Author: Reg Roberts

Round One of the NRC produced 36 tries across the four games, and some cracking individual performances. Here is the GAGR Buildcorp NRC Team of Week One. [one_third last=”no”] 1. Haydn Hirsimaki (QLD Country) One of the few things QLD Country could hang their hat on last year was a strong scrum, and Hirsimacki was a big part of this at loose head prop. The team showed plenty more this week, but the scrum was again dominant. Haydn lead the way from Loose Head Prop, causing the Rising front row great concern, whilst also making plenty of tackles across the park.…

‘Working Class Rugger’ went along to Merrylands RSL Oval to watch another fantastic NRC Round 1 match. Here’s his report. The NSW Country Eagles descended upon Merrylands RSL Oval to face the Greater Sydney Rams  looking to once again launch their NRC campaign on a warm, sunny Saturday afternoon in Parramatta. Both franchises met in the corresponding match last season leading to a comfortable Eagles victory by 31-3 in starkly different conditions. For the Eagles, the goal would have been largely to repeat the prescription providing them with the ideal platform in which to build into what from early signs…

The Melbourne Rising opened their 2015 Buildcorp NRC season with a hard fought 39-31 victory over Queensland Country on the Gold Coast today. In doing so the Rising become the first team of successfully defend the Horan-Little Shield. The highly entertaining match featured 11 tries across both teams and, whilst missing the intensity of the Grand Final replay between Brisbane City and Perth Spirit on Thursday night, put a cap on an extremely high quality first round of rugby in this NRC competition. An enthusiastic crowd of Gold Coasters were out at Bond University in the hope that QLD Country…

Carl Unger went along to Manly Oval to watch the clash between the Stars and the Rays. This is his report. It’s only round 1 but the Sydney derby between the North Harbour Rays and the Sydney Stars felt like a must win, sudden death scenario with the amount of Super Rugby dominated sides to contend with down the track. This was a golden opportunity to grab points for both teams. It’s back to back games for these 2 rivals with the Stars hosting the Rays in the final game last year and taking out the victory in typical NRC high…

The 2015 version of the Buildcorp National Rugby Championship kicks off this Thursday night, and once again Green and Gold will be doing our best to cover all games. Let’s look at this week’s match ups as part of our NRC 2015 Round 1 preview. Brisbane City v Perth Spirit Thursday 20 August at Ballymore Stadium (Brisbane).  Kick-off 7:30pm Kudos to the ARU and Fox Sports for scheduling a Grand Final re-match to launch the new season. This two teams produced a couple of ball-tearers in their encounters in 2014, with the Final at Ballymore proving to be one of…

The 2015 NRC season kicks off this week with a Grand Final re-match between Brisbane City and Perth Spirit, telecast live from Ballymore on Fox Sports. As a means of a NRC Preview, we will be running a series of articles in the lead up to this first game to give you a bit more of an insight into what we can expect this NRC season. One of the interesting talking points during the off-season has been how different the sides will look in 2015 (and no, we aren’t talking about the plethora of yellow jerseys). While there is definitely…

The 2015 NRC season kicks off tomorrow night in Brisbane, and this morning at Ballymore the ARU announced two exciting new developments in the competition, designed to capture the hearts of the rugby loving public. The Horan-Little Shield Named after Wallaby legends and great mates Tim Horan and Jason Little and in consultation with Green and Gold Rugby, the Horan-Little Shield will be played for during the nine-week regular season. 2014 Buildcorp NRC minor premiers, Melbourne Rising, will be in possession of the Horan-Little Shield for the start of the campaign having gone undefeated for the regular season last year.…

The 2015 NRC season kicks off this week with a Grand Final re-match between Brisbane City and Perth Spirit, telecast live from Ballymore on Fox Sports. As a means of a NRC Preview, we will be running a series of articles in the lead up to this first game to give you a bit more of an insight into what we can expect this NRC season. Today we are looking at five rookies to watch this year. The competition is a wonderful stepping stone for the developing player to prove themselves on a bigger stage, and we look at a…

The 2015 NRC season kicks off this week with a Grand Final re-match between Brisbane City and Perth Spirit, telecast live from Ballymore on Fox Sports. As a means of a NRC Preview, we will be running a series of articles in the lead up to this first game to give you a bit more of an insight into what we can expect this NRC season. Today we ask the five biggest questions we will seek answers for this season. Will more people see the damn thing? For those who got along or watched on the box, the 2014 NRC…

Rugby fans will be able to see every match in the second edition of the Buildcorp National Rugby Championship thanks to unprecedented coverage by FOX SPORTS. As per in 2014, there will be  weekly Thursday night match broadcast live on Fox Sports as part of an extended rugby programming schedule alongside Rugby HQ. Today the ARU and FOX SPORTS announced that the three remaining matches each weekend will now be live streamed on foxsports.com.au, as well as being available on Apple TV via FOX SPORTS Now. The step is a massive boost for the fledgling competition which thrilled a hard core fan base…

This week’s Green and Gold Rugby Wallaby player ratings are much like that win over the All Blacks – long overdue.  Before we get stuck into them, can I say how glad I’m not doing the All Black ratings? I struggle to remember a poorer All Black performance and it’s something the Wallabies (and their fans) need to be wary of as we draw closer to the return bout this weekend. Anyway, here are my ratings: [one_third last=”no”] Scott Sio  A key part of a dominant Wallaby scrum but also providing some very impressive physicality and grunt up the middle…

In 2014 the Bond Pirates finished the Gold Coast Districts Rugby Union (GCDRU) season hanging by a thread as a club. A lack of numbers saw them without a third grade side for the first time ever. In first grade the team had not registered a single win, taking out their second consecutive wooden spoon whilst their second grade finished the season with just two wins to also be planted at the bottom of the ladder. Once one of the toughest opponents in the GCDRU competition, many were now questioning if the club would survive another season. Despite their lack of success on…

The Souths Magpies have produced a dominant performance to defeat Easts by 39-12, putting a wrap on a remarkable run of sudden death footy over recent weeks. Entering the final round of the preliminary competition in fifth spot, the Magpies have had to win every match or face elimination from the competition. Souths produced two remarkable last minute victories in the final series to reach the Grand Final, yet came out firing today at Ballymore scoring four tries in the first half to all but eliminate any hope the Minor Premiers, Easts, had of claiming their second title in two…

Ballymore is sure to be rocking this Sunday afternoon as two of the largest clubs in Australia meet in the Grand Final of the BLK Queensland Premier Rugby competition. Minor Premiers, the Easts Tigers, will come up against the surprise packets, the Souths Magpies in what should be an absolute ball tearer of a match. It is exactly twenty years since these two clubs played off in their first Premier Grade Grand Final in a match that saw incumbent Reds Coaches Richard Graham and Nick Stiles face off on the pitch.  Souths would win that one, but Easts claimed their…

In our latest rugby podcast Matt, Hugh and Reg get together to discuss the Wallabies bonus-point victory over the Argentinians in Mendoza. Following their in-depth discussion and our continued Rugby World Cup prospects, we talk NRC, future Wallaby schedules, the Aussie 7s team and then the upcoming Club Rugby Finals. Plenty of rugby podcast chat to be had!

Prior to this season, the last time the Wallabies played the Boks in Brisbane, we lost. The last time we played the Pumas in Mendoza, we lost. So things seem to be on the up as we sit atop the Rugby Championship ladder. But we do we take from our latest win over Argentina? Let’s start with these five things. Super Pooper is fantastic – defensively ferocious. View image | gettyimages.com For the second test in a row the starting openside flanker for Australia (Hooper v South Africa; Pococok v Argentina) was an absolute powerhouse from the kick-off. For the…

The Wallabies kicked off their 2015 international test season with a last minute win over the Springboks. It’s only fitting then that we kick off our 2015 international podcast season with a last minute mention of our highest profile Wallaby, Israel Folau. Don’t worry though because the preceding 50 minutes or so are the highest quality of Wallaby wanging you’ll hear (and not see) this week, or your money back. Plus we have news of a SIGNIFICANT Wallaby announcement this Thursday! G&GR first with the news once again.

The Wallabies will kick off their 2015 with an inside back combination that was last used at Wallaby level against England at Twickenham in 2010. Green and Gold Rugby can confirm that Michael Cheika, in his first test on home soil, has opted for Queenslanders Quade Cooper and Will Genia to start at Suncorp Stadium, usurping Waratah incumbents Bernard Foley and Nick Phipps. Joining the Queensland combo will be the Toulon-based Matt Giteau, to start at inside-centre, in his first Wallaby cap since their heavy loss to Samoa at the start of the 2011 season. In a boon for Wallaby fans, it…

It’s Super Rugby Final week here at Green and Gold Rugby but because there are no Aussie teams playing we are going to bring you another in our series of Rugby World Cup 2015 Podcasts. This week we finally get to the position you’ve all been waiting for, the front row. What better man to have on the show than a two-time RWC winner, the tough as nails Dan Crowley.  Despite winning two World Cups, Crowls has a different story to tell than those of most of our previous guests as Dan only started two games in both tournaments, however…

Reigning champions Brisbane City will meet the Perth Spirit in a Grand Final rematch at Ballymore on Thursday 20 August to launch the second year of the Buildcorp National Rugby Championship. With both the Reds and the Force having disappointing Super Rugby seasons and neither expected to provide a great deal of players to the Wallabies, you can expect the NRC season opener to involve plenty of Super Rugby talent. There are two cracking NSW local derbies also in that first weekend, as the North Harbour Rays host the Sydney Stars at Manly Oval and the Greater Sydney Rams host NSW Country…