Breakdown - Round 13 by brumbies

Trade on Australia's #1 mobile CFD platform* Crypto, Indices, Forex, Commodities, ETFs, Stocks, Options CFD Service. Your capital is at risk.

www.Plus500.com.au

* By own client ratings. Investment Trends 2017 Australia CFD Report, based on a survey of over 12,000 traders and investors. Plus500AU Pty Ltd (ACN 153301681), licensed by ASIC in Australia, AFSL #417727; FMA in New Zealand, FSP #486026 and an Authorised Financial Services Provider in South Africa, FSP #47546. You do not own or have any rights to the underlying assets. Please refer to the Disclosure documents available on the website.

BREAKDOWN: THE HIGHLIGHTS

5 6 17 21 41 51 66

Season 2018, Issue 6

COACHES CALL - Read the view of our Head Coach Dan McKellar on tonight’s Super Rugby encounter with our guests from Melbourne, the Rebels. FEATURE STORY - This week’s feature story, as we chat to one of the Brumbies stars about rugby, life outside the game, and more.

THE BRUMBY YEARS - Each week we take a chronological look back at a season from the Brumbies past, reviewing the campaign and seeing what else happened in the World. THE ACT AND THE WALLABIES - The ACT has always had a long association with the Wallabies and, in this eight-part series, we examine some of those connections.

SPECIAL INSERT - Our eight-page potted review celebrating eighty years of Griffin Legal John I Dent Cup Grand Finals starts here!

OUR OPPONENTS - Our ten-page section on our visitors to GIO Stadium starts here and

includes everything you need to know about our guests including player profiles, opposition profile, their relevant statistics and the key men.

THE WORLD OF RUGBY - The section dedicated to the World of Rugby featuring stories from South Africa, New Zealand and globally.

TEAM MANAGEMENT Head Coach: Dan McKellar CLUB HONOU Forwards Coach: Laurie Fisher RS Backs Coach: Peter Hewat Super R ugby Ch Defence Coach: Peter Ryan a mpions Super R : 2001, ugb Scrum Coach: Dan Palmer 2004 1997, 2 y Runners-Up : Team Manager: Bill Swain 000, 20 Australi 0 2 , 2 an Confe 0 Media Manager: Russ Gibbs rence C 13 h Director of Athletic Performance Australi 2013, 2016, 2 ampions: 017 an and Innovation: Ben Serpell World C Provincial Cham pions: 2 World C lub Sevens Ch Head Physiotherapist / Rehabilitation: Byron Field 006 a lub Ten s Runne mpions: 2013 Team Doctor: Dr. Stephen Freeman rs-Up: 2 014, 20 Performance Consultant: John Pryor 16 Team Physiotherapist: Dave Wellington Performance Analyst: Angus Teece GPS Analyst / PHD Candidate: Carmen Colomer Strength & Conditioning Coach: John Mitchell Plus500 BRUMBIES RUGBY Strength & Conditioning Assistant: Barry Horgan Established: 1996 RUPA Player Development Manager: Robin Duff BREAKDOWN - Editor: Russ Gibbs Designer: Chelsea Wilson Contributors: Rian Murphy Photography: Getty Images

All this and plenty more every week in your copy of Breakdown – Plus500 Brumbies Official Matchday Magazine

facebook.com/GilbertRugby.AUSNZ @GILBERT_UNION gilbertrugby.com.au

GILBERT IS THE OFFICIAL BALL OF THE BRUMBIES

COACHES CALL with Dan McKellar Good evening and welcome back to GIO Stadium for this Super Rugby Round 13 match. We extend a warm welcome to the players, officials and supporters of the Melbourne Rebels who are here this evening.

reinvigorate ahead of the next block of our season, leading into the June Test window. After this match we embark on a twoweek tour of South Africa where we will face some testing encounters against the Lions in Johannesburg and the Bulls in Pretoria. Often, these types of tours can bring out the best in a group of players as we have seen in recent years.

The team are back and fully refreshed following the bye week and we are looking forward to the challenge presented by the Rebels tonight. The fixture earlier in the season at AAMI Park was a keenly-fought contest and we are expecting much the same again. Thank you once more for coming out to GIO Stadium to support the team. We During the break we utilised the fact really do appreciate the support that that there was no game as a restorative you offer and your backing can have a period for the players, allowing positive impact on the players during the playing group some time off to the match. Enjoy the game.

100 NOT OUT FOR CO-CAPTAIN CARTER

Sam Carter became just the twelfth Brumby to win 100 Super Rugby caps when he led the team onto the field at GIO Stadium for the Round 11 match with the Crusaders a fortnight ago, joining an elite band of brothers to achieve the milestone (more on pages 10-11). It’s been some journey for the Tamworthborn Wallabies international who was spotted playing club rugby for Sydney University before being offered the chance to turn professional after a successful trial spell at the Canberra club. Since that day, Carter has been an integral part of the Brumbies family. The second-row made his Brumbies bow as a replacement in late 2011, coming on as a 67th minute replacement for Peter Kimlin in a 32-17 win over the Rebels at GIO Stadium. The match was also notable for being the final match played at home by several Brumbies, including Justin Harrison, Adam Ashley-Cooper and Matt Giteau.

home I was looking to just get one cap, so to get 100 is a tremendous honour and I am really proud of this club and everything it stands for. “As for the first game, I was pretty cold to be honest! I was sitting on the bench here [at GIO Stadium] and it was against the Melbourne Rebels and I got on for the last fifteen minutes. I was sort of running around out there like a goose with no head, not really knowing what I was doing. I really enjoyed it though and I never forgotten that moment.”

The victory was the first ever for the Brumbies against the Melbourne side and saw a debut for Tom Boidin, the utility back only playing two matches for the club. That puts into perspective what Carter has subsequently achieved. Memories of his debut are, of course, vivid. Carter has had an amazing ride with the Brumbies since that maiden fixture, and he was “It’s quite surreal for me to reach 100 afforded the honour of jointly leading the club caps,” Carter said when asked about the for the first-time last year, a role he shared with achievement. “When I came down here from

Christian Lealiifano, and a joint leadership that always been the next game and what we can continued into the 2018 Super Rugby season. achieve.” As for leading by example, Carter feels that it’s Carter becomes the dozenth player to hit the ton important to take one game at a time. for the Brumbies and joins a list of some of the “It’s part of the role [leading],” he commented. greatest players to don a jersey in professional “You don’t really think about it, as it’s rugby, let alone in the echelons of the history of something that you just take on and it just the side since their formation as a Super Rugby happens. I have always been for the team and entity back in 1996. That’s something that Carter anything I can do to make the team better is acutely aware of. is what I strive to do. If that’s mentoring the younger blokes or leading the team, that’s “The Brumbies have an amazing history with what I will do. some of the best players in the world of their time,’ he said. “To be listed with those players, “The next game is always the most exciting and not just them but guys like Ben Alexander for me as I just love doing what I do. I enjoy as well, Henry Speight and hopefully Tevita coming in every day and playing with the guys [Kuridrani] in a couple of weeks. They are blokes I get to play with. The next one for me is the I’ve played a lot of footy with and blokes I have most important, and I just can’t wait to get out got tremendous respect for.” there. I think I have been lucky to have played so many games, I’ve had some tough wins and The mention of Tevita Kuridrani is timely as the some tough losses, but the focus for me has blockbusting centre made his 98th appearance for the club in the match against the reigning Super Rugby Champion Crusaders the same day Carter racked up 100. Kuridrani should join the club on the Brumbies tour to South Africa which takes in games against the Lions in Johannesburg and the Bulls in Pretoria. But back to Carter and the celebration of his century. The last word, fittingly, goes to the skipper and his acknowledgement of the people who have helped make his journey possible. “I’ve had a lot of family and friends down for the Crusaders game to share the moment,” Carter revealed. “They’ve always been there to support me and have stood by me throughout my career. Thanks also to the supporters for turning up week in and week out, no matter what the weather and conditions. The fans have been tremendous through my 100 caps and hopefully they’ll still be there long after I have gone!”

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ON AT GIO STADIUM TODAY

The Wallabies Australian Rugby Team

TEAM UP WITH SWISSE Swisse Men’s Ultivite A premium quality, specifically tailored formula with a combination of 53 vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and herbs to help fill nutritional gaps and help support: • Energy production • Relief of fatigue • The body’s response to stress

The Choice of the Wallabies Always read the label. Use only as directed. Nutritional supplements may only be of assistance if dietary intake is inadequate. CHC72180-0117

CARTER AND SPEIGHT JOIN CENTURIONS CLUB

When Sam Carter jogged onto the field for the Plus500 Brumbies Super Rugby Round 11 clash with the Crusaders he became just the twelfth Brumby to win a century of caps for the club. It’s an exclusive band whose most recent inductee was team-mate Henry Speight, anointed as a Centurion in the home match with the Jaguares a week before. All being equal centre Tevita Kuridrani, currently residing on 98 caps and likely to reach 99 today, will bring up his ton in South Africa next week.

Just reaching that milestone, an incredible achievement for any player at one club, isn’t enough for these titans of the game however as Ben Alexander, who claimed his 100th appearance in 2015 recognised in a media conference held in February 2015 when he achieved the remarkable feat. “If my career was to finish tomorrow I would be pretty unsatisfied, looking back on it. I would be pretty disappointed,” Alexander said at the time. “There’s been a lot of effort and a lot of training and hard work, but not a lot to show for it unfortunately, so that’s definitely a driving force. We [Australia] won a Tri-Nations in 2011 and that was special but yeah, to win titles is definitely my motivating force.

“It didn’t sink in coming off the field in 2012 losing that Super Rugby final how close we got. You look back we were fifteen minutes away from a win, we could have held on and done a few things differently. We fell one game short last and though it burns, it does help to drive you to train harder and push forward.” That just shows the character and determination of this select few who were not ready to rest on their laurels having enjoyed a stellar career. Indeed, Alexander may well be the first Brumby to reach 150 caps should he get on the field today and back that up in the following fortnight when the team heads to Johannesburg and Pretoria to meet the Lions and the Bulls. Henry Speight echoed Alexander’s comments of three years previously when he made his milestone appearance against the Jaguares, positing in the lead-up to that fixture that the achievement, while worthwhile, is not something that he would be reflecting on until his career had been completed. “Playing 100 games is something I’ll look back on later and appreciate how special it

is,” Speight commented. “But for me, I just want to prove my worth in the Brumbies jersey. I love this club and I love what and who it represents in Canberra. It’s my 100th game this week. But there’s the same passion and fire in my gut that was there for my first game. I wanted to prove my worth in my first game for the Brumbies and I still want to prove my worth now. Nothing has changed. I want to do the jersey justice, do it proud and justify my spot in the team.” Legendary scrumhalf George Gregan was the first to reach the 100-cap milestone at the Brumbies, achieving the feat in 2004 and he was followed by Stephen Larkham and prop Bill Young, both in 2006. Hooker Jeremy Paul was Brumby number four to hit a century, in his case in 2007, before As mentioned, Tevita Kuridrani should join George Smith and Stirling Mortlock clocked over this list shortly but we might have to wait some time for the next person to come the mark in 2008. along. Scott Sio is closest in line, having made Mark Chisholm then became the seventh eighty appearances up to, and including, Brumby to hit 100 when he ran out against the the home match against the Crusaders a Western Force at nib Stadium in Perth, a match fortnight ago. That just goes to show how that ended in a 13-all draw in 2011. It was the rare it is. In twenty-three years of playing, turn of Ben Alexander in 2015 bringing up his we have twelve centurions. Welcome to that record in the first match of the season, a 47-3 exclusive club Henry and Sam! hammering of the Reds four years after Chisholm accomplished the feat. After waiting four years, BRUMBIES CENTURIONS three players were to hit the century that same (statistics correct up to 29.04.18) year. Stephen Moore and Christian Lealiifano becoming the ninth and tenth to roll over the 148 Ben ALEXANDER* landmark figure in successive weeks. 142 George SMITH 136 George GREGAN 125 Christian LEALIIFANO* 123 Stirling MORTLOCK 117 Stephen MOORE 116 Stephen LARKHAM 112 Jeremy PAUL 102 Mark CHISHOLM 101 Henry SPEIGHT* 100 Bill YOUNG *currently playing for the club

MORE TO LIFE THAN RUGBY Whilst the life of a professional rugby player is rewarding it is also in the scheme of things very short and incredibly demanding, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important that players have outside interests to either keep them mentally fresh or to obtain skills for a post-rugby career.

Enever and Joe Powell. As anyone who has attempted to complete a University degree it can be taxing and time-consuming and the players fit in their studies in and around their Brumbies training schedule.

The Plus500 Brumbies squad is no different in that area with most of the group stimulating themselves mentally by undertaking University study, or other avenues of interest throughout this season and beyond.

A number of the players are undertaking university study in the business/commerce area and in order to learn more about possible career pathways in this area, they recently visited local accounting and consulting firm, Synergy, to hear from staff about their work lives and career progression.

No fewer than fifteen of the squad are currently doing some form of University study including co-captain Sam Carter and fellow Wallabies Allan Alaalatoa, Blake

There are other areas of interest for many of the boys with flanker Lolo Fakaosilea and centre Kyle Godwin undertaking their Real Estate Licence whilst ten players are currently

putting their linguistic abilities to the test by taking a crash-course in Japanese and trying to impress everyone around them with their new-found skills. Another popular course that was run over the last month was a Barista course where a group of players including Nic Mayhew, Chance Peni, Darcy Swain, Mees Erasmus, Ben Hyne and James Verity-Amm learned the fine art of pouring the perfect coffee – with varying degrees of success! Working with children is always popular with the Brumbies’ players who regularly give up their time to help inspire the next generation of talent through coaching, mentoring and other means. Several of the squad, including Henry Speight, the Arnold brothers, Andy Muirhead and Rob Valetini, have taken this interest a step further by undertaking a Certificate IV in Youth Work which will give them the qualification, skills and knowledge to work in this area post-rugby.

With a vast mix of cultural backgrounds within the 2018 Plus500 Brumbies Super Rugby squad, the team are mindful of each other’s heritage and background and have taken in visits to the Fijian High Commission in the past. Just recently, Lachlan McCaffrey, Lolo Fakaosilea, Folau Fainga’a and Lausii Taliauli visited the Tongan High Commission. There they met with Tongan royalty, the High Commissioner being HRH Princess Angelika. They presented the Princess with a Brumbies jersey and McCaffrey chatted to the High Commission staff about the Youth in Union charity in Tonga of which he is an ambassador. So, as you can see it’s not just about the rugby at the Plus500 Brumbies with plenty of opportunities being offered to the players to keep them invigorated off the field during 2018.

THE BRUMBY YEARS: 2001 THE SEASON Final Position: 1st (Winners) It was the season that the Brumbies finally made the big breakthrough. After a promising 2000 campaign, which had ended in narrow Grand Final defeat, the Brumbies were certain they could go one better in 2001. They looked the goods from the off, hammering the champion Crusaders 51-16 in Canberra and suffered only one defeat in the opening six matches, a one-point reverse against the sharks in Durban. Successive wins over the Cats, Bulls, Stormers and Reds had the Brumbies in pole position and even a minor slip-up in mid-season, losing to the Hurricanes and Highlanders either side of a demolition of the Waratahs at Canberra Stadium, couldn’t stymie their progress. With the Blues and Chiefs blitzed in the final two rounds, and the Reds sent packing 30-6 in the Semi-Final, the Grand Final against the Sharks saw a packed-out home venue. There was only one team in it, and the Brumbies secured a maiden Super Rugby crown with a 36-6 win.

THE KEY PLAYER There were heroes galore in the 2001 Brumbies side that won the Super Rugby Championship including flanker Owen Finegan, leading try-scorer Andrew Walker (who bagged eight that year) and hooker Jeremy Paul. But the standout for many, and indeed the player who was announced as the Players’ Player of the Year at the annual Brumby Ball, was George Smith. The flanker was irrepressible throughout the campaign, pilfering opposition ball with regularity and allowing a talented back-line to flex their muscles in attack. Smith managed three tries of his own in a genuine team effort that saw no fewer than twelve players grab a score during the year. Smith’s work rate at the breakdown, pace with ball in hand, and ability to snaffle turnover ball was legendary. Opposition teams knew of the threat, they simply could not counter it and in 2001 Smith reigned supreme.

ONE TO REMEMBER

ONE TO FORGET

23/02/2001 Brumbies 51 Crusaders 16 (Bruce Stadium, Canberra) As a statement of intent, they certainly donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t come much better than this. The Champion Crusaders, who had pipped the Brumbies to the title the previous year and had been perennial finalists, were flattened by a steamroller of a performance at Canberra Stadium by a rampant Brumbies. The New Zealand side were blown off the pack by a home side that was in full swing and ran in six tries to one in a comprehensive battering. Owen Finegan had a huge match at flanker, and was on hand to claim a hat-trick of tries as the forwards dominated proceedings. George Smith, on the other flank, crossed himself and the backs got in on the act as Joe Roff and Graeme Bond touched down. Stirling Mortlock added the rest with the boot apart from three points from a rare George Gregan drop-goal.

06/04/2001 Hurricanes 34 Brumbies 19 (Westpac Stadium, Wellington) In a season that brought the silverware to the National Capital for the first time, there was very little to be sorry about. Only three losses were suffered during the entire campaign, two of those by narrow margins. The worst was this little horror show in Wellington as the Hurricanes, who would end the season in a lowly ninth and record only five wins all term, somehow flipped the formbook on its head and ran roughshod over the Brumbies to win 34-19. On a cold Friday night in the New Zealand Capital nothing went right for the visitors. Despite a try from Finegan, and one from wing Mark Bartholomeusz, the Brumbies were constantly on the back foot as a Hurricanes team, inspired by the late, great, Jonah Lomu and the lightning-fast Christian Cullen, had their moment.

SUPER RUGBY FINALS RESULTS SEMI-FINALS Brumbies 30 Reds 6 Sharks 30 Cats 12

FINAL Brumbies 36 Sharks 6

ELSEWHERE IN….2001 • • •

• • •

On September 11, a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda on the United States saw the World Trade Centre destroyed. Pizza Hut made a delivery to the International Space Station in 2001. They paid the Russians $1 million to transport the Pizza. A ten-year-old named Laura Buxton, released a balloon with her name and address in the hope of finding a pen pal. The balloon travelled 140 miles before coming down and was found by an almost-ten-year old also named Laura Buxton. They share a number of other similarities. In April of this year, the Australian version of Big Brother premiered on Network Ten. The Brisbane Lions won the AFL Championship whilst the Newcastle Knights were NRL Champions. The first iPod was released in October 2001 and was quickly followed into stores a month later by the first Xbox.

Vodafone nbn™, enjoy 1 year of Netflix on us

The future is exciting.

Ready? WATCH NOW Offer ends 30.06.18. Must redeem by 31.08.18. Terms and conditions: Valid for 12 months of the Netflix Service on the Netflix Standard (HD) streaming plan (total value $131.88). A Netflix compatible device and broadband internet connection required to watch instantly. Offer is not redeemable or refundable for cash, subject to applicable law, and cannot be exchanged for Netflix gift subscriptions. You may apply the value of the offer to a different streaming plan. Exchanges in this manner may alter the duration of the offer. Netflix Service price plans subject to change. See www.netflix.com/termsofuse. Netflix offer (“Offer”) for first 12 months available to approved new customers who sign up and stay connected to a $79 Essential+ nbn™ or $99 Premium nbn™ 24 month plan (“Eligible Plan”). Not available to Business, upgrading or rate plan change customers. Data charges not included and will come out of your monthly data allowance (either via the mobile network or broadband internet service). Offer period starts after your Vodafone nbn™ service is activated and you redeem the Offer by validating your email address before 31/08/18. After the Offer has ended, if you were an existing Netflix customer before signing up to an Eligible Plan, you will be charged the subscription charge directly by Netflix using the card details provided on sign-up. However, if you were not an existing Netflix customer and have a Vodafone Postpaid Mobile Plan, the subscription charge will appear on your Vodafone bill. If you do not wish to continue you must contact us. If you were not an existing Netflix customer and do not have a Vodafone Postpaid Mobile Plan, Netflix will contact you to arrange payment for Netflix. Offer is available if you stay connected for 24 months. If you cancel your Eligible Plan before 24 months, early exit fees will apply – maximum $400. A plan upgrade will not increase your offer period. For full terms and conditions see https://www.vodafone.com.au/about/legal/plan-details. V14055 04.18

THE ACT AND THE WALLABIES: PART 6 THE CURRENT CROP LIGHTING UP THE WORLD STAGE Canberra, and the Australian Capital Territory in general, has had a close relationship with the Wallabies, and the international game, for over sixty years. In this new series, each week we will look at some of the stories that link our City, and its surrounding region, with the Australian international team. Part 6 brings our international stars up to date. The Brumbies tradition with the Wallabies is a fine one that dates back since the advent of the Super Rugby team in 1996. The current crop of Brumbies is no exception to this rule with, at the time of going to print, no fewer than eleven current players having worn Wallaby gold. It was a round dozen last season as flanker Scott Fardy saw out the final year of his Brumbies contract before departing overseas with Leinster in Ireland.

Fardy was one of four Brumbies players to make their Australian debut in 2013 against the All Blacks in Sydney. Fardy, who would win 47 Wallaby caps before heading to the PRO14 competition, was joined by team-mates Scott Sio and Tevita Kuridrani in the starting line-up, whilst substitute Nic White won his maiden cap as a 77th minute replacement for Will Genia. Christian Lealiifano rattled over nineteen points for Australia in that match, but the All Blacks were too strong and triumphed 47-29 in front of 68,765 at ANZ Stadium with the Kiwis crossing for half-a-dozen tries, Ben Smith, playing on the right wing, claiming a hat-trick. Kuridrani and Sio are still active members of the Wallaby squad and featured in the 2017 Rugby Championship and Spring Tour. By the time of that match against New Zealand, Lealiifano had already made his first start for Australia, but it was to be at some personal cost. The fly-half was knocked unconscious in the first sixty seconds of his debut match, coming off second best in an attempt to tackle British and Irish Lions centre Jonathan Davies in Brisbane, the first test of the Lions 2013 Tour Down Under. He recovered to take his place in the team in the Rugby Championship match and become an integral part of the Wallaby set-up. Five years prior to Lealiifano realizing his international dream it was Zimbabweanborn flanker David Pocock who was

suiting up against the All Blacks, this time in the unusual climes of Hong Kong. Pocock, who is back in Brumbies colours for the 2018 Super Rugby competition after a sabbatical last season, was firstcapped as the Bledisloe Cup headed to Asia. Pocock came off the bench six minutes from time for the legendary George Smith as Australia were defeated 1419 in front of nearly 40,000 fans. This was the first match played between the teams in Hong Kong and the fourth clash that season between Australia and New Zealand and, with the All Blacks winning, they tied the series 2-2 and retained the Bledisloe Cup.

Three Brumbies players made their bow in 2014 as Sam Carter, Josh MannRea and Henry Speight were called to international duty, the trio making their first appearance in Green and Gold in three diverse locations. Carter pulled on the shirt for the first time in Brisbane, playing the full eighty minutes as the Wallabies crushed the French in the First Test 50-23. Josh Mann-Rea won two Australian caps up to the commencement of the 2018 season, the first of which was in the bearpit of Mendoza, Argentina. Mann-Rea was introduced to the action with nine minutes remaining, coming on in place of Saia Fainga’a, as the Australians were surprisingly defeated by 21 points to 17. This was Argentina’s first ever win in The Rugby Championship since its formation in 2012 and it’s first over Australia since 1997. Later that year wing flier Henry Speight would win his first call-up after being

selected for the Spring Tour to Europe. Australia had beaten the Barbarians and Wales in their first two matches, but had been narrowly beaten by France in Paris, when Speight received a start on the left wing in Dublin against Ireland. 51,100 spectators saw five tries scored in the opening half an hour, Australia outscoring the hosts three to two, but it was the Irish who were smiling at fulltime, the boot of Jonny Sexton making the difference in a 26-23 success. The 2016 season saw lock Rory Arnold, prop Allan Alaalatoa and centre Kyle Godwin receive their first caps with Arnold making his debut against England in Brisbane, Alaalatoa against the All Blacks in Sydney and Godwin on the Spring Tour against the French in Paris. That brings us up to date with our latest Wallaby product, scrum-half Joe Powell, who made his eagerly anticipated international bow as a replacement for Will Genia against Fiji in Melbourne last year.

Digital Regional News

150,000+ Monthly Unique readers from the Canberra Region

the-riotact.com

ONE-CAP WONDERS NAME:

Elvis Levi

POSITION:

Hooker

THE GAME:

Brumbies 19 Force 27

THE DATE:

17 April 2011

THE VENUE: Canberra Stadium, Canberra Some Brumbies play for one season. Some play for several seasons and a rare few even reach the magical century of appearances. However, for each one of those players there are the guys at the other end of the spectrum, the one’s that only ever pull on the jersey in a competitive game once. This series looks back at those players continuing with Elvis Levi. Only the hardened rugby aficionados would have heard of young hooker Elvis Levi when he was mooted for a Brumbies debut against the Force in mid-season 2011. That was nothing to do with his rugby ability, of that there was little doubt, but more to do with the fact that Levi, named after rock ‘n’ roll King Elvis Presley, was plucked from relative obscurity into the limelight. An ankle injury to experienced hooker Stephen Moore ruled out the Wallabies international from the fixture with the Western Australians and, with Huia Edmonds struggling with a hamstring injury, to which he was to eventually succumb, Levi was poised to make an instant impression. Part of the Brumbies Rugby Academy Levi, who played club rugby with Penrith in Sydney, was ready to go.

At 1.81m and weighing in at 107kg he wasn’t a small boy and he would need all that physicality when called upon during a torrid encounter at Canberra Stadium on the evening of 17 April 2011. Anthony Hegarty, who had made his debut against the Highlanders only two games previously, started in the rake position and was replaced by Levi in the second half allowing the hooker to become Brumby #136. After leaving the club Levi made the move overseas and settled into French Club rugby where he made a tremendous impression. Originally joining Beziers, the Tongan-born Levi played over sixty matches for the club in Pro D2 before switching allegiance to Biarrtiz Olympique. He has been a regular in the Biarritz team since then accumulating upwards of seventy appearances and registering eight tries.

PROGRAMS FROM THE PAST THE DETAILS

Competition: British Isles Tour Game: ACT 25 British Isles 41 Date: 4 July 1989 Venue: Seiffert Oval, Queanbeyan Scorers: ACT â&#x20AC;&#x201C; T: Phil Alchin (2), Phil Doyle, C: Matthew Pini (2), P: Matthew Pini (3); British Isles â&#x20AC;&#x201C; T: Scott Hastings, Gary Armstrong, Wade Dooley, Penalty Try, Mike Hall C: Peter Dods (3), P: Peter Dods (5)

THE MATCH This was the eighth match of the 1989 British Lions tour to Australia with the tourists coming into the fixture off the back of a heavy loss in the First test, going down 30-12 to Australia in Brisbane. They would, of course, come back to claim the series 2-1 on the back of a David Campese error in the Third Test at the Sydney Football Stadium. The Lions had won all six of their Provincial matches up to this point and the ACT were unable to stop that run.

The Kookaburras started the match on fire and had racked up an 18-4 lead after 25 minutes. Phil Alchin, who would claim a brace of tires, crossed first for the hosts and, despite a Wade Dooley response, a Matt Pini penalty and Phil Doyle try had the home supporters dreaming of a remarkable victory. Mike Hall reduced the deficit, but a Pini penalty had the ACT 21-11 ahead at the interval. The tourists exerted their influence after the break however and a penalty try, added to by a score from Scottish scrumhalf Gary Armstrong, converted by fullback Peter Dods, swung the momentum in their favour as they led 23-21. The Lions eked further ahead when Scott Hastings touched down and with Dods kicking well they squeezed the life out of the contest to claim the win. The 1989 Lions team eventually won eleven of twelve matches on tour.

THE PROGAM For the visit of the Lions Volume 38, Number 14 of Rugby News was offered as the Official Program consisting of 36 pages, although only the internal 32 were counted with page 3 being page 1, and costing $2. Despite the high-profile nature of the visitors, the issue was something of a disappointment with no real meaty articles to get your teeth into. The front cover featured the Kookaburras crest and a Lion with a ball in its mouth with the match details carefully inserted on said ball. Otherwise it was a straightforward effort. Page 2 had a full-page advert for match sponsors Mitre 10 whilst Page 3 began with a short Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Message and had two action phots from the Kookaburras recent fixture with New South Wales. The following page contained a box out of the Lions tour fixtures leading into a small editorial on page 5 that took up less than a quarter of a page. The Kookaburras song filled the rest of that section. Another page of adverts preceded

three more actions shots from the NSW match before we had a Looking Back feature based on the 1966 NSW Country v British Isles match. This feature took the form of pen pictures of the NSW Country team with the tourists given the same treatment a little later in the program. No match details were provided. The kookaburras pen pictures were next up, following an advert for Lend lease, taking over two and a half pages and leading into the centre spread which contained the team line-ups. The curtain raiser teams for Monaro Zone v South West Zone and ACT B v Sydney Metropolitan were on the pages either side of the centre spread. More action from the NSW match was on page 21 with the Lions players profiled on pages 25, 27 and 29. Four more pages of adverts followed before three final action shots from the ACT v NSW game concluded the program which was disappointingly light on text but probably did the job for spectators at the match at the time.

Want a game changer for your business? Bartercard has been helping businesses for over 27 years. Let us help your business today! Bartercard will: 路 Guarantee you new customers 路 Increase your cashflow 路 Move excess stock or fill your downtime 路 Open new business networks.

WHAT YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

Plus500 Brumbies failed to make the most of their opportunities as they were beaten 8-21 at home by the Crusaders on a chilly evening at GIO Stadium in Canberra. The defending Super Rugby champions negotiated a tricky spell in the second half when they were reduced to thirteen men following the sinbinning of lock Scott Barrett and centre Ryan Crotty to hold out against a Brumbies side that was unable to turn possession and territory into much-needed points.

backline play enabled winger Henry Speight, who had celebrated the same century-cap achievement a week earlier, to out-pace the cover defence and go flying onto the corner after an excellent off-load from scrumhalf Joe Powell. The Crusaders responded via a try from Tim Bateman, bursting through a gap to touch down, but it was the sin-bin of Brumbiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; winger Chance Peni for a high-tackle of Israel Dagg that was to prove crucial. Peni caught the All Blacks winger in a challenge near the touchline and was issued a yellow card by referee Jaco Peyper, an incident for which he was subsequently cited post-match.

The evening had started brightly for the home side on the occasion of co-captain Sam Carterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 100th Brumbies appearance celebrated with the lock leading his team out and receiving a presentation cap and trophy post-match from former Brumby Stephen Hoiles, on duty True to their status as one of the pre-eminent at the game for Fox Sports. Some exciting clubs in the competition, the Crusaders made the Brumbies pay for being a man down as replacement winger Manasa Mataele, on for the stricken Dagg, took advantage of an overlap to score. Moments later the big winger crossed for his second try of the match, stepping inside the cover defence to score and with Delany adding the extra the visitors were suddenly 5-21 ahead and looking in control.

A penalty from in front of the posts, slotted by flyhalf Wharenui Hawera, reduced the deficit to two scores at the break but the Brumbies needed a response after the interval to get back into the clash. They certainly gave it a go, putting sustained pressure on the Crusaders line and dominating the match both territorially and possession-wise. However, the Crusaders simply would not crack. The Brumbies were on the front foot for most of the second forty-minutes but were unable to land a punch as the Crusaders experience and game management negated the hosts numerical advantage and secured a seventh straight win for the Kiwi side over the men from the ACT. At one stage the New Zealanders defended their line with thirteen men after Barrett and Crotty had departed, but the hosts could not find a way through. The pre-match action at GIO Stadium prior to the clash celebrated Military Round with the club recognising the important role that the Armed Forces play in this country. As such, the

first XVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s from both the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) and Royal Military College (RMC) took to the field for a highlycombative curtain-raiser which featured some excellent running rugby. RMC were the victors, nabbing a last-minute try to seal the win at the end of a pulsating clash. Away from the action at GIO Stadium, four Plus500 Brumbies were selected in the Junior Wallabies team that were due to play Fiji U20 at Bond University on the Gold Coast for Round One of the Oceania Rugby U20s Championship with scrumhalf Ryan Lonergan set to captain the team. Disappointingly for the halfback, an untimely training injury forced Lonergan to miss the fixture in which fellow Brumbies Mack Hansen of Gungahlin Eagles played at fullback, Len Ikitau from Vikings was named at centre and Eagles prop Tom Ross packed down in the front row. The Junior Wallabies also played matches against Tonga and New Zealand during the tournament.

COMMERCIAL SHOWROOMS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR ARCHITECTS, DESIGNERS, BUILDERS, DEVELOPERS & PLUMBERS

BATHROOM / LAUNDRY ITEMS KITCHEN / COOKING APPLIANCES BARBECUES / OUTDOOR LIVING REFRIGERATION / WINE CABINETS TAPWARE & ACCESSORIES HOT WATER SYSTEMS

SHOW

SOLAR PRODUCTS

TRADOMS ONLYE

BY APP OINTM ONLY ENT

AIR CONDITIONING

AUDIO VISUAL AUTOMATION COMMERCIAL FF&E

FURNITURE FIXTURES AND EQUIPMENT

Our direction is to supply the BEST PRODUCTS from the BEST SUPPLIERS at the BEST PRICES with the BEST PRE-SALES SERVICE and the BEST AFTER-SALES SERVICE!

“ We are committed to identifying our customers needs and providing them with a solution that best suits their project’s scale and budget.” ACT 31 Dacre Street Mitchell | 02 6202 2000 NSW SYDNEY 15-21 Atkinson Road Taren Point | 02 9710 4155

360° VIEW

Explore products at our Mitchell and Taren Point showrooms through our online virtual reality tours.

NSW CENTRAL COAST 25 Kangoo Rd Somersby | 02 4340 8500 MOTELS OOMS • HOTELS & BOARDR FFICE U N I V E R S I TI E S • H O S P I TA L S S•O HOOLS & LAGE C L S I • V S T TION MEN ANISA TIRE ORG • RE ING NTS ORT TME PS • SP R A P CAM DA ICE INING RV M & SE ES • I NTS WE E R M T O SUP CT A PA R P LY: • FA LU B S • • HOUS ENTS I N G D E V E LO P M E N T S • P U B S & C ARTM • PROM NT DEP O T I O N C O M PA N I E S • G O V E R N M E

NSW SOUTH COAST Unit 4/5, 34 Quinns Ln Nowra | 02 4424 9900

www.harveynormancommercial.com.au

MATCH STATISTICS

V OVERALL - Played: 14

BIGGEST WIN 2017 BRU 32 REB 3 BIGGEST DEFEAT 2018 REB 33 BRU 10

IN CANBERRA - Played: 6

LAST FIVE 2018 REB 33 BRU 10 2017 BRU 32 REB 3 2017 REB 19 BRU 17 2016 REB 22 BRU 30 2015 BRU 8 REB 13 33

MATCH PREVIEW - Plus500 Brumbies v Rebels The stakes are high, the tension is rising and the task for the Plus500 Brumbies is simple; win against the Rebels. Australia’s culture capital sends its Rebel alliance to Canberra to take on the Brumbies at GIO Stadium tonight with both sides needing victory to kick start their seasons. The Brumbies have underperformed for large parts of 2018. Preseason expectations based on last year’s form and the talent of the squad means that the raw results just aren’t where they need to be for the Brumbies. There have been flashes however. When you think of the dismantling of the Reds who have gone on to improve in Super Rugby and the win over one of the competitions best the Sharks, you come away feeling optimistic about the Brumbies chances in this game and for the rest of the season.

Optimism is something the Rebels have lacked since their inception. Losing became the norm in Melbourne and when the Force were cut from Super Rugby last season, an argument could have been made that the Rebels were lucky to remain. However, things have been different in 2018. Albeit recent results have been more 2011-17 Rebels, the style and flair they showed in big wins early mean they must be respected as equals in tonight’s clash. The Rebels reinvention has been spearheaded by two individuals who had differing journeys to Melbourne. Will Genia has changed the Rebels. A titan of World Rugby, the halfback affectionately called ‘Willie G’ has brought leadership, fearless intent and a championship mind set to a Rebels outfit which has lacked direction for many years. Not that they haven’t had talent. At one

point or another, Stirling Mortlock, Scott Higginbotham, James O’Connor and Kurtley Beale have donned the navy and red of the Rebels but none have them have been able to lift them to the finals. Maybe that because of the lack of the other individual I mentioned before. The other element of the Rebels resurgence is Dave Wessels. Few coaches have the kind of under the radar overwhelming credibility that Wessels has a coach. He’s not a big name yet nor has he won anything significant. Wessels seems able to galvanize sided and that is his gift. The Rebels have not been winning recently, but they are playing cohesively. They have come together in 2018 and are definitely building something and it’s come from the leadership of Genia and Wessels. Luckily, the Brumbies have no reason to take this Rebels team lightly. Back in 2017, the Rebels handed the Brumbies a loss at AAMI Park that was certainly against the run of form at that time, but it felt like a one off rather than an emergence of the Rebels. Round Four in 2018 was different. On a tough night for the Brumbies, the Rebels

dismantled the visiting Brumbies 3310. It was a coming out party for the Rebels; the upstart newbies taking on the most successful side in Australia. So, things are different than they used to be. The Rebels are competitive and the Brumbies have had an underwhelming season so far. However, the Brumbies have competed well in recent weeks against elite competition. The Jaguares have proven that they are contenders this year and the Brumbies will feel they should have beaten them and the Champions two weeks ago. In contrast, the Crusaders put a big score on the Rebels last week and couldn’t handle the Jaguares. In short, the Rebels are here to win. After seven seasons, the Melbournites have found their feet in Super Rugby and they will travel to Canberra without fear. Awaiting them however is a Brumbies side ready to prove the doubters wrong. Hungry to right the wrongs of previous weeks. Gearing up to ascend the Australian conference table with a win over the Rebels.

YOUR Plus500 BRUMBIES

#BRUMBIESTOGETHER

YOUR Plus500 BRUMBIES

#BRUMBIESTOGETHER

TRIES PENALTY GOALS CONVERSIONS DROP GOALS HALF TIME FULL TIME

STARTING XV 1 Scott Sio 2 Folau Faingaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;a 3 Allan Alaalatoa 4 Rory Arnold 5 Sam Carter 6 Lachlan McCaffrey 7 Tom Cusack 8 Rob Valetini

Replacements

16. Robbie Abel 17. Faalelei Sione 18. Ben Alexander 19. Blake Enever 20. Lolo Fakaosilea 21. Matt Lucas 22. Jordan Jackson-Hope 23. Lausii Taliauli

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Joe Powell Wharenui Hawera Andy Muirhead Christian Lealiifano Tevita Kuridrani Henry Speight Tom Banks

Match O Referee: Nic Berry Assistant referee: Will Houston Assistant referee: Jordan Way

Officials:

CELEBRATING 80 YEARS P r e - W a r- 1 9 6 9

the spoils. Unfortunately, due to the Second World War, the cup would not be competed for again until 1945.

The ACT local rugby club competition got underway in 1938 and from the very beginning the teams competed for a piece of silverware, a striking cup donated by John Dent. John Dent was a friend of WG Woodger (Uncle Bill & Ozzie) who was then the President of the ACTRU. John Dent himself was a wealthy Cootamundra grazier wo also owned shops in Civic, Kingston and Manuka. He retired to live in Canberra and took up a grazing lease on which is now erected the suburb of Weston. The inaugural First Grade Premiership Final took place on 6 August and RMC, who were to enjoy a healthy start to the competition in the pre-war years, took out the first Cup, downing Northern Suburbs 11-6 at Manuka Oval. The Military College defended their crown a year later beating Eastern Suburbs in the showdown and claimed the 1941 Final against the same opposition. In between, Northern Suburbs took home their first title. It was in 1942, 6 April to be precise, at the ACTRU 6th Annual General Meeting at the Hotel Kingston that a recommendation was made to rename the trophy the John I Dent Cup after the man who had supplied

When play resumed in earnest it was RMC who, once more, were the dominant force. Two wins in a row in 1945 and 1946 precipitated a run of five successive wins as the 1950s hove into view. Even when RMC werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t winning, their second team was, as RMC 2 downed RMC 1 in the 1950 Grand Final, the former winning 17-15. Eastern Suburbs had won their first Final in 1947 and Canberra Royals claimed their first crown in 1954 with an 11-3 victory over Northern Suburbs. As the decade drew to a close Royals won back-to-back titles in 1957 and 1958 including a record 40-17 victory over Queanbeyan, the most points a team scored in a title decider until Tuggeranong Vikings racked up 44 against Wests in 2011. Queanbeyan were first time winners in 1959 but the sixties began with RMC bagging a trio of wins in succession, the last in 1962 their final taste of cup glory to date. Royals then won a treble of their won (1964-66) whilst Western District saw the transition into the seventies with their maiden win.

CELEBRATING 80 YEARS 1970-1989 fifteen years. Royals emphasised the changing of the guard by beating Wests 10-3 in the 1980 Grand Final. Queanbeyan sprung to prominence in the early 1980’s, following the trend of losing a couple of big games before getting their hands on the cup. The Whites had been beaten in the Final in both 1978 and 1979 before dragging themselves back into contention and winning three on the spin from 1981-83. Again, following the trend of success turning Western District began the seventies as into decline, Queanbeyan would not win the they ended the sixties, by lifting the John tournament again until 2007. I Dent trophy with a 27-3 win over Royals. The dominant force in local club rugby Similarly, Daramalan, lost two in a row in the throughout the decade, Western Districts early eighties before winning a couple of titles were to win seven Grand Finals in ten themselves. The team, that was to emerge attempts in a glorious run for the club. Royals as Gungahlin Eagles, actually played nine were on the receiving end twice during this Grand Finals in succession from 1982-1990 spell (1970 and 1976) as were RMC (1972 but would only be on the winning side twice. and 1974). As far as bridesmaid stories go Daramalan’s is pretty compelling. They would have their day Breaking the Western Districts monopoly of in the sun again however, as we shall see. the competition were Northern Suburbs, led by the try-scoring prowess of D. Power, who As the 1980’s drew to its close Royals emerged claimed back-to-back titles of their own in as the crack unit once more, winning in 1987, 1971 and 1972 defeating Queanbeyan 8-3 1988 and 1989, and they would carry that run and RMC 17-13 respectively. Royals won of from into the nineties with successes in the their eighth crown in 1977 and would end first two years of the new decade. Indeed, the seventies by adding a ninth, a narrow Royals met Daramalan in four straight finals 13-12 win over Queanbeyan sealing the from 1987-1990 and must have been truly sick deal. of the sight of the men from Phillip. Whilst Royals would begin their own period of dominance on the local game, Western Districts reign came to and end with their 1978 win over Queanbeyan, a 17-9 success at Rugby Park. The trophy success would be their last taste of the winner’s circle for

Brumbies Rugby Premier Division GRAND FINALS Saturday 2nd September Reserve Grade Kick Off 1.40pm V Colts Kick Off 12 Noon V Third Grade Kick Off 11.55am V Fourth Grade Kick Off 10.15am V

ivision emier D Rugby Pr Brumbies GRAND FINALS t us 30th Aug Saturday pm Off 1:40 k ic K Grade Reserve V ff 1:25pm

â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kick O

Women

V :55am k Off 11

Colts Kic

V de Kick

Third Gra

0am Off 11:5

V :15am k Off 10

rade Kic Fourth G V

Whilst Royals began the 1990s as the pre-eminent club rugby side in the ACT they wouldn’t have it all their own way. The wins in 1990 (18-7 over Daramalan) and 1991 (14-13 over Tuggeranong) were their only John I Dent Cup victories as they followed the trend of suddenly finding difficult what once was so easy. Six times in the following eight years they’d be forced to clap off the winners as the vanquished opposition.

1990-2009

of the decade. Indeed, in a frightening run of form the southside club would contest twelve of the next thirteen John I Dent Cup Grand Final deciders, winning seven of them. The only final they would not compete in would be in 2002 when Wests defeated Royals 29-12. Tuggeranong’s first win in 1994 was a comprehensive revenge mission as they were too strong for Royals winning 30-10. The duo would meet in the next two Grand Finals as well but these would be much tighter affairs. Vikings winning 11-10 in 1998 and 13-10 twelve months later. Only Wests seemed capable of upsetting the Tuggeranong steamroller.

The first of those defeats was a maiden, and sole, success for University in 1992. An amalgamation of ANU and University of Canberra they saw off Royals 22-17. The club would later merge with Northern Suburbs in 2001 to form the Uni-Norths Owls as we know it today. Wests took up the baton once more in 1993, their first They defeated Tuggeranong win since 1978, before the birth 13-5 in the 1996 showdown of the Tuggeranong juggernaut. and embarked on a triple success of their own from Tuggeranong had reached 2000-2002, with Tuggeranong their first Final in 1991, losing their victims in the first two to Royals, but would be back Finals of the new Millennium. with a vengeance in middle Royals returned to the big

stage in 2002 to try and wrest the title from Wests but they too left with a bloodied nose, sent packing to the tune of 2912. Wests would win again in 2005 but before that Gungahlin had their turn. The Eagles snatched a 26-20 win over Tuggeranong to win the Cup in 2003 but Tuggeranong reversed the roles a year later winning 33-13. Another win for Tuggeranong in 2006 against Gungahlin followed before the decade ended with Queanbeyan atop the tree, the Whites successful in 2007 and 2008 but losing out in 2009.

CELEBRATING 80 YEARS 2010-DATE If losing in the 2009 Grand Final to Tuggeranong was a disappointing way to end the previous ten years, Queanbeyan were determined to make amends and did so by gaining ample revenge in 2010. The Whites claimed the spoils from an absolute thriller at Viking Park winning by 30-28, a wonderful match to kick-start the next generation of John I Dent Cup Finals. Whether that defeat reinvigorated the Vikings is unknown, but something was definitely stirring in the men from the Valley and they roared back in the years that followed. Four wins in a row and five victories in six finals appearances, made them the team of the decade to date. Wests, Royals and Queanbeyan all had a pop at dethroning the Vikings during this period of the game with Wests first to feel the force of a Vikings side that was as strong on the pitch as it was in good health off it. The 2011 Final saw Tuggeranong batter Wests 44-18 and they repeated the feat a year later, albeit by a less impressive margin, this time winning by twelve points, 29-17.

though and Queanbeyan were unfortunate to lose 25-13 in 2014 before the dynasty came to an end. All good runs generally do and, as we have seen, the John I Dent Cup has thrown up many examples down the years of teams building successful Grand Final winning squads before seeing their streak come unstuck. For Vikings, this was to occur in 2015 as Royals ended twenty-four years of hurt by taking the silverware home. 1991 was the last time Royals had won the cup and now, as then, Tuggeranong were the side they sent packing. They wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to wait as long to win again this time! You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t keep a good side down however and Tuggeranong were back in 2016 and celebrating once more, a thirteenth Grand Final win, as they beat Whites 26-22. That brings us up to date to the last John I Dent Cup Final played, the 2017 version at Viking Park where Royals won an eighteenth Cup with a 28-12 defeat of Wests capping their perfect, undefeated season.

Royals stepped up to the plate in 2013 but they suffered the same fate, beaten 2821 as Tuggeranong utilised the nous and experience they had of the big day to grand effect, calling on all their reserves to hold off a stiff challenge. Teams were getting closer

PREVIOUS FINALS GRIFFIN LEGAL JOHN I DENT CUP 1938

RMC

Norths

1978

West

Queanbeyan

1939

RMC

Easts

1979

Royals

Queanbeyan

1940

Norths

Easts

1980

Royals

Wests

1941

RMC

Easts

1981

Queanbeyan

Royals

1942

No Competition

1982

Queanbeyan

Daramalan

1943

No Competition

1983

Queanbeyan

Daramalan

1944

No Competition

1984

Daramalan

Royals

1945

RMC

RAAF

1985

Royals

Daramalan

1946

RMC

Navy

1986

Daramalan

Royals

1947

Easts

Norths

1987

Royals

Daramalan

1948

Norths

RMC

1988

Royals

Daramalan

1949

RMC

Forestry Sch.

1989

Royals

Daramalan

1950

RMC No 2

RMC No 1

1990

Royals

Daramalan

1951

RMC

Royals

1991

Royals

Tuggeranong

1952

RMC

Royals

1992

University

Royals

1953

RMC

Royals

1993

Wests

Royals

1954

Royals

Norths

1994

Tuggeranong

Royals

1955

RMC

Royals

1995

Tuggeranong

Daramalan

1956

Norths

RMC

1996

Wests

Tuggeranong

1957

Royals

Queanbeyan

1997

Tuggeranong

Royals

1958

Royals

RMC

1998

Tuggeranong

Royals

1959

Queanbeyan

Royals

1999

Tuggeranong

Royals

1960

RMC

Queanbeyan

2000

Wests

Tuggeranong

1961

RMC

Royals

2001

Wests

Tuggeranong

1962

RMC

Royals

2002

Wests

Royals

1963

Norths

RMC

2003

Gungahlin

Tuggeranong

1964

Royals

Norths

2004

Tuggeranong

Gungahlin

1965

Royals

Norths

2005

Wests

Tuggeranong

1966

Royals

Norths

2006

Tuggeranong

Gungahlin

1967

Norths

Ainslie

2007

Queanbeyan

Gungahlin

1968

Royals

Ainslie

2008

Queanbeyan

Easts

1969

West

Ainslie

2009

Tuggeranong

Queanbeyan

1970

West

Royals

2010

Queanbeyan

Tuggeranong

1971

Norths

Queanbeyan

2011

Tuggeranong

Wests

1972

Norths

RMC

2012

Tuggeranong

Wests

1973

Wests

Easts

2013

Tuggeranong

Royals

1974

Wests

RMC

2014

Tuggeranong

Queanbeyan

1975

Wests

Norths

2015

Royals

Tuggeranong

1976

Wests

Royals

2016

Tuggeranong

Queanbeyan

1977

Royals

Wests

2017

Royals

Wests

Match O

TRIES PENALTY GOALS CONVERSIONS DROP GOALS HALF TIME FULL TIME

STARTING XV 1 Fereti Sa’aga 2 Anaru Rangi 3 Sam Talakai 4 Geoff Parling 5 Adam Coleman 6 Angus Cottrell 7 Colby Fainga’a 8 Amanaki Mafi

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Michael Ruru Jack Debreczeni Marika Koroibete Reece Hodge Tom English Semisi Tupou Jack Maddocks

Replacements

Officials:

No. 4: TBC No. 5: TBC TMO: Damien Mitchelmore

16. Nathan Charles 17. Tetera Faulkner 18. Jermaine Ainsley 19. Matt Philip 20. Lopeti Timani 21. Harrison Goddard 22. Billy Meakes 23. Sefa Naivalu

*team subject to change, official line-up not available at time of publication

YOUR BRUMBIES LIVE, EVERY ROUND.

#SOMETHINGSUPER

Foxtel Now requires internet, data & a compatible device. Foxtel and some services not available to all homes. Foxtel marks are used under licence by Foxtel Management Pty Ltd.

SEASON IN STATS

TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT OUR OPPONENTS FOR TODAY’S SUPER RUGBY ENCOUNTER AT GIO STADIUM, CANBERRA. Land on 30 August 1835, it was named by the Governor of New South Wales, Sir The Rebels are the Super Rugby team for Richard Bourke, in honour of the British Melbourne and the surrounding region Prime Minister of the day, William Lamb, in Victoria having been created to join an 2nd Viscount Melbourne. expanded Super Rugby competition for the 2011 season. Granted the fifteenth WHO ELSE IS FROM THERE? license the team started competing in the tournament playing the Waratahs NBA Superstar Kyrie Irving, who currently at home in Round 1 before recording plays for the Boston Celtics, was born in a maiden win against the Brumbies a Melbourne, something he shares with actor week later. They were the first privately Chris Hemsworth, famous for his portrayal owned professional rugby union team of Thor on the Big Screen amongst other in Australia bought by Imperium Sports mega-movie roles, and his brother Liam. management in 2015. Yet to seriously Actresses’ Emily Browning (Sucker Punch/ challenge for finals football, they have Pompeii) and Cate Blanchett (Lord of the finished no higher than 10th on the Super Rings Trilogy/Benjamin Button), and the Rugby combined ladder. Crocodile Hunter himself, Steve Irwin, are all Melburnians, whilst singer John WHERE DO THEY COME FROM? Farnham is also from the Victorian state capital. Pop star Kylie Minogue is from The capital of Victoria, Melbourne, is a there as well along with Billionaire tycoon massive tourist destination and is famous Clive Palmer and 1980 Formula 1 World for its huge array of World Class sport. Champion, Alan Jones. Venue for the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, and the home of AFL, the city also RAISING THE BAR OR UNDERACHIEVING? plays host to the Australian Open Tennis Championship and features elite level football, rugby league and cricket on its For a team that came into the competition schedule. Founded by free settlers from with the expectation of providing a serious the British Crown colony of Van Diemen’s challenge to take home a Super Rugby title,

OPPOSITION PROFILE: REBELS

WHO ARE THEY?

the Rebels have certainly underachieved from that point of view. They have certainly found life tough both on and off the field in Victoria, a tough market to break into due to the plethora of sporting options available to supporters and the dominance that the AFL code holds over the State. They’ve never seriously challenged for finals football and they need to start pushing in that direction to give their support something to cheer about on a regular basis. Could this be their year?

WHO’S THEIR GREATEST? A former player for the Australian Sevens international team, Scott Higginbotham was a legend in his time with the Rebels, playing 45 matches for the Melbourne-based franchise following an initial move from the Reds in 2013. He has since switched back to the Brisbane side for this season. Capped by Australia on 34 occasions, he was a goto man for the Rebels and has justifiable claims of being their greatest. All Black Greg Sommerville would probably be in that conversation as well along with Welsh backrower Gareth Delve. Other notable players to play at the Rebels include James O’Connor, Kurtley Beale and Danny Cipriani, with mixed success.

CLOSEST RIVALS? There are no real historical links to tie the Rebels in with any sort of intensely passionate rivalry but their matches against the Reds have usually had a fair amount of spice and a rumbling of a niggly under-current. This may be down to the number of players that have jumped ship from Queensland to Victoria over the years, the latest being Wallaby international scrumhalf Will Genia. Hooker James Hanson, Centre Mike Harris, Backrow Scott Higginbotham, prop Laurie Weeks and winger Dom Shipperley have also made the trip from Brisbane to Melbourne over the last few seasons.

PLAYER PROFILES REBELS

Season Record P 10

W 4

D 0

L 6

PD -36

OFFICIAL APPAREL PARTNER OF THE BRUMBIES 2018

FROM THE ARCHIVE: THE FIRST & LAST

To help set the scene for this evening’s clash, Breakdown looks at the first and last time we met today’s opponents in Super Rugby competition.

THE FIRST TIME

Date: 25 February 2011 Result: Rebels 25 (T: Stirling Mortlock, C: Danny Cipriani, P: Danny Cipriani (6)) Brumbies 24 (T: Pat McCabe, Henry Speight, C: Matt Giteau, P: Matt Giteau (3), DG: Matt Giteau) A crowd of 14,234 watched the Rebels gain their first ever Super Rugby victory in only their second ever competition match in 2011. Having been humbled 0-43 by the Waratahs at AAMI Park in Round 1, the attendance dropped by over 10,000 as the Brumbies visited but the Melbourne-based side were a different outfit to the one hammered a week earlier. Former Brumby Stirling Mortlock had the honour of claiming the Rebels’ first Super Rugby try, but it was the boot of English flyhalf Danny Cipriani that did the most damage, his twentypoint haul being instrumental in the home success. Pat McCabe and Henry Speight crossed the whitewash for the visitors, for whom Matt Giteau registered fourteen points, but the Rebels held on for a shock victory. Both teams had seasons to forget as the Brumbies ended 13th and the Rebels 15th on the combined ladder.

THE LAST TIME

Date: 9 March 2018 Result: Rebels (14) 33 (T: Mafi, Hodge (2), Maddocks, Ruru, C: Hodge (4)) Plus500 Brumbies (5) 10 (T: Peni, Speight)

The Brumbies slumped to 33-10 defeat at the hands of a resurgent Rebels side at AAMI Park in Melbourne as the home side took full advantage of the visitors being reduced to fourteen men late on. The sin-binning of Leslie Leuluaialii-Makin in the final fifteen minutes opened the doorway for the Rebels to take full advantage and the Melbourne side ran in three tries during that period to claim a third win of the season. The result was also the Rebels biggest win against the Brumbies and the visitor’s woes were compounded by losing skipper Sam Carter to a head knock early on and, latterly, hooker Josh MannRea who suffered a severe hamstring injury that was to ultimately rule him out for the remainder of the season. Chance Peni and Henry Speight crossed for the Brumbies but the Rebels were big winners.

R E B E L S Opposition: The Key Players

The Playmaker: Jack Debreczeni Having lost superstar halfback Will Genia to injury, the burden of leading the Rebels forward has fallen on the broad shoulders of flyhalf Jack Debreczeni. The rangy back has made the 10 jersey his own this season, complementing Genia’s expansive unpredictability with a steady style. Poise is one of Debreczeni’s best qualities, he glides about the park distributing to his stock of firepower in the wider channels. Debreczeni also has a cannon for a right foot. The ball screams off his toe, out of hand or off the tee. It such an asset to have as a team. Between Debreczeni and Hodge, the Rebels have two players at all times that can put them in the other team’s territory at a moment’s notice, meaning they are rarely stuck in their redzone. Debreczeni is looking like the Rebels flyhalf for the future and if he keeps up his current form, you may see him Gold very soon.

The Try Threat: Marika Koroibete NRL convert Marika Koroibete is only in his second season of Super Rugby at the Melbourne Rebels, but you wouldn’t know that from watching his spellbinding attacking breaks. Off the back of being the 2017 leading try scorer for the Rebels, Koroibete brings energy and power to the side. The giant back uses the skills he cultivated during his time in the NRL to develop how he plays on the wing, placing himself in the game whenever possible and always scouting for opportunities. His power helps him drive for the line, and is also key in being able to shut down the opposition who are in his way. This power and willingness to take on the defence allows makes the winger one of the toughest players to cover and adds creativity and speak to the Rebels attack. Koroibete is a master at converting the opportunities the Rebels are creating into points and the Brumbies will need to be on their guard today.

The Enforcer: Adam Coleman Lock and Captain Adam Coleman is in his debut season at the Rebels, having joined the club from the Wester Force. The lock is a leader through his actions rather than words and is a physical presence in the pack. Coleman, who stands at 204cm, brings strength in contact and powerful running to the side, often finding space to help put points on the board for his side. Coleman sets the standard throughout the set-piece for his team, keeping his tough, uncompromising skill throughout the lineout to hold his team strong and being a nuisance in the loose when carrying. Coleman uses his aggressive instincts and high standards for his team to push the forwards toward the line, taking no hostages, and using his power to push his team to where he wants them to be. A real leader of men and a star performer in the Melbourne selection.

him more opportunity and freedom to run the ball down field where his elusiveness creates broken field opportunities for his team mates. The ability to carry the ball with power, and at pace, makes him one to watch at GIO Stadium this afternoon.

The One to Watch: Jack Maddocks Rookie Jack Maddocks has had a phenomenal start to the 2018 Super Rugby season, crossing for a hat-trick of tires in the Rebels Round 2 fixture against the Sunwolves in Tokyo. Maddocks, who prefers to play in the position of fly-half as opposed to the wing where he has been devastating this term, has proved himself to be versatile having played out wide for a majority of the 2018 season but also having the capacity to play closer to the scrum. His versatility makes him a dangerous player as he can read the game from more than one field position. This diversity in his play gives

Canberraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s print partner public, corporate, commercial since 1997

canprint.com.au

victorious 25-24. The strong-running centre who appeared in the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final, played 24 games for the Rebels, scoring 17 points. Of the current group of players at the Rebels, flanker Colby Faingaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;a has experienced both dressing rooms having made his debut for the Brumbies in 2010, running out against the Chiefs and playing 34 matches over four seasons before switching to Melbourne. Faingaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;a only crossed for one try in Brumby Over the eight seasons that the Melbourne Rebels colours, coincidentally against the Rebels in have been involved in Super Rugby, their debut a 39-17 Round 17 win in 2013. coming in the 2011 edition of the competition, several players have played for both teams with one Of the older generation, Adam Freier, who debuted in 2002 against the Cats, played of the first being centre Stirling Mortlock. six times for the Brumbies and 16 times for Mortlock, who made his Super Rugby debut for the the Rebels, turning out for the Waratahs in Brumbies as long ago as 1998 and went on to clock up between while Nic Henderson racked up 123 appearances for the ACT-based side, racking up 68 Brumbies caps from 2004-2009 before 1,019 points, had made the move South to Victoria switching to the Force, ending up at the to join the expansion team in time for their maiden Rebels a year later for their debut campaign.

CONNECTIONS: REBELS

season of Super Rugby. It was therefore, with some sense of irony, that he crossed for the Rebels first- Other connections with the Rebels sees Julian Huxley, who played 28 matches for ever Super Rugby try against the Brumbies! the Brumbies over two stints either side The score came in the Rebels second official game, of 21 appearances for the Reds, finish his they had been badly drubbed 0-43 at home by the Super Rugby career with a further 22 games Waratahs in their competition bow a week earlier, in Melbourne, whilst current Brumbies as Mortlock haunted his former team with their only flyhalf Christian Lealiifano was born in the try of the contest in which they narrowly emerged Victorian State Capital.

NOTICEBOARD

Supporters of the Plus500 Brumbies enjoyed a fantastic ‘Fans on the Field’ experience following our home Super Rugby match with the Jaguares on Sunday 22 April getting to meet their heroes and run around on the hallowed turf at GIO Stadium. Brumbies die-hards, young and old, collected autographs and photographs with their heroes’ post-match, getting up close and personal. A further opportunity to do so will take place after the Sunwolves match here on Sunday 3 June.

Check out some of our entrants of our ‘Sign Me Up’ competition where the successful person gets to cheer the Plus500 Brumbies onto the field at an upcoming game from the tunnel! To be in with a chance to win just make a sign and bring it to the match, remembering to hold it up during the game, and a Plus500 Brumbies representative will select a winner. Good luck!

Have you seen our Beat a Brumby segment at half-time? Here are a few of our latest winners who took part in the half-time fun and games against some of their Brumby favourites during the recent visit of the Jaguares to GIO Stadium. To be in with a chance of competing today, simply head to the Western side of the ground near the Brumbies inflatable and register your interest! It could be you out on the hallowed turf taking on the Brumbies this evening!

Should you be attending the game whilst celebrating a special occasion with us at the Plus500 Brumbies, and would like your message to appear in our match program, please send a short 60-100 words description plus a JPEG photograph (as hi-res as possible) and you could be included on these pages in a future edition of Breakdown.

YENDA BREWERY SITS IN THE NSW RIVERINA IN THE SMALL TOWN OF YENDA, FARM 1471. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never play for the Wallabies, but we make cracking beers.

PROUD TO BE THE OFFICIAL BEER OF THE WALLABIES AND SUPER RUGBY COMPETITION.

NEVER SETTLE.

WORLD OF RUGBY Champions Cup Final Showdown in Bilbao The matchup is set and a historic occasion in Bilbao awaits Leinster and Racing 92. For the first time in its great history, the European Cup final will be held in Spain. The question is, who else will be making history? Will it be Leinster winning a record-equalling fourth title or will Racing 92 etch their name on the trophy for the first time? Only 80 minutes of barnstorming rugby will tell. That fourth title has been eluding Leinster since their former Head Coach Joe Schmidt decided to grace the rest of Ireland with his brilliance by taking the national job in 2013. Back-to-back wins in 2011 and 2012 under Schmidt still live in the memory of fans and players alike, but Leinster have not looked the all-time great side they were in 2012 in recent years. The skipper for all three of those Cup wins, Leo Cullen, now calls the shots at Leinster and has resided over the

rebuilding of the Irish Province alongside former England Coach Stuart Lancaster. Cullen has rebuilt Leinster in his own teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s image. Before finally getting over the hump in 2009, Leinster had flattered to deceive in Europe. Known for flashy play without substance, every time the Dubliners got close to the promise land they would come up against a harder more mentally tough side. It was Michael Cheika that brought steel to Leinster and they limped to a European title under the Wallabies coach through sheer determination. Joe Schmidtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Leinster had it all. Style, sophisticated tactics and relentless aggression. Schmidt inspired his older star players by injecting youth into his team and that is how Cullen has turned things around in the fair city of Dublin. Leinster invested in the likes of Tadgh Furlong, James Ryan and Garry Ringrose and those

players have been the driving force of this new-lock Leinster juggernaut. They arrive in Bilbao, unbeaten in this seasons competition hoping to join French Giants Toulouse on four Championships.

poise, the power and the rugby intelligence remain intact in the ice-cool Carter and his performances have looked no different than the shark-eyed flyhalf who won World player of the year in 2015 for the third-time.

Racing 92 are one of the three clubs that halted Toulouse’s grip on French club rugby. The money-bag owners of Toulon, Clermont and Racing have turned French rugby on its head, bringing the best players in the world to the cuisine capital of the World to form squads that have never been seen before.

Indeed, a European Cup win would cap off a career for Carter which has seen him win Super Rugby titles and a World Cup. A Champions cup medal may just tip the scale in Carter’s favour in the debate for the greatest player of all-time. A match of this magnitude does not come around very often. Whatever the time, wherever you are, this is must watch. It’s Leinster taking on Racing 92, with eternal glory the prize for the victors.

Stacked with multicultural quality, Racing 92 are this year’s French representative in the Grand Final. Their only other appearance in the final came in 2016 when they lost to Saracens. A domestic title in that same year seems to have inspired the Parisian powerhouse to greater things however. Beautiful in blue and white, Racing have been superb in this year’s competition. A talented Racing outfit is spearheaded by Dan Carter. Even now in the latter stages of his career, Carter is the best player in the World on his day. The

Notes From – SOUTH AFRICA The Jaguares completed their tour of Australia and New Zealand by winning a fourth match in succession, setting an unprecedented record of returning to South America with a 100% winning run. After defeating the Rebels and Brumbies in Australia, the Jaguares crossed the ditch and repeated the does as they downed both the Blues and, latterly, the Chiefs to roar back into contention at the top of the South African Conference. With the table-topping Lions suffering successive defeats to the Reds and the Hurricanes, what was once a huge advantage has now slipped to a mere seven points and, with the Jaguares now having a run of three of their last four matches in Buenos Aires, hopes are high in their camp for a real push at play-off football. Their latest success was built on a monster defensive effort and the ability to keep possession and score at critical moments in the match – traits that they have shown, and improved on, throughout their month away from home. In terms of a Super Rugby tour overseas, their efforts would have to be considered as being up there with the

greatest of all time. Devastating strike runners, coupled with the metronomic boot of Nicolas Sanchez and a rugged, physical pack, have out the Argentineans in a fantastic position. After losing to the Reds, the Lions woes on tour were compounded by a loss in Wellington to the Hurricanes. Flanker Marnus Schoeman and scrumhalf Nic Groom scored for the Lions but their capacity to ship points, they’ve conceded over 300 this season, has finally came home to roost in the past fortnight. They faced a potentially crucial match against the Highlanders today before heading back to South Africa to welcome the Brumbies. The Sharks meanwhile blitzed the Highlanders at Kings Park Stadium in Durban with Robert Du Preez adding another eighteen points to his rapidly increasing season total. Two tries in the opening seven minutes from Armand van der Merwe and Makazole Mapimpi set the tone for the day with the Highlanders unable to get back in touch. Elsewhere, eleven points from Damian Willemse, including the game’s opening try, helped the Stormers to a 29-17 victory over the Bulls in the all-South African match at DHL Newlands in Cape Town.

Notes From â&#x20AC;&#x201C; NEW ZEALAND The Australian hoodoo against New Zealand sides continued as the Blues claimed victory over the Waratahs at Brookvale Oval in Sydney last weekend with a narrow 2421 success. The boot of Stephen Perofeta proved decisive with the Kiwi pivot landing four penalties and a conversion to finish with fourteen points in total. Reiko Ioane and Tumua Manu crossed for the Blues who were never behind in the encounter.

and Matt Todd spending time sitting down, as did Rebels centre Reece Hodge.

Winger Ben Lam nabbed a hat-trick of tries for the Hurricanes as they kept up the pressure on the Conference leading Crusaders with a 28-19 win over the Lions at Westpac Stadium in Wellington. Lam opened the scoring early on and, after the talented Ardie Savea had bundled over for the second home score, Lam added a further brace after the half-time There was a chastening experience for the siren to seal the victory. Crusaders lead the Rebels in their meeting with the Crusaders Hurricanes on the ladder by two-points with as the reigning champions turned on the the Wellington side having played a game less. style in the second half of their meeting at AAMI Park blitzing their opponents with The other two New Zealand sides in action some scintillating running rugby. Leading last weekend both suffered losses. The only 13-10 at the interval the home support Highlanders, for whom flanker Dillon Hunt and harboured hopes of a stunning victory but centre Teihorangi Walden scored tries, were the Crusaders simply upped the gears and well beaten in Durban with the Sharks roaring romped home adding six tries in the second to a 38-12 success. There was an upset on stanza to the two registered before the break. Friday evening as the Jaguares defeated the Chiefs 19-23 at Rotorua International Stadium Six different players crossed the Rebels line despite Damien McKenzie landing fourteen with hooker Andrew Makalio the only man points from the kicking tee. McKenzieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s points to get a double. Impressively, just like against total added to a try from replacement Jesse the Brumbies the Crusaders had two men in Parete but the Argentineans were good value the sin bin in the first half with David Havili for their victory.

MAKING HEADLINES AROUND THE WORLD A wrap of Rugby stories making Headlines around the Web

FIVE SPANISH PLAYERS RECEIVE BANS

Five Spanish players have received bans ranging between 14 and 43 weeks for abusing the referee during their controversial 18-10 loss to Belgium in March. After the Rugby Europe Championship match, which resulted in Romania qualifying for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan at Spain’s expense, outraged Spanish players surrounded Romanian match official Vlad Iordachescu, who had penalised them 18 times during the encounter. The Spanish Rugby Federation have demanded a replay of the match, while World Rugby have ordered a commission of inquiry in to the events that day. A Rugby Europe Independent Judicial Committee met to consider the cases of the players with replacement Sebastien Rouet suspended for 43 weeks and his brother, Guillaume copping 36 for physically and verbally abusing the referee. Flankers Pierre Barthere and Lucas Guillaume, and fly-half Mathieu Belie were found guilty of ‘threatening actions/words at a match official’ and each banned for 14 weeks.

ROB HORNE FORCED TO RETIRE

Northampton and Australia centre Rob Horne has been forced to retire after suffering lifechanging nerve damage to his right arm during his side’s Premiership match at Leicester. The 28-year-old was injured 13 seconds into the East Midlands derby at Welford Road on 14 April which Saints won. Horne joined Saints in 2017 and had been captaining them for the first time. Interim head coach Alan Dickens said: “This is absolutely tragic news. It has been devastating for every member of the squad and staff here. All our thoughts are of course with Rob and his family at this time. Rob is not only a world-class rugby player, but he’s an exceptional man.”

HARTLEY RULED OUT OF TOUR

England captain Dylan Hartley has been ruled out of the summer tour of South Africa

because of concussion. The Northampton hooker has not played since sustaining a head injury in last month’s Six Nations loss to Ireland. Following specialist medical advice, the 32-yearold will now take an extended period of rest. “It has been recommended that I take a break this summer and while I find that decision hard to accept, it’s important I listen to that advice,” he said. England face the Springboks in three Tests, starting in Johannesburg on 9 June.

AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND WIN OCEANIA U18 TITLES Australia boys and the New Zealand girls are in contention to compete at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires after winning their respective Oceania Rugby U18 Sevens Championships. Tournament hosts Australia bounced back from an earlier pool loss to Samoa to beat the Pacific Islanders 32-7 in the final of the Oceania Rugby U18 Boys’ Championship at St Ignatius College in Sydney. As regional champions, Australia’s boys will now compete at the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games sevens competition in October if given the go-ahead by their National Olympic Committee (NOC). As per an International Olympic Committee ruling, only one male and one female team can attend the Youth Olympic Games from each nation. New Zealand qualified for the girls’ competition at the Youth Olympic Games thanks to a 21-7 win against Australia.

CHALLENGE CUP FINAL PLAYED OVERNIGHT

The European Challenge Cup Final was played overnight in Bilbao, Spain as Gloucester Rugby met Cardiff Blues for the trophy. Cardiff had knocked out French side Pau 16-10 in their semifinal encounter at Cardiff Arms Park and would meet a Gloucester side who had despatched Newcastle Falcons 33-12. Gloucester reached their third European Challenge Cup final in four seasons with a four-try win over Premiership rivals at Kingsholm. The winners usually qualify for next season’s Champions Cup however as Cardiff have qualified for the competition via their league position, the runners-up take the spot which means that, whatever happens in Spain, Gloucester will play in the premier competition next season.

T H E O F F I C I A L H O T E L PA R T N E R O F T H E B R U M B I E S

Located close to the heart of the city The Canberra Rex Hotel is a 4.5 star property that offers guests a comfortable stay with excellent service. With a range of accommodation options to choose from including hotel rooms, spacious suites and self-contained serviced apartments there are options available to suit every traveller. Now home to Canberraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first and only rooftop bar, The Howling Moon, the hotel offers an experience that is truly unique to our property.

S p e c i a l r a t e s ava i l a bl e wh e n yo u s t ay w i t h u s t o s u p p o r t yo u r t e a m , m e n t i o n t h e B r u m b i e s wh e n yo u b o o k d i r e c t w i t h u s t o s ave

CONTACT OUR RESERVATIONS TEAM TODAY (02) 6248 5311 WWW.CANBERRAREXHOTEL.COM.AU 1 5 0 N O RT H B O U R N E AV E N U E , C A N B E R R A C I T Y - 4 . 5 S TA R

WORDSEARCH

BRUMBY JACK’S FUN ZONE

Can you find these ten words connected with Canberra in our grid below? CBD MILK TOWER

T W S G I O V X C C F P

GIO QUEANBEYAN VIKINGS

E Q C S D D I E D B M C

L U G B P F K S J H F B

S E Y O D S I T B G B F

T A M I L K N E C U R B

BRUCE MANUKA

R N L D D G G D O F G U

A B J T R E S M D B T I

T E H J F F A D F R C S

BRUMBY TELSTRA

O Y U J H N T G F U A O

W A H V U F T Y H M T B

E N K K S F G H J B F E

R L A S D D F Y Y Y A L

BRUMBY JACK’S FEARLESS MATCH PREDICTION We think we have got the goods to come out on top against our mates from Melbourne at GIO Stadium in a game which Brumby Jack thinks will be full of points!

BRUMBIES 35 REBELS 15 WHAT DO YOU THINK? PUT YOUR PREDICTION IN THE BOX BELOW!

BRUMBIES (

) REBELS (

)

MIX AND MATCH

Can you match the eight Teams on the left of the column below with their correct Towns on the right? Brumbies New Zealand Rebels Queensland Reds Perth Force Canberra Waratahs Melbourne Sunwolves Argentina Chiefs Japan Jaguares Sydney

BRUMBY JACK’S PACK – Canberra Quiz Today’s Brumby Jack’s Pack, eight quick-fire questions, is all about Canberra! Do you know your Capital City? Test yourself and your friends with these questions below! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Which State is Canberra in? Approximately how many people live in Canberra? (a) 250,000, (b) 350,000 or (c) 400,000 Which City is Closer to Canberra? Melbourne or Sydney What is Canberra’s NRL team called? Canberra Cavalry play which sport? What are the names of the teams that play in the John I Dent Cup? In what suburb is GIO Stadium located?

MY FAVOURITES

CHANCE PENI

COLOUR: Red FOOD: Bananas TV SHOW: Dragon Ball Z HOLIDAY DESTINATION: Rarotonga, Cook Islands HOBBY: Golf GROUND I’VE PLAYED AT: Eden Park, Auckland (New Zealand)

Half-time Entertainment The Plus500 Brumbies are pleased to announce that our half time entertainment during the season will consist of several junior U7’s game, the ACT & SNSW Junior clubs march pass, Foxtel Touch 7’s, as well as our ‘Beat a Brumby Segment’, in which members of the public will take on members of the Plus500 Brumbies in various activities. Our next two U7’s clubs to take the field at GIO Stadium this evening are representatives from Wests and Tuggeranong Vikings. The club’s senior sides went head-to-head earlier today at Jamison Oval in the Griffin Legal John I Dent Cup and now its time for the up-and-coming stars of tomorrow to showcase their impressive array of skills before the second half of the Brumbies match. Make some noise for both teams!

Wests U7’s 1. Jonty Amosa 2. Samuel Brissenden 3. Patrick Elston 4. Samuel Garner 5. Saia Hausia 6. Marshall Holding 7. Tyler King 8. Blake Lette 9. Angus Murray 10. Mase Taufoou Nutimeki 11. Jayden Kivalu

Vikings U7’s 1. TBA 2. TBA 3. TBA 4. TBA 5. TBA 6. TBA 7. TBA 8. TBA 9. TBA 10. TBA 11. TBA

COMMERCIALLY SPEAKING NEW LED ADVERTISING AT GIO STADIUM Have you seen the new state of the art LED Advertising Boards at GIO Stadium? These new boards have been providing an extra bonus for Plus500 Brumbies sponsors throughout the 2018 Super Rugby season, advertising their brand to our supporters both at the stadium and at home. The club still have some pre-game and halftime packages available where you can take full advantage of the flexibility that LED advertising can offer. Sports sponsorship is a medium that offers high visibility through extensive radio, television, press and online coverage of events and can often be purchased at a fraction of the cost of team or player sponsorship. Ideal for established or growing brands, both locally and interstate, this is an opportunity to showcase your company to our core

and loyal support base at GIO Stadium. For further information, or to discuss any other possible sponsorship requirements, please contact our Partnerships Manager, Kieran Walsh, on k.walsh@brumbies.com.au or via phone on 02 6283 8525.

CORPORATE HOSPITALITY FOR HURRICANES Looking to enjoy your rugby in style? The Plus500 Brumbies have Corporate Hospitality Packages suitable for all budgets available for our final home matches of the season against the Sunwolves on Sunday 3 June (kick off at 16:05) and the always exciting Hurricanes on Saturday 30 June (kick off at 19:45). To enquire about availability for this match, or to discuss your Business or Personal Hospitality needs in full, please contact our Sales Manager Michael Coulton on m.coulton@brumbies.com.au.

LAND ROVER DISCOVERY

CONQUERS EVERYTHING

EVEN AUSTRALIA’S CAR AWARDS The Land Rover Discovery is our most capable SUV yet. We took it 15,000kms across Australia. Innovative technology such as the Activity Key wearable, 7 USB ports, and 7 seats, helped us conquer everything in our path. And if that’s not enough, the Discovery is conquering Australia’s car awards too. landrover.com.au

VI SI TC AN BE RR

A. CO M .A U

CLOSER TO HOME: LOCAL CLUB SCENE Whites Go Back-to-Back

The Queanbeyan Whites had to wait 24 years before winning the Griffin Legal John I Dent Cup again following a trio of successes from 19811983 but when they finally broke that drought in 2007, they backed up a year later and completed a ‘double’ claiming another John I Dent Cup in 2008.

There were only two hiccups on the way to the Grand Final showdown, with Easts winning in Round 3 (22-13) and then Royals gaining revenge for their opening day reverse, winners in Round 8 (31-5).

Queanbeyan weren’t to be denied however and the Whites put behind them any memories of defeat to Easts, winning the major semi-final against the ‘Beasties’ 17-12 whilst the Colts also took the easy way defeating Tuggeranong 28-13. The loss by Tuggeranong in the Preliminary Final to the Owls was unexpected given the results through the season. The Second Grade had to go The Whites had started the year perfectly by to the Preliminary Final and face Vikings, winning winning the pre-season Vodafone Shield, in the through by seven points. process scoring 330 points over eight games and conceding only 70. That set the Whites up nicely In the Grand Finals, the Premier Division team for the season to follow and they claimed a brace defeated Easts 22-15, whilst the seconds defeated of big wins in the opening rounds of the campaign. Gungahlin 31-14 in their Grand Final. Queanbeyan Colts meanwhile were too good for Uni-Norths, In Round 1 Queanbeyan trounced Royals 54-0 and accounting for the Owls 25-18. followed up in Round 2 beating Tuggeranong Vikings 41-7. The First Grade’s first Minor Premiership in 26 Only two of the first-grade Premiership team are years was put beyond doubt in the last competition still playing top grade, namely Jamie Marmont game when Wests fell 43-26 with the scorers and Dan Penca. Captain of the side Josh Hastings indicating the strength of the side. Henry Seavula and lock Darren Bulley are currently assistant crossed for three tries, Jamie Marmont for two coaches of the firsts. They’ll need to go a long way though to repeat the heroics of 2007 and 2008. with Dan Penca and Lala Lam scoring one each. This period was one of the most successful in the history of the club as Queanbeyan took out the premierships in First Grade, Second Grade and Colts and were crowned Minor Premiers in all three grades to take home the ACTRU Club Championship for the first time.

TODAY’S FIXTURES ROUND 6 May Oval, 12 Saturday eanbeyan (Griffith u Q Easts v nclosed, 15:05) (Phillip E s h rt o N UniRoyals v ison ) 5 ng (Jam :0 15 uggerano T v Wests ce , 15:15) taken pla Enclosed es have h tc a Jo l m ga hn Three big n in the Griffin Le iews o o rn news, rev e this afte th ll a d r social p an I Dent Cu re available on ou a ck the s and result nels. Can Easts ro yals? n a R h n the o media c e owls stu th l il W gs? Head s? White the Vikin ebook ff o e se c s Will West egalJDICup on Fa nL ffi ri G @ to t! to find ou

PAGEll the news,s K O O B E FAC te with a scores, a

da ited ive up to lts and l and ed gal p e s Ke su Le atche ffin s, re view s live m the Gri ur new a o well hts from up at gal John C g i . Le highl I Dent riffin galJDICup G : e n e g h n L a i o n p d g J book p @Griffi er expan e c a v F u y is e nt C I De mmunit ord! w co The s on the s a p so

CLUB NOTICEBOARD NEXT WEEK

ROUND 7 Saturday 19 May Uni-Norths v Wests (ANU North Oval. 15:05) Queanbeyan v Royals (David Campese Field, 15:05) Gungahlin v Easts (Gungahlin Enclosed, 15:15) With no Super Rugby fixture scheduled for the Brumbies next weekend, it’s an ideal time to get out to our local grounds and check out our club sides in the Griffin Legal John I Dent Cup. For your convenience we have listed the fixtures that will take place next weekend below.

HOW THEY STAND Australian Conference #

Team

PTS

Waratahs

269

231

+38

Rebels

267

303

-36

Reds

170

241

-71

Brumbies

183

227

-44

Sunwolves

177

370

-193

New Zealand Conference #

Team

PTS

Crusaders

322

170

+152

Hurricanes

295

164

+131

Highlanders

251

221

+30

Chiefs

268

205

+63

Blues

249

309

-60

South African Conference

Team

PTS

Lions

362

306

+56

Jaguares

257

304

-47

Sharks

296

289

Stormers

294

315

-21

Bulls

258

263

-5

CLUB STATS Name

2018 APPS

2018 PTS

CAREER APPS

CAREER PTS 15

Robbie ABEL

Allan ALAALATOA

Ben ALEXANDER

148

105

Richie ARNOLD

Rory ARNOLD

Tom BANKS

Sam CARTER

100

Tom CUSACK

James DARGAVILLE

Blake ENEVER

Mees ERASMUS

0 5

Folau FAINGAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;A

Lolo FAKAOSILEA

Kyle GODWIN

Mack HANSEN

Wharenui HAWERA

165 0

Ben HYNE

Jordan JACKSON-HOPE

Tevita KURIDRANI

100 815

Christian LEALIIFANO

125

Leslie LEULUAIALII-MAKIN

Ryan LONERGAN

Matt LUCAS

Josh MANN-REA

Nic MAYHEW

Lachlan MCCAFFREY

Connal MCINERNEY

Andrew MUIRHEAD

Isireli NAISARANI

Michael OAKMAN-HUNT

Chance PENI

David POCOCK

103

Joe POWELL

Scott SIO

Faalelei SIONE

Andrew SMITH

Henry SPEIGHT

101

185

Darcy SWAIN

Lausii TALIAULI

Rob VALETINI

James VERITY-AMM

HOME AND AWAY

The Brumbies are off to South Africa following the conclusion of this match this evening for its tour of South Africa where we can expect two tough encounters against the Lions at Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg (Saturday 19 May) and the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria (Saturday 26 May). For those wishing to watch the matches here in Australia, Fox Sports will be broadcasting both games live, check your listings for further details. Our next home fixture here at GIO Stadium will see the return of the Sunwolves to Canberra for a match on Sunday 3 June, kick-off at 16.05. The Sunwolves have only ever met the Brumbies here once before and we ran in an amazing ten tries in a huge 66-5 success on that occasion. Our second Sunday afternoon match of the season promises to another wonderful experience and you can purchase tickets in advance by going to www.ticketek. com.au. Alternatively, you can buy tickets from the ticket office on Matchday. Corporate Hospitality packages are available for this fixture under the Tier B pricing structure.

SUPER RUGBY FIXTURES NOW ROUND 13 Friday 11 May â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Saturday 12 May Blues v Hurricanes (Eden Park, Auckland) Sunwolves v Reds (Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium) Crusaders v Waratahs (AMI Stadium) Highlanders v Lions (Forsyth Barr Stadium) Brumbies v Rebels (GIO Stadium) Stormers v Chiefs (DHL Newlands) Bulls v Sharks (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)

NEXT ROUND 14 Friday 18 May â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Saturday 19 May Hurricanes v Reds (Westpac Stadium) Sunwolves v Stormers (Mong Kok Stadium) Blues v Crusaders (Eden Park, Auckland) Waratahs v Highlanders (Allianz Stadium) Sharks v Chiefs (Growthpoint Kings Park) Lions v Brumbies (Emirates Airline Park) Jaguares v Bulls (Velez Sarsfield)

Intelligent Fleet Management Intelligent Salary Packaging

Whether your business is small or large, sgfleet can help you by providing the right tools and expertise. Contact us today and find out how we can help with your fleet or employee benefits.

Driving the Brumbies www.sgfleet.com 1300 138 235

Trade on Australia's #1 mobile CFD platform* Crypto, Indices, Forex, Commodities, ETFs, Stocks, Options CFD Service. Your capital is at risk.