Rugby: complete a two handed carry before the defensive line.

Played all over the world, rugby is a demanding sport with many social and health benefits. Classified as a territorial invasion game, where the team in possession, advances the ball forward with the main objective of scoring a ‘try’. It is a physical team sport and players should learn how to play safely so it can be enjoyed by all.

There are three ways to play Rugby:

• Rugby XV’s (15 a-side traditional rugby)

• Rugby 7’s (played in clubs and schools)

• Touch 7’s (non-contact)

Rugby Australia

Rugby Australia is the National Governing body of rugby in Australia. Our National Teams are the Wallabies (men’s) and the Wallaroos (women’s). We also have our Rugby 7’s teams – the women’s and men’s squad. The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC), formed in 2012, is the governing body for Rugby League in Australia (the National Rugby League). It has responsibility for funding the game at all levels and helping the game to grow and foster both in Australia and internationally. It has men’s and woman’s leagues. We also have our Indigenous All Stars (men and women).  

Rugby Union SA

Rugby Union SA promotes the growth of Rugby Union in SA. There are 13 Rugby Union Clubs in SA, 10 have Junior Sides.  

Junior Rugby consists of U6-U10 and U12-U18 for both girls and boys.  

First Nations Rugby

The Australian Rugby Foundation supports the inaugural #dreamBigTime program that aims to act as a vehicle for social change, strengthening engagement and connection with First Nations people through Rugby. The program launched in 2019 with a series of tours engaging with over 2,000 First Nation’s Peoples between the ages of 14-25, covering 22,000kms and visiting 83 towns throughout the east & west coasts and centre of Australia.  

The Lloyd McDermott Rugby Development Team – or ‘Lloydies’ was founded more than 20 years ago with a mission to increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation in Rugby. The Lloydies has also established strong youth sevens rugby programs, which includes a nationally competitive women’s and men’s national teams, a schoolgirls development camp in Alice Springs, men’s touring teams and a local club – The Eora Warriors for disadvantaged U8s and U12s based out of the NCIE in Redfern. 

One of the absolute greats of the game is Johnathan Thurstons- check out some of his highlights.  And local star now playing interstate is Jamayne Taunoa-Brown (Kaurna-Narungga).  

Wheelchair Rugby

Wheelchair Rugby is a Paralympic sport. It is an intense, contact team sport played by males and females in eight-minute quarters. Check out an overview of the game. It first appeared at the Paralympic Games in Atlanta in 1996. It became an official medal-awarding sport at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games and has since become one of the world’s most exciting and popular Para-sports. Our National team is the Steelers. 

The Wheelchair Rugby Australia (WRA) is the organisation responsible for the development and growth of the sport of wheelchair rugby in Australia. WRA is dedicated to providing athletes with a disability the opportunity to participate and excel in wheelchair rugby from grassroots to international competition.  

In SA the local wheelchair rugby team in the SA is the SA Sharks.