Canberra Vikings - Offical NRC Team Thread

[Slim 293]

UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA VIKINGS

Coach: Dan McKellar
Home Ground: Viking Park, Tuggeranong
Colours: Red, white, black

 

[Slim 293]

According to the Crimes each team will have 16 Super Rugby players (not on test duties) available to them..........

Hypothetical starting XV:

1. JP Smith
2. Siliva
3. R Smith
4. Power
5. Carter
6. Smiler
7. Butler
8. Auelua
9. Hoffman
10. Cronje
11. Coleman
12. Tatekawa
13. A Smith
14. Rathbone
15. Mogg

 

[mst]

So beyond the Super rugby players who are the club players that are in-line to be a part of the UC Vikings?

I don't have much knowledge at the club level so anyone that can enlighten me and provide a bit of background and reasons I would be very appreciative.

Also - how do we drum up support locally to attract the unconverted and in the same breath make sure that we don't have splits down club lines during the NRC?

 

[mst]

UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA VIKINGS

Coach: Dan McKellar
Home Ground: Viking Park, Tuggeranong
Colours: Red, white, black

Its UC Viking country!

This is Canberra. It's twelve days north of Hopeless and a few degrees south of Freezing to Death. It's located solidly on the Avenue of Administration. Our home. In a word? CBR. It's been here for seven generations, but every single building is new. It is freezing six months of the year, and its cold the other three. Any food that grows here is tough and tasteless. The people that grow here are even more so. We have fishing, porn, and a charming view of the sunsets. The only problems are the politician’s. The upside to all of this is the rugby. While other places have Izzy or a Cooper... we have... McCabe! We are first UC Vikings then Brumbies! Getting smashed on a rugby field is merely an occupational hazard.

Pat McCabe told me his father told him bang his head against a rock and he did it! He thought his father was crazy, but Pat didn't question him. And you know what happened? That rock split in two! It taught us what UC Vikings and Brumbies can do. We can crush any city, conquer any country, roast rams on the spit, realign the stars, deflect the rays, quell any rising, and destroy your spirit on the rugby field! We are UC Vikings! Getting smashed on a rugby field is merely an occupational hazard.

 

[No.8]

There are def a handful of Vikings 1st Graders that will play in this side (thats the whole point of the comp) - how boring amd pointless if its simply a 2nd string Brumbies side?

The whole point of the comp is the build development - I would want to see some of the club players starting with the Brumbies on the bench.

 

[Almost 2 old]

There are def a handful of Vikings 1st Graders that will play in this side (thats the whole point of the comp) - how boring amd pointless if its simply a 2nd string Brumbies side?

The whole point of the comp is the build development - I would want to see some of the club players starting with the Brumbies on the bench.

I agree with what you say , but , you have to start somewhere and this point seems to be the best that the ARU have come up with. There seems to be a fair bit of appeasement handed out to the Shute shield crowd but we knew that was probably going to happen. The next step that I would like to see is some sort of system that includes "amateur" under 21/23 club players. The biggest help we can give is to attend as many of these games as we can and make it work because knowing the ARU they will drop it like a " fly blown whether in summer" and that's pretty quick.

 

[Charlie Brown]

You like to think that the boys from ACT Griffins would have a crack at either starting or bench? I imagine boys like Tim Cree, Rodney Iona, Tom Staniforth, Alan Alaatoa and the like would have to have a pretty good chance?
I am spreading the word far and wide, to a lot of my non rugby friends to come and support this comp to help local talent have a pathway and something to work hard towards. I think this can only help the John I Dent cup as there are a lot of guys really stepping up to make an impact for selection. If not for 2014 but for 2015.

 

[No.8]

You like to think that the boys from ACT Griffins would have a crack at either starting or bench? I imagine boys like Tim Cree, Rodney Iona, Tom Staniforth, Alan Alaatoa and the like would have to have a pretty good chance?
I am spreading the word far and wide, to a lot of my non rugby friends to come and support this comp to help local talent have a pathway and something to work hard towards. I think this can only help the John I Dent cup as there are a lot of guys really stepping up to make an impact for selection. If not for 2014 but for 2015.

I would say all these guys that you mentioned (Tim Cree, Rodney Iona, Tom Staniforth, Alan Alaatoa) - will be in the side for sure - def at least Tim Cree and Staniforth...

This is the whole point of the comp anyway - so they need to include all these sorts of players...

 

[MNIMD]

Such a shame that the Vikings are pushing to have their Red and White Jerseys. I applaud them for forking out the cash but seriously this is a short sighted act that reeks of them being too proud.
There has been a petition started to have them wear a neutral jersey in ACT colours so that the Die hard Canberra rugby fans that have seen Tuggies as their mortal enemy for years do not give up on the team. I know for a fact that if this team continues to be a poorly disgusied Tuggies team I will have no interest. But if the vikings can at least give us a neutral Jersey i will sign up for a membership and buy some merchandise. Many of the 625 people who have signed the petition have stated they would not be seen dead wearing Red and White!
Surely it makes sense to adopt a more inclusive Jersey to ensure this team is as popular as possible, it wouldn't put anyone offside but would garner a Lot more support.
Here's the petition if your interested:
https://www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/doug-edwards-allow-the-uc-vikings-to-wear-act-colors

 

[No.8]

Its pretty short sighted that "rugby fans" would care if they are red and white, blue, black and red, all white, blue, red, white etc etc - who cares what colour they are?

So your telling me if a Royals player, Easts player etc gets selected that some of the Easts, Royals fans will not support their own?? WOW!

Maybe people should put more effort into building their clubs so they could maybe invest and have a real say than waste their time on a petition - PUT THE MONEY IN OR DONT COMPLAIN!

For me I would not care if they wear Vikings colours, Easts colours, Eagles colours - I support rugby as a whole in the ACT and I am not narrow minded to the degree that I have to cry about the colour of the jersey - I will support all players and what the team is all about....I will buy membership and I will buy merchandise....not to support "Vikings" but to support the players playing for the team....

I am a rugby fan at the core and if people have a problem with Vikings being involved either get the money to invest or maybe find a new sport - because its clear your not a true fan if you only care about the colour of the jersey....

 

[Almost 2 old]

So you don't like the playing strip colour ? WTF & GET OVER IT. This is the first step to bridge the gap that has been ever widening since the late 1990's inception of professionalism between local rugby and pro rugby and isn't that what we're after ? Besides that we now have been given a chance to get an even better level rugby played on our doorstep with more local players thrown in. If this becomes successful in the ACT what's to say that in time we may have 2 NRC teams ? Support the concept and evaluate it after the comp.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

So you don't like the playing strip colour ? WTF & GET OVER IT. This is the first step to bridge the gap that has been ever widening since the late 1990's inception of professionalism between local rugby and pro rugby and isn't that what we're after ? Besides that we now have been given a chance to get an even better level rugby played on our doorstep with more local players thrown in. If this becomes successful in the ACT what's to say that in time we may have 2 NRC teams ? Support the concept and evaluate it after the comp.

Pulver has already mentioned that they are hoping to move the competition to 12 teams in the future.

 

[mst]

Such a shame that the Vikings are pushing to have their Red and White Jerseys. I applaud them for forking out the cash but seriously this is a short sighted act that reeks of them being too proud.
There has been a petition started to have them wear a neutral jersey in ACT colours so that the Die hard Canberra rugby fans that have seen Tuggies as their mortal enemy for years do not give up on the team. I know for a fact that if this team continues to be a poorly disgusied Tuggies team I will have no interest. But if the vikings can at least give us a neutral Jersey i will sign up for a membership and buy some merchandise. Many of the 625 people who have signed the petition have stated they would not be seen dead wearing Red and White!
Surely it makes sense to adopt a more inclusive Jersey to ensure this team is as popular as possible, it wouldn't put anyone offside but would garner a Lot more support.
Here's the petition if your interested:
https://www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/doug-edwards-allow-the-uc-vikings-to-wear-act-colors

As per my similar rant on the roar, MNIMD is one of the people who are the walking talking example of why Canberra rugby is being compromised by the ignorance of certain few.

An unsuccessful NRC team wont allow expansion, development or sponsorship. Who would want to invest money in a market with so little local support and that has publicly announced, via people like MNIND and Co.that part of the local supporter base is actively undermining the Canberra NRC team. The flow on effects are obvious.

I am pretty sure the every sport in Canberra is more than ready the thank you for making sure they will receive extra funding that will be lost by Rugby in Canberra by this idiotic attitude. Most of all remember as you sit and try to work out how to prop up your club team again financially, the Vikings offered to put themselves out there to give YOUR CLUB PLAYERS a team to play NRC rugby and Canberra rugby an opportunity! You didn’t, nor did you club!

I don’t care if the Canberra NRC team wear Blue with a Warratah flower on the front – I wont like it but if it ensures the survival of the game and clubs in Canberra, and brings in some money to sustain or better still, develop the game, and gives YOUR CLUB PLAYERS an even better opportunity than the likes of like Staniforth, Mogg and Coleman to showcase there talents nationally I will be more than happy to suck it up!

@MNIMD - how about if you and your posse are so opposed to the UC Vikings team and colours that is supported by all of the rugby clubs in the ACT, you take a a stand and put your money where your mouth is and quit the club you are part of because they support the UC Vikings and the NRC in Canberra.

 

[Charlie Brown]

A wonderful response MST. We need to stop all the negativity and get out there and support this competition, otherwise there won't even be a team to support next year. We need supporters coming to the games, paying gate fees, buying merchandise and being proud of our local team. WHO CARES what colour they wear.

 

[starkz]

The colours don't bother me, I'm just happy for there to be a Canberra team with financial backing.

 

[starkz]

Pulver has already mentioned that they are hoping to move the competition to 12 teams in the future.

I would assume they would include Adelaide and another Queensland team as a part of the proposed expansion

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

I would assume they would include Adelaide and another Queensland team as a part of the proposed expansion

He's hinted that Adelaide would be one. Don't know about any others. The comment was made at a season launch for the Newcastle Rugby Football Union. So we can probably imagine he wants a team there in the future as well.

 

[starkz]

He's hinted that Adelaide would be one. Don't know about any others. The comment was made at a season launch for the Newcastle Rugby Football Union. So we can probably imagine he wants a team there in the future as well.

Newcastle would be a worthy addition to the NRC I'm sure.

 

[en_force_er]

He's hinted that Adelaide would be one. Don't know about any others. The comment was made at a season launch for the Newcastle Rugby Football Union. So we can probably imagine he wants a team there in the future as well.

You'd probably push for them to provide a Shute Shield team for a year or two beforehand.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

You'd probably push for them to provide a Shute Shield team for a year or two beforehand.

They did once a upon a time. Issues a plenty arose from clubs within the NHRFU. Though it makes sense to me. I'd like to see the Illawarra re-enter as well.