Rugby league in the Australian Capital Territory
Encyclopedia
Traditionally, Canberra was considered to be one of the points which define the Barassi Line
. Due to its proximity to Sydney
, the Australian Capital Territory has support for multiple football
codes, including rugby union
, rugby league
, soccer and Australian rules football
.
outside the Sydney metropolitan area
and also the Australian Capital Territory
.
(NRL) is Australia's top level competition for the sport of rugby league.
The Canberra Raiders
are Canberra's National Rugby League
team, being admitted to the competition in 1982.
and surrounding New South Wales
towns Queanbeyan, Goulburn and Yass. The competition is run under the auspices of the Country Rugby League
and players are eligible for selection in the Monaro
Division of the CRL Divisional Championships.
in an annual match against a City side selected by the NSWRL. It is played before the Rugby League State of Origin
series and is often referred to as a selection trial for the New South Wales Blues
team.
They can also go onto play for New South Wales Blues in the State of Origin
series against Queensland Maroons.
An Australian Capital Territories representative side took part in the early Affiliated States Championship
.
Barassi Line
The Barassi Line was first suggested by Professor Ian Turner in his 1978 Ron Barassi Memorial Lecture to refer to a dividing line in Australia that divides areas where Australian rules is the dominant winter code of football from those where rugby football codes are most popular...
. Due to its proximity to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, the Australian Capital Territory has support for multiple football
Football
Football may refer to one of a number of team sports which all involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball with the foot to score a goal. The most popular of these sports worldwide is association football, more commonly known as just "football" or "soccer"...
codes, including 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...
, rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
, soccer and Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
.
Governing body
The New South Wales Country Rugby League (NSWCRL) is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in areas of 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...
outside the Sydney metropolitan area
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and also 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...
.
National Rugby League Teams
The National Rugby LeagueNational Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
(NRL) is Australia's top level competition for the sport of rugby league.
The Canberra Raiders
Canberra Raiders
The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership since 1982...
are Canberra's National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
team, being admitted to the competition in 1982.
| Club | Location | Home Ground(s) | First season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canberra Raiders Canberra Raiders The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership since 1982... |
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... |
Canberra Stadium Canberra Stadium Canberra Stadium is a facility primarily used for rugby league and rugby union games, located adjacent to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, the capital of Australia... |
1982 |
Canberra Rugby League
The Canberra Rugby League competition is more commonly known as the Canberra Raiders Cup, covering the Australian Capital TerritoryAustralian 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...
and surrounding 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...
towns Queanbeyan, Goulburn and Yass. The competition is run under the auspices of the Country Rugby League
New South Wales Country Rugby League
-2011 Tier 2 Championships:-History:Newcastle was the first city outside Sydney to start a league competition, being involved in the Sydney Premiership in 1908-09 and then starting their own competition in 1910....
and players are eligible for selection in the Monaro
Monaro
Monaro may refer to several topics:* Monaro , a region in the south of the state of Australia* the Monaro Highway, the main state highway from Canberra to the Monaro region...
Division of the CRL Divisional Championships.
Representative rugby league
ACT players are eligible to represent Country in the NSWRL City vs Country OriginCity vs Country Origin
City vs Country is an annual Australian rugby league football match that takes place in New South Wales between City and Country representative sides. The City side represents the Sydney metropolitan area...
in an annual match against a City side selected by the NSWRL. It is played before the Rugby League State of Origin
Rugby League State of Origin
State of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...
series and is often referred to as a selection trial for the New South Wales Blues
New South Wales Rugby League team
The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against arch-rivals, the...
team.
They can also go onto play for New South Wales Blues in the State of Origin
Rugby League State of Origin
State of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...
series against Queensland Maroons.
An Australian Capital Territories representative side took part in the early Affiliated States Championship
Affiliated States Championship
The Affiliated States Championship is an annual rugby league competition run by the Australian Rugby League involving the four affiliated states plus the Australian Police and Australian Defence Force.Following the Championship, an Australian representative side is selected from the teams to tour...
.
See also
- Rugby league in AustraliaRugby league in AustraliaRugby league football is one of the most popular sports in Australia. It is the dominant winter sport on the eastern seaboard of Australia, including the states of New South Wales and Queensland as well as the Australian Capital Territory, which together comprise around half of the country's...
- Rugby league in New South WalesRugby league in New South WalesRugby league has the highest spectator numbers of the various codes of football in New South Wales. It began in Australia in 1907, when the New South Wales Rugby League was formed as a professional competition, following the rules of the Northern Rugby Football Union in England...
- Sport in the Australian Capital TerritorySport in the Australian Capital TerritorySport in the Australian Capital Territory refers to the sports played in the Australian Capital Territory. Many sports are played in the territory. There are a number of teams in national leagues for several sports although the Rugby League and rugby union teams receive far more local coverage than...