Perth Spirit
Encyclopedia
The Perth Spirit was an Australian rugby union
football club based in Perth
, Western Australia
. Perth Spirit was one of eight clubs that competed in the Australian Rugby Championship
(ARC) which ran in 2007. Perth Spirit played at the Members Equity Stadium
. The players in the squad adopted an unconventional name of the "Perth Pigs". The team was captained by half back Matt Henjak
since he overcame a back injury.
, two in Queensland
and Canberra
and Melbourne
clubs making up the inaugural eight. The Perth team's name - Spirit, along with colours and logo were unveiled in March 2007.
At the launch of the new team, it was revealed that John Mulvihill would be the head coach of the Spirit for the inaugural season. Mulvihill was also the Super 14
Western Force
attack coach. The competition started in August, with the Spirit playing their first home game at Members Equity Stadium
on the second weekend of August.
. RugbyWA board and senior management considered 20 names for the ARC team, with Spirit in the end being the preferred option because it was seen identifiable as Western Australian, and was aligned with the Western Force Super 14 team. The logo of the Spirit was also similar to that of the Force, though it is gold instead of the Force's blue.
Rugby WA said that “Just as Force taps into the natural elements that have shaped WA, the word Spirit is strong, powerful and dynamic, and reflects the independent, open-minded and entrepreneurial way West Aussies approach things”. In addition, “We didn’t choose an animal or plant in the name because we wanted it to reflect a passionate and proudly parochial body of people, West Aussies”. Although the jersey has yet to be revealed, it is known that the Spirit will play in the traditional hoop style.
in Perth. The ground was opened in 1904. At the time the Western Force did not play at Members Equity, but at the larger capacity venue of Subiaco Oval
. However, Members Equity is probably better suited to rugby due to its configuration. The stadium has a capacity of around 17,000. The Perth Spirit played four home games at Members Equity during the ARC season. The stadium is also home to the Perth Glory FC
and was the home to the WA Reds Rugby League Club.
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...
football club based in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, 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...
. Perth Spirit was one of eight clubs that competed in the Australian Rugby Championship
Australian Rugby Championship
The Australian Rugby Championship, often abbreviated to the ARC , was a domestic Rugby union football club competition in Australia which ran for only one season in August–October 2007...
(ARC) which ran in 2007. Perth Spirit played at the Members Equity Stadium
Members Equity Stadium
Perth Oval, known by its sponsored name nib Stadium since July 2010, is a sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia. It has been the home of A-League club Perth Glory since 1996 and has housed the administrative facilities of the Western Australia Rugby League since 2003...
. The players in the squad adopted an unconventional name of the "Perth Pigs". The team was captained by half back Matt Henjak
Matt Henjak
Matt Henjak is an Australian rugby union player. His position of choice is scrum-half. Henjak, of Croatian ancestry, is the nephew of former rugby league half-back and Brisbane Broncos head coach Ivan Henjak...
since he overcame a back injury.
History
With the announcement of a new national rugby union competition, it was known that one of the foundation clubs would be located in Perth - with three teams in New South WalesNew 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...
, two in 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...
and Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
and Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
clubs making up the inaugural eight. The Perth team's name - Spirit, along with colours and logo were unveiled in March 2007.
At the launch of the new team, it was revealed that John Mulvihill would be the head coach of the Spirit for the inaugural season. Mulvihill was also the Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
Western Force
Western Force
Western Force is a rugby union team based in Perth, Western Australia playing in the international Super Rugby competition. They first competed in the 2006 season and finished with the wooden spoon in that year, however their performances greatly improved in 2007. In 2008 they finished in 8th...
attack coach. The competition started in August, with the Spirit playing their first home game at Members Equity Stadium
Members Equity Stadium
Perth Oval, known by its sponsored name nib Stadium since July 2010, is a sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia. It has been the home of A-League club Perth Glory since 1996 and has housed the administrative facilities of the Western Australia Rugby League since 2003...
on the second weekend of August.
Colours and logo
The colours, name and logo of the club were unveiled on 21 March 2007. The Spirit's colours were revealed as black and gold - the traditional state colours of Western AustraliaWestern 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...
. RugbyWA board and senior management considered 20 names for the ARC team, with Spirit in the end being the preferred option because it was seen identifiable as Western Australian, and was aligned with the Western Force Super 14 team. The logo of the Spirit was also similar to that of the Force, though it is gold instead of the Force's blue.
Rugby WA said that “Just as Force taps into the natural elements that have shaped WA, the word Spirit is strong, powerful and dynamic, and reflects the independent, open-minded and entrepreneurial way West Aussies approach things”. In addition, “We didn’t choose an animal or plant in the name because we wanted it to reflect a passionate and proudly parochial body of people, West Aussies”. Although the jersey has yet to be revealed, it is known that the Spirit will play in the traditional hoop style.
Stadium
The Perth Spirit played at the Members Equity StadiumMembers Equity Stadium
Perth Oval, known by its sponsored name nib Stadium since July 2010, is a sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia. It has been the home of A-League club Perth Glory since 1996 and has housed the administrative facilities of the Western Australia Rugby League since 2003...
in Perth. The ground was opened in 1904. At the time the Western Force did not play at Members Equity, but at the larger capacity venue of Subiaco Oval
Subiaco Oval
Subiaco Oval , known colloquially as Subi, is the highest capacity sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia...
. However, Members Equity is probably better suited to rugby due to its configuration. The stadium has a capacity of around 17,000. The Perth Spirit played four home games at Members Equity during the ARC season. The stadium is also home to the Perth Glory FC
Perth Glory FC
Perth Glory Football Club is a professional football club in Perth, Western Australia, Australia, competing in Australia's top football competition the A-League. Perth Glory is one of only three clubs to survive from the now defunct National Soccer League...
and was the home to the WA Reds Rugby League Club.
Franchise area
The New South Wales and Queensland clubs were aligned with existing local clubs, it has yet to be announced what system the Perth club will be using. It was said of the location of the club during the Spirit's launch that "Perth was chosen to avoid confusion with the Western Force but still make it obviously West Australian". The 28-man squad was made know at the end of the Super 14 season.Current squad
| Player | Position | Club | Super 14 caps | Wallaby caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kane Allen | Centre/Wing | Wests Subiaco | 0 | 0 |
| Dan Bailey | Wing/Fullback | Nedlands | 0 | 0 |
| Will Brock | Flanker | Nedlands | 0 | 0 |
| Richard Brown Richard Brown Richard Brown or Browne may refer to:* Dick Brown , rugby player* Dick Brown , catcher in American Major League Baseball during the 1950s and 1960s... |
Flanker | Cottesloe | 19 | 0 |
| Pekahou Cowan | Prop | Nedlands | 1 | 0 |
| Ryan Cross Ryan Cross Ryan Cross is a Rugby Union football player for Racing Metro 92 after signing from USA Perpignan in the French Top 14. He previously played for the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League competition, the Western Force and the NSW Waratahs in Super Rugby.-Early career:Son of former rugby... |
Centre | University | 13 | 0 |
| Nick Cummins Nick Cummins Nick Cummins Nick Cummins Nick Cummins (born 5 October 1987 in Port Macquarie, New South Wales is an Australian rugby union footballer who plays wing for the Super 14 franchise, the Emirates Western Force... |
Wing/Fullback | N/A | 0 | 0 |
| Scott Daruda Scott Daruda Scott Daruda is an Australian rugby union player. He currently plays for Kubota Spears franchise in Japan. His usual position is either at fly-half or in the centres.-Career:... |
Flyhalf | Associates | 6 | 0 |
| Luke Doherty | Lock/Backrow | Kalamunda | 47 | 0 |
| Scott Fardy | Lock/Backrow | N/A | 0 | 0 |
| Scott Fava Scott Fava Scott Fava is a retired Australian rugby union footballer.-Super 14:Scott Fava began his Super Rugby career with the Queensland Reds in 1999, playing for three seasons before moving on to the ACT Brumbies... |
Backrow | Associates | 74 | 5 |
| Todd Feather | Flyhalf | Cottesloe | 2 | 0 |
| Gareth Hardy | Prop | Palmyra | 39 | 0 |
| Matt Henjak Matt Henjak Matt Henjak is an Australian rugby union player. His position of choice is scrum-half. Henjak, of Croatian ancestry, is the nephew of former rugby league half-back and Brisbane Broncos head coach Ivan Henjak... (c) |
Scrumhalf | Cottesloe | 41 | 4 |
| Jimmy Hilgendorf | Flyhalf | Wests Subiaco | 15 | 0 |
| Tom Hockings | Lock | Associates | 0 | 0 |
| Luke Holmes | Hooker | Nedlands | 4 | 0 |
| Edward Jenkins | Wing | Sydney University (NSW) | 0 | 0 |
| Kieran Longbottom | Prop | Rockingham | 0 | 0 |
| Lachlan MacKay | Flyhalf/Centre | Perth Bayswater | 13 | 1 |
| Tai McIsaac Tai McIsaac Tai McIsaac is an Australian rugby union footballer. His usual position is hooker, and he currently plays for the Western Force in the Super 14 competition.-Career:... (vc) |
Hooker | Wests Subiaco | 43 | 9 |
| Luke McLean Luke McLean Luke McLean is an Italian Australian rugby union footballer who plays at fullback and fly-half for Treviso in Italy. He has also represented the Italy national rugby union team.-Background:McLean was born in Townsville, Queensland... |
Fullback/Flyhalf | Souths (Qld) | 0 | 0 |
| Jackson Mullane Jackson Mullane Jackson Mullane is an Australian actor known for his portrayal of Outlaw in the Gladiators . Mullane is also a State Representative rugby union player.... |
Wing | Southern Districts (NSW) | 0 | 0 |
| Junior Pelesasa Junior Pelesasa Junior Pelesasa is an Australian rugby union footballer who currently plays for Agen. He plays as a centre.-Career:Pelesasa moved to Australia from New Zealand at the age of 16... |
Centre | Wanneroo | 50 | 0 |
| David Pocock | Flanker | University | 13 | 0 |
| Haig Sare Haig Sare Haig Sare is an Australian rugby union player. He plays as centre or winger for the Western Force in the Super 14. He played schoolboy rugby for the Shore School in Sydney.-Career:... |
Wing/Fullback | Nedlands | 15 | 0 |
| Cameron Shepherd Cameron Shepherd Cameron Shepherd is an Australian rugby union footballer. He currently plays for the Western Force in the international Super 14 competition. His usual position is at fullback or wing.-Biography:... |
Wing/Fullback | Perth Bayswater | 40 | 5 |
| Ratu Siganiyavi | Wing/Fullback | Palmyra | 0 | 0 |
| James Stannard | Scrumhalf | Palmyra | 0 | 0 |
| Troy Takiari | Prop | Nedlands | 13 | 0 |
| Sitaleki Timani Sitaleki Timani Sitaleki Timani , is a Tongan rugby union player. He currently plays for the NSW Waratahs mainly playing second row.Timani made his Super Rugby debut for Western Force in 2008 against the Sharks.-References:*... |
Lock | Cottesloe | 0 | 0 |
| Ryan Tyrrell | Hooker | Rockingham | 0 | 0 |
| Rudi Vedelago Rudi Vedelago Rudi Patrick Vedelago is an Australian former rugby union player.-Biography:Born and raised in Brisbane, Rudi attended school at St... |
Lock | Kalamunda | 39 | 0 |
| AJ Whalley | Prop | Cottesloe | 7 | 0 |
Records
| ARC seasons | ||||||||||||
| Year | Played | Win | Draw | Loss | PF | PA | Diff | Bonus (4 tries) | Bonus (Loss <7pts) | Points | Place | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 210 | 138 | 72 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 3 | Semi-Final vs Central Coast Rays Central Coast Rays The Central Coast Rays were an Australian rugby union football club that played in the now-defunct Australian Rugby Championship. The Rays were formed as one of New South Wales' three clubs that participated in the inaugural season of the championship, which started in August 2007. The team were... |