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NRC Wallaby alignments announced

Quade Cooper for Brisbane City. (Sportography)
27th July, 2015
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Which Wallaby will play for which NRC team? That question has been answered today with an announcement by the ARU (and no, the answer isn’t ‘they won’t because they’ll be at the World Cup).

That said, it is probably worth mentioning that most of these guys won’t be playing much, if any NRC games this year.

Still, it’ll be a very interesting competition to keep an eye on in the lead-up to and during the World Cup.

Not all players in the Wallabies squad have been allocated to teams. We’ve contacted the ARU to clarify the rules around marquee player allocations to NRC clubs.

There have been photos taken with Scott Fardy wearing a North Harbour Rays jersey at an NRC photo shoot on the Sunshine Coast, though he’s not on the list of marquee Wallabies announced today. This could be because he wasn’t a member of the Spring Tour squad. Allocations for the 2015 NRC are those part of the 2014 Spring Tour, plus Tatafu Polota-Nau, David Pocock and Stephen Moore.

Each team is allowed three players who are in the Wallabies squad outside their 33 contracted players. If clubs choose to have four players, they would have to sign one player under their normal 33-man squad.

The ARU’s Rob Clarke rightly points out that many players made comebacks through the NRC. Players like Samu Kerevi and Rory Arnold also impressed in that competition last year, leading to Super Rugby berths and Wallaby squad selection.

“Last year, without the NRC, Quade Cooper may well not have had the game-time to impress the Wallabies’ management ahead of the 2014 Spring Tour had it not been for his starring role playing for Brisbane City in the competition. This gives a little snapshot underlining the importance of the competition in our pathways.

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“I know for a fact that each player is looking forward to being a part of their respective NRC club. Coupled with the fact we’ll have hungry club players looking to impress and Super Rugby representatives going up against each other, this season is shaping up to be one to remember.”

The NRC kicks off in just under a month, on the 20th August.

Full marquee allocations for all NRC clubs in 2015:

Brisbane City
James Horwill
Quade Cooper
Will Genia

Greater Sydney Rams
Tatafu Polota-Nau
Rob Horne
Kurtley Beale
Benn Robinson

Melbourne Rising
Sean McMahon
Luke Jones
Tom English

North Harbour Rays
Michael Hooper
Scott Sio

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NSW Country Eagles
Sam Carter
Matt Toomua

Queensland Country
James Slipper
Rob Simmons
Saia Fainga’a

Perth Spirit
Tetera Faulkner
Kyle Godwin

Sydney Stars
Nick Phipps
Bernard Foley
Israel Folau
Will Skelton

UC Vikings
Henry Speight
Christian Lealiifano
Joe Tomane

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