List of rugby union clubs in Australia

List of rugby union clubs in Australia
Country Australia
Governing body Australian Rugby Union
National team Australia
Nickname(s) Wallabies
First played 25 July 1839,[1] Sydney, New South Wales
Registered players 82,818 (total)
38,010 (adult)[2]
Clubs 848
Club competitions
Audience records
Single match 109,874
Australia v New Zealand, (Telstra Stadium)
15 July 2000

The highest level of provincial rugby union in Australia is Super Rugby. There are five Australian teams in this competition which also features teams from New Zealand and South Africa.

For most of the history of the sport in Australia, the country has had no national club competition. The first attempt at such a competition, the Australian Rugby Championship, was launched in 2007 with eight teams, but only lasted one season before the nation's governing body, the Australian Rugby Union, decided to discontinue the competition due to financial losses. The current national domestic league, the National Rugby Championship, was launched in 2014 with nine teams. From the demise of the ARC to the launch of the NRC, the top level competitions of the Shute Shield in Sydney and the Queensland Premier League in Brisbane served as the next highest level of club competition in the country. Numerous club and representative competitions serve the rugby playing community below these two competitions.

Super Rugby

National Competitions

National Rugby Championship

Defunct:

Australian Rugby Shield

The Australian Rugby Shield is a former annual competition held between amateur representative teams from each state.

New South Wales and ACT

New South Wales Rugby Union

Shute Shield

Defunct teams:

New South Wales Country Rugby Union

Central Coast Rugby Union
Central Northern Rugby Union
Central West Rugby Union
Far North Coast Rugby Union
Far South Coast Rugby Union

This union is officially affiliated with the ACT and Southern NSW Rugby Union instead of the NSW union.

Illawarra Rugby Union
Mid North Coast Rugby Union
New England Rugby Union
Newcastle and Hunter Rugby Union
Southern Inland

This union is also affiliated with the ACT union instead of a NSW body.

Western Plains Rugby Union

New South Wales Suburban Rugby Union

First Division

Second Division

Third Division

Fourth Division

Fifth Division

not contested

Sixth Division

  • North-West
  • Chatswood
  • Collaroy
  • Dee Why
  • ICMS
  • Lane Cove
  • Manly Savers
  • Merrylands (TBC)
  • Roseville
  • Terrey Hills
  • Wakehurst

South-East

  • Alexandria
  • Engadine
  • Burraneer
  • Clovelly
  • Fairvale/Lansvale
  • Maccabi
  • Menai
  • Wollondilly

Australian Capital Territory (including areas of southern New South Wales)

ACT and Southern NSW Rugby Union

ACTRU Premier Division

The following teams compete in first and second division competitions

South Coast Zone

Southern Inland Zone

Northern Territory

Northern Territory Rugby Union

Darwin Club Rugby

'A' & 'B' grade competition:

Central Australian Rugby Union

Katherine Rugby Union

Other teams

East Arnhem Rugby runs a junior rugby competition between April and August. While not part of a regular competition, East Arnhem Rugby provides competition for Senior Players by entering in 7's Tournaments.[4]

Previously part of the Darwin Club Rugby B grade competition, the Bushratz are currently not fielding a team.

Queensland

Queensland Rugby Union

Queensland Premier Rugby

Other teams
Previously included, the Stingrays are currently not fielding teams in the Queensland Premier Rugby competition as of 2014.

Queensland Country Rugby Union

Bundaberg and District Rugby Union
Cairns and District Rugby Union
Central Highlands Rugby Union
Central Queensland Rugby Union
Darling Downs Rugby Union
Mackay District Rugby Union
Mt Isa Rugby Union
Gold Coast District Rugby Union
Sunshine Coast Rugby Union
Townsville and Districts Rugby Union
Western Queensland Rugby Union

Queensland Suburban Rugby Union

List does not include Queensland Premier Rugby clubs that also field teams in the Suburban competitions.

South Australia

South Australian Rugby Union

SA Club Rugby

Tasmania

Tasmanian Rugby Union

Victoria

Victorian Rugby Union

Western Australia

Rugby Western Australia

RugbyWA Competition

WA Country RU

Eastern Goldfields WA Competition
Great Southern Rugby Union
Northern Division RU
South West WA Competition

Other teams

See also

References

  1. ↑ "History of the ARU". rugby.com.au. Retrieved 4 December 2006.
  2. ↑ International Rugby Board Website:http://www.irb.com/unions/union=11000007/index.html
  3. ↑ http://www.armidaleexpress.com.au/story/4183534/wright-rugby-side-on-the-rise/
  4. ↑ http://www.ntrugby.com.au/clubs/east-arnhem-rugby-union/
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