Australian Rugby Union
Encyclopedia
The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) is the governing body of rugby union
in Australia
. It was founded in 1949 and is a member of the International Rugby Board
(IRB) the sport's governing body. It consists of eight member unions, representing each state and territory. It is responsible for the Australia national rugby union team
.
in England
.
The administration was handed over to New South Wales
in 1881 and in 1892 the Southern Rugby Union of New South Wales and the Northern Rugby Union of Queensland
(formed in 1883) became New South Wales
and Queensland Rugby Union
s respectively.
New South Wales, as the senior union, was responsible for the administration of all tours and for representing Australia on the International Rugby Board
. However in 1947 the various State
Unions agreed that the future of rugby union
in Australia would be better served by forming one administrative body. In 1948, the International Rugby Board
invited Australia specifically (rather than a New South Wales representative), to take a seat on the Board.
The inaugural meeting of the Australian Rugby Football Union was held on November 25, 1949 with 11 delegates from New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia
, Western Australia
, Tasmania
and Victoria
. The Australian Capital Territory
became a member in 1972 and the Northern Territory
an associate member in 1978. In 2004, the ACT union changed its name to the ACT and Southern NSW Rugby Union
after two regional unions in southern New South Wales switched affiliation to the ACT union.
In 1985 the Australian Rugby Football Union was incorporated as a company and in 1997, it became simply The Australian Rugby Union Ltd.
Member Unions
Affiliate Unions
To be eligible for inclusion in the Wallaby Hall of Fame, a player must have:
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It was founded in 1949 and is a member of the International Rugby Board
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
(IRB) the sport's governing body. It consists of eight member unions, representing each state and territory. It is responsible for the Australia national rugby union team
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
.
History
In 1874 the Southern Rugby Union was established, administered from TwickenhamTwickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The administration was handed over to New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in 1881 and in 1892 the Southern Rugby Union of New South Wales and the Northern Rugby Union of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
(formed in 1883) became New South Wales
New South Wales Rugby Union
The New South Wales Rugby Union is the organisation responsible for the sport of rugby union in most of the state of New South Wales, Australia...
and Queensland Rugby Union
Queensland Rugby Union
The Queensland Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in Queensland. It is a member and founding union of the Australian Rugby Union.-See also:*Queensland Reds*Australian Rugby Union*The Wallabies*Rugby union in Queensland...
s respectively.
New South Wales, as the senior union, was responsible for the administration of all tours and for representing Australia on the International Rugby Board
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
. However in 1947 the various State
States and territories of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...
Unions agreed that the future of rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
in Australia would be better served by forming one administrative body. In 1948, the International Rugby Board
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
invited Australia specifically (rather than a New South Wales representative), to take a seat on the Board.
The inaugural meeting of the Australian Rugby Football Union was held on November 25, 1949 with 11 delegates from New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
and Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. The Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
became a member in 1972 and the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
an associate member in 1978. In 2004, the ACT union changed its name to the ACT and Southern NSW Rugby Union
ACT and Southern NSW Rugby Union
The ACT and Southern NSW Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in the Australian Capital Territory and southern regions of New South Wales. The union is represented by one team in the Super 14 competition, the Brumbies...
after two regional unions in southern New South Wales switched affiliation to the ACT union.
In 1985 the Australian Rugby Football Union was incorporated as a company and in 1997, it became simply The Australian Rugby Union Ltd.
Men
- WallabiesAustralia national rugby union teamThe Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
– the national men's rugby union team. - Australia A – the second-level men's national rugby union team.
- Under 20sAustralia national under-20 rugby union teamThe Australia national under-20 rugby union team represents Australia on a national level. They compete at the annual IRB Junior World Championship....
– the replacement for the former U-21 and U-19 sides, created after the IRB scrapped its former U-21 and U-19 competitions in favour of a U-20 competition, the IRB Junior World ChampionshipIRB Junior World ChampionshipThe IRB Junior World Championship is an international rugby union competition. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Rugby Board , and is contested by 12 men's junior national teams , with an under-20 age requirement. The inaugural tournament was held in June 2008,...
. - Under 21s – a former age graded side that has developed some of today's current Wallabies.
- Under 19s – a former age graded side that has developed some of today's current Wallabies.
- Australia Spirit – the national men's rugby union seven-a-side team.
Women
- WallaroosAustralia women's national rugby union teamThe Australia national women's rugby union team, also known as the Wallaroos, are the national women's rugby union team of Australia. The Wallaroos have competed at three Women's Rugby World Cups in the past; in 1998, 2002, 2006 and the current 2010 event.Australian women have been playing rugby...
– the national women's rugby union team.
Membership
The ARU has eight member unions, and a number of affiliated unions. Member unions have voting delegates. Affiliate groups do not have voting rights.Member Unions
- ACT and Southern NSW Rugby UnionACT and Southern NSW Rugby UnionThe ACT and Southern NSW Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in the Australian Capital Territory and southern regions of New South Wales. The union is represented by one team in the Super 14 competition, the Brumbies...
– 1 delegate - New South Wales Rugby UnionNew South Wales Rugby UnionThe New South Wales Rugby Union is the organisation responsible for the sport of rugby union in most of the state of New South Wales, Australia...
– 5 delegates - Northern Territory Rugby UnionNorthern Territory Rugby UnionThe Northern Territory Rugby Union is responsible for rugby union in the Australian region of the Northern Territory, and is part of the Australian Rugby Union.-External links:* *...
– 1 delegate - Queensland Rugby UnionQueensland Rugby UnionThe Queensland Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in Queensland. It is a member and founding union of the Australian Rugby Union.-See also:*Queensland Reds*Australian Rugby Union*The Wallabies*Rugby union in Queensland...
– 3 delegates - South Australia Rugby UnionSouth Australia Rugby UnionThe South Australia Rugby Union is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the State of South Australia, Australia. It is a member of the Australian Rugby Union. The SARU is a 11 team Rugby Union amateur league operating in Adelaide, South Australia.The premier grade is the largest...
– 1 delegate - Tasmanian Rugby UnionTasmanian Rugby UnionThe Tasmanian Rugby Union Est. 1933 is responsible for rugby union in the Australian state of Tasmania, and is part of the Australian Rugby Union....
– 1 delegate - Victorian Rugby UnionVictorian Rugby UnionThe Victorian Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in the state of Victoria, Australia. The VRU manages 26 clubs in metropolitan Melbourne, regional Victoria,and the border region of NSW which compromises 156 junior, senior mens and women's teams.-History:The Victorian Rugby Union was...
– 1 delegate - RugbyWARugbyWARugbyWA, formerly known as the Western Australia Rugby Union, is the governing body for rugby union in the state of Western Australia, Australia. In 2004, RugbyWA successfully secured the fourth Australian Super 12 licence, entering a team in the expanded Super 14 competition from 2006, called the...
(Western Australia) – 1 delegate
Affiliate Unions
- Australian Barbarian Rugby Club
- Australian Juniors Rugby Union
- Australian Rugby Football Schools Union
- Australian Services Rugby Union
- Australian Society of Rugby Referees
- Australian Universities Rugby Union
- Australian Womens Rugby
- Classic Wallabies
Hall of Fame
The ARUs promotes and selects a Hall of Fame honour. Each year two or more of Australia's greats from all eras of the international game are inducted into the Wallaby Hall of Fame. Inductees are drawn from all Test teams starting with the first side in 1899. Consideration is given to a players’ on-field career but induction is not based on statistical achievement alone.To be eligible for inclusion in the Wallaby Hall of Fame, a player must have:
- Played at least one Test for Australia
- Been retired from Rugby for at least 10 years
- Made a major contribution to the game of Rugby
- Demonstrated outstanding ability, sportsmanship, commitment, character and personal contribution to their team and the game in their era.
Hall of Fame Members
- Tom Richards
- Tom Lawton, SnrTom Lawton, SnrTom Lawton Snr was an Australian rugby union player, a state and national representative five-eighth who made 44 appearances for the Wallabies, played in 14 Test matches and captained the national side on ten occasions....
- Alex RossAlex Ross (rugby union)Alex Ross was an Australian state and national representative rugby union player who captained the Wallabies in thirteen Test matches in 1933-34.-Career:...
- Cyril TowersCyril TowersCyril Towers was an Australian rugby union player, a state and national representative centre who made 57 appearances for the Wallabies, played in 19 Test matches and captained the national side on three occasions in 1937...
- Sir Edward “Weary” DunlopEdward DunlopLieutenant Colonel Sir Ernest Edward "Weary" Dunlop, AC, CMG, OBE was an Australian surgeon who was renowned for his leadership while being held prisoner by the Japanese during World War II.-Early life and family:...
- Colin WindonColin WindonColin Windon was an Australian soldier and a state and national representative rugby union player who captained the Wallabies in six Test matches in 1951...
- Sir Nicholas ShehadieNicholas ShehadieSir Nicholas Michael Shehadie, AC, OBE KStJ is the former Lord Mayor of Sydney and a former national representative rugby union captain, who made thirty career Test appearances...
- Tony MillerTony Miller (rugby)Tony Miller MBE, was an Australian rugby union footballer and coach, A state and national representative second-row forward, he played forty-one Test matches for Australia in a representative career spanning sixteen seasons. His age at 38 years, 113 days at the time of his last Wallaby...
- John ThornettJohn ThornettJohn Thornett is a former Australian rugby union player, having played 37 Tests for Australia between 1955 and 1967. He captained Australia on four of the eight occasions that he went on tour....
- Des ConnorDes ConnorDesmond Michael Connor is an Australian former rugby union halfback who represented internationally for both the Australian and New Zealand national rugby union teams...
- Jon WhiteJon White (rugby)Jonathon Parker Laidley White is an Australian former national representative rugby union player who made twenty-four Test appearances for his country between 1958 & 65...
- Ken CatchpoleKen CatchpoleKen Catchpole OAM, is a former Australian rugby union footballer. A state and national representative half-back, he played twenty-seven matches for Australia, thirteen as captain. Catchpole rose through the ranks at the Randwick club as a young man, before making his debut for New South Wales...
- John HipwellJohn Hipwell-Early life:John Hipwell, born 24 January 1948 in Mayfield , is a former rugby union player who played and captained the Australian national team . He played the majority of his career at scrum half...
- Mark LoaneMark LoaneMark Edward Loane AM is an Australian former rugby union football player, who played 89 games for Queensland and 28 Tests for the Wallabies. Described by Bret Harris in his book, The Marauding Maroons, as "the closest thing to a folk hero Queensland has seen", Loane was noted for devastating...
- Mark EllaMark EllaMark Gordon Ella is an Indigenous Australian former rugby union player, often considered as one of his country's all-time greats in that sport. In a relatively short career , Mark Ella established himself as one of the all-time greats in world rugby union...
- David CampeseDavid CampeseDavid Ian Campese , also known as Campo, is a former Australian rugby union player. Campese was capped by the Wallabies 101 times, and held the world record for the most tries in test matches until Daisuke Ohata scored his 65th try playing for Japan on 14 May 2006...
- Nick Farr-JonesNick Farr-JonesNicholas Campbell Farr-Jones is a former Australian rugby union footballer. His position was scrum-half. He attended Newington College and St Andrew's College within the University of Sydney...