Rugby Wales

 

 

 

 

 

RUGBY IN AUSTRALIA

Rugby In Australia

The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. Rugby union is a popular sport in Australia. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies or currently the Qantas Wallabies for sponsorship reasons, the team compete annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the Mandela Challenge Plate with South Africa. On 2 July 2007, after an upset win over the All Blacks in the Tri Nations, Australia took second place, behind the All Blacks, in the IRB World Rankings

The Wallabies have competed in all five of the Rugby World Cups that have thus far been staged. They have won the World Cup on two occasions, in 1991 and 1999 and also lost in the final match in extra time to England in 2003 competition. The Wallabies are governed by the Australian Rugby Union. Seven former Australian players have been inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame.

Australia have won 230 of their 448 matches played, a win record of 51.33%. When the World Rankings were introduced by the IRB in 2003 Australia were ranked fourth. During November 2003 Australia briefly occupied second before falling to third by December that year. After falling to fourth in 2006, Australia rose again to third by November 2006. Australia has been ranked number two in the world since then.

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Australia contests two other trophies outside the Tri-Nations, Bledisloe Cup and World Cup. Since 1997 the winner of England-Australia encounters have been awarded the Cook Cup, and since 1999 the winner of Ireland-Australia Tests have won the Lansdowne Cup.

Click here to visit the Australian Rugby Union home page

 

   
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