Behind the Ruck

Rats left shellshocked as rampant Uni reach the half-century

Reigning Premiers Sydney University overwhelmed Warringah 50-0 on Good Friday, with a performance – and result – that should send shivers down the spines of the rest of the competition.
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What they said… Gordon v Southern Districts

Post-match reaction from both camps with Don Mackinnon, Darren Coleman and Marcus Carbone.
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Souths have just enough to edge new-look Highlanders

Anyone who wondered if incoming head coach Darren Coleman would be able to turn the ship around at Gordon in just six months, can happily read the positives in a narrow 31-27 loss to Southern Districts in their first hit-out of the season on Saturday.
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Maligned Mason ‘back on the horse’ with style and plenty of guts

A week sure is a long time in footy. Eight days prior to stepping out for Eastern Suburbs in last Saturday’s opening round of the Intrust Super Shute Shield, flyhalf Mack Mason had been pulled from the field after just 56 minutes for the Waratahs, in their shock loss to the Sunwolves in Newcastle.
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Vale Lloyd McDermott – A pioneer on and off the field

Australian rugby lost one of it’s most special custodians yesterday, with the passing of Lloyd McDermott at the age of 79. A proud ‘Mununjali and Waka Waka’ man, he was the second Aboriginal player to represent the Wallabies, and went on to become the country’s first Indigenous lawyer.
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Harry Potter and the Defence of the Shield: Can Uni do it all again?

Was the decision to interview a player with the same name as a rather popular fantasy character, a chance to come up with some sort of witty title and graphic to riff on that? Well of course it was!

But it was also an opportunity to shine the light on a gifted young player who largely flew under the radar for Sydney University last year. Meet the real Harry Potter.
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Cooper back with a vengeance as Rebels demolish Reds

Quade Cooper may have left Queensland rugby as a diminished hero forced to play club rugby. But he returned in style to reclaim his Suncorp Stadium throne in opposition colours yesterday, orchestrating a dominant 32-13 win for the Melbourne Rebels over the Reds, that sees the Victorians go back to the top of the Australian conference.
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Newcastle nightmare as toothless Tahs get bitten by Sunwolves

They talked about the danger of it happening all week, but the Waratahs’ worst nightmares were realised on Friday night in Newcastle, with a 31-29 defeat to the bottom-placed Sunwolves immediately cancelling out the highs of last weekend’s victory over the high-flying Crusaders.
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Search begins to unearth next First Nations talent

The search to unearth the next Kurtley Beale, Mahalia Murphy or Maurice Longbottom has begun, with Rugby Australia’s High Performance team embarking this week on an Indigenous talent ID tour from Bathurst all the way up to Alice Springs.
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Defensive mettle helps Waratahs end Crusaders’ unbeaten run

The SCG is proving to be a happy-hunting ground for the NSW Waratahs in Super Rugby, their third win in three appearances at the iconic cricket ground arguably their biggest yet, with two-time champions the Crusaders taken down 20-12 in wet and tricky conditions in Sydney on Saturday night.
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Rugby community pulls together to help flood affected Queensland

Posted on March 23, 2019 by Paul Cook Leave a comment

The rugby community is again coming together to help those in need, with the announcement that Rugby Australia, the Queensland Rugby Union, the Australian Rugby Foundation, and the Classic Wallabies are combining their efforts to help support the game in the flood-ravaged areas of North Queensland.

Wallabies

Classic Wallabies and Wallaroos to light up Moree this weekend

Posted on March 21, 2019 by Paul Cook Leave a comment

Northern New South Wales is the place to be this weekend if you love your rugby and want to see some of the stars of the past lacing up their boots again, as the town of Moree prepares to host both the Classic Wallabies and Classic Wallaroos.

Wallabies

Junior Wallabies’ Oceania U20s Fixtures Announced

Posted on March 21, 2019 by Paul Cook Leave a comment

Australia’s next generation of rugby stars can prepare in earnest for next month’s Oceania U20s Championship, after exciting clashes against Junior Japan, Fiji U20s and New Zealand U20s were confirmed today.

Wallabies

Fast-finishing Jeeps edge Uni in Club Championship thriller

Posted on March 20, 2019 by Paul Cook One comment

The Australian Club Championship spoils have headed back over the Tweed River to Brisbane, after GPS downed Sydney University 37-31 in a thriller in the wet at Ballymore last Saturday night.

Club Rugby

Brumbies back on song to down misfiring Tahs

Posted on March 17, 2019 by Paul Cook Leave a comment

One win from four was not the start the Brumbies had prepared for in the 2019 Super Rugby competition, but they bounced back in style on Friday night to down the Waratahs 19-13 in Canberra, and maintain their hold on the Dan Vickerman Cup.

Super Rugby

NSW Women edge Queensland in grand final rematch

Posted on March 12, 2019 by Paul Cook Leave a comment

The spoils have stayed with NSW for the second time in a weekend, with the Waratahs Women matching the exploits of the men’s side the previous night ,to just about see off a dogged Queensland side 15-7 at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday afternoon.