Australian National Rugby Championship (NRC)

[Stargazer]

FYI

The NRC kicks off today with the first game of the Fijian Drua in this competition!
Here's some info:

Full 2017 draw (pdf)

Round 1 team line-ups and broadcast info for Australia

This weekend's draw:

ROUND 1

Sat 2 Sep – Brisbane – kick-off 5.00pm NZT (3.00pm local)
Brisbane City v Fijian Drua
LIVE on the Rugby Channel

Sat 2 Sep – Wanniassa ACT - kick-off 5.00pm NZT (3.00pm local)
Canberra Vikings v Queensland Country

Sun 3 Sep – Sydney – kick-off 5.00pm NZT (3.00pm local)
Greater Sydney Rams v NSW Country Eagles
LIVE on the Rugby Channel

Sun 3 Sep – Perth – kick-off 7.00pm NZT (3.00pm local)
Perth Spirit v Melbourne Rising

Bye - Sydney Rays

There is a replay of an NRC game on the Rugby Channel on Wednesday at 4pm, but there’s no info about which game that is.

[Stargazer]

This is a bit of a stain on the debut game of the Fijian Drua team in the NRC.

Fijian hooker cops 20 week ban

The Fijian Drua hooker accused of biting Brisbane City skipper Andrew Ready on Saturday has been handed a 20 week ban.

Samu Suguturaga faced the NRC judiciary at Ballymore last night, where he pleaded guilty to the charge of biting.

Ready complained to referee Damon Murphy after a first half scrum that he had been bitten but there was no action taken on field.

He was later charged and judicial officer Paul Tully found that the conduct was on the high end of the scale, providing an entry point of 24 weeks.

Tully citied "mitigating circumstances" for the reduction to 20 weeks.

[Higgins]

There can be no mitigating circumstances when it comes to biting someone's ear.

[antipodean]

I went along to an NRC fixture last weekend and I'd be surprised if there were 1000 people there. A number of whom may have stuck around after watching a school final...

[NTA]

I hear there weren't many at Eastwood to watch the Rams either.

They're rebranded to "Greater Sydney Rams" from last year's "Western Sydney Rams" as Eastwood Rugby stumped up the cash to buy the licence from the original consortium.

Eastwood are flush, having just sold their home ground (its in a prime spot for development) in preparation for moving. They fucking should too as the condition of the place is awful. Going there Saturday to watch Subbies Division 1 (Presidential Privilege) and at least the beer will be cold.

Anyway, the two Western Sydney clubs didn't have high quality players to provide, and they've basically been snubbed at this point. For all the talk Brett Papworth put out about NRC being a waste of time, they're now in the tent, and pissing out a little.

[Stargazer]

First a Fijian Drua player is suspended for biting, now another one gets nine weeks for eye gouging! Idiots.

Drua centre banned for eye gouge

[Stargazer]

For whoever is interested. This competition started last weekend.

2018 fixtures

I don't have the time to also follow this competition, but I thought it was interesting to spot the Kiwis, who play in this comp. This list won't be complete, as there will be Kiwi players (or NZ born players) I don't know.

Brisbane City
Dillon Wihongi - played for St Kent's, North Harbour, Blues U20 and NZ Schools (2013)
NZ born Quade Cooper and Karmichael Hunt also play for this team

Canberra Vikings
Wharenui Hawera - Brumbies, also played for Waikato and Southland
Chance Peni - Brumbies, NZ born player who played for the Junior Kiwis in his league days

Fijian Drua
_

Western Force
Leon Power - Sydney born, but attended Francis Douglas, played for Taranaki and Bay of Plenty
Henry Stowers - Samoa U20 (2014), NZ U20 (2015), Wellington U19, Wellington Lions and Bay of Plenty
Jeremy Thrush - needs no introduction

Melbourne Rising
Michael Ruru - Melbourne Rebels, former Hawke's Bay halfback, who also played for Western Force before it was culled from SR
Anaru Rangi - Melbourne rebels, Wellington born

NSQ Country Eagles
_

Queensland Country
Fred Burke - Crusaders Academy (2013), Canterbury ‘B’ (2012), Crusaders U21s (2010), Crusaders U20s (2009), Crusaders U19s (2008), Burnside RFC

Sydney Rays
Curtis Rona - Waitara born former league player (incl NZ Māori XIII in 2016): Wallabies, Waratahs, Force
JP Sauni - Waratahs, 2017 NZ U20

[antipodean]

I went along to see Qld Country beat the Brumbies Tuggeranong Canberra Vikings.

Cold, windy, not much of a crowd. Qld deserved to win.