days he was a prop and,in a representative career spanning from 1987 to 1997,he played nine seasons for the NSW Waratahs and two for the ACT Brumbies.
James David O'Connor,often referred to his initials JOC,is an Australian professional rugby union player who currently plays as a back with the Super Rugby Pacific team the Crusaders. Known for his versatility on the field,he has played multiple positions in the backline,including wing and fullback. However O'Connor's primary position is at fly-half or centre. He made his debut with the Perth-based Super Rugby team,the Western Force,and has since played for two other Super Rugby teams. O'Connor has also played domestically with English teams London Irish and Sale Sharks,as well as French team Toulon.
The Australia national under-20 rugby union team,nicknamed the Junior Wallabies,is the national under-20 rugby union team that represents Australia. The team has been competing at the annual World Rugby U20 Championship since it began in 2008,replacing the previously held under-19 and under-21 championships. The team also competes at the Oceania U20 Championship as of 2015 and the U20 Rugby Championship since 2024.
The 2012 mid-year rugby union tests refer to the rugby union Internationals that were played through June,mostly in the Southern Hemisphere.
Michael Kent Hooper is an Australian former professional rugby union player who is the former captain of the Australia national team,the Wallabies. His primary position is openside flanker.
The 1996 Australia rugby union tour was a series of rugby union matches played between 19 October and 7 December 1996 in Europe by the Australia national rugby union team.
