Rugby Australia have announced the 2019 National Rugby Championship fixtures, with matches scheduled to fit in around the Rugby World Cup schedule.
Once again, eight teams will play each other once in a round-robin format, before the top four qualify for the semi-finals.
The tournament will start on August 31, with all four matches to be played on Saturday during the opening week. New South Wales Country and Sydney will play the opening match in Dubbo, with kick-off slated for 12pm (AEST).
The Melbourne Rising will then take on the Canberra Vikings at Box Hill from 1:30pm (AEST), while the two remaining games – Brisbane City versus Fijian Drua and Western Force versus Queensland Country at GPS Rugby Club in Brisbane and UWA in Perth respectively, will kick-off at 3pm and 5pm (AEST).
With the World Cup set to be held in Japan and most games played during the late afternoon or early evening in Australia, it means the National Rugby Championship will have plenty of lunchtime kick-offs.
In total, 11 of the 28 regular season matches will begin at 2pm (AEST) or earlier, while there will be no matches clashing with Wallabies games.
Rugby fans can also look forward to the afternoon of September 21, when the Fijian Drua will host Sydney at midday (AEST), before the Wallabies take on Fiji in their opening Rugby World Cup match about 45 minutes after full-time.
Fox Sports will again broadcast one match per round during the competition, with every match set to be shown on Kayo Sports and rugby.com.au.
The 2019 NRC will also be spread far and wide around the country. Outside of what could be considered normal home grounds, matches will be played in Dubbo, Adelaide, the Gold Coast, Ballarat, Gladstone and Port Macquarie.
Rugby Australia have also announced some rule changes to the competition, which will also serve as trials for World Rugby.
Law 21 has been amended to see the defending team be rewarded for good defence with a goal-line drop out when the ball is held up in the in-goal area, while a 50:22 kicking play has also been introduced.
This is set to reward a team that kicks the ball indirectly from open play or a free kick from within their own half and the ball reaches the touchline inside the opponents 22 or the ball reaches the touchline inside their opponent’s half.
The attacking team will then have the lineout throw, rewarding aggressive territorial kicking with defending backs having to cover the option of a 50:22 kick.
Purdo
Roar Rookie
I remember in the Queensland Rugby League world of the 1960s, there were the Bulimba cup (Brisbane, Ipswich and Toowoomba) and the inter region games through which the state team was picked before State of Origin started. These were regional derbies that got bums on seats – certainly got kids like me and my mates excited. Is this just ancient history and irrelevant? I would love to see some local Rugby in Victoria (particularly country Victoria). We need a grass roots Rugby world. I don’t know if NRC or some variation of inter regional competition will work. I fear that League and Aussi Rules have won the battle of the codes so far, and Rugby in Australia will die out because it can’t/ or historically hasn’t bothered to put down the roots that the other two codes have. I don’t know what will work, but it frustrates me immensely that Rugby League has out-competed a much superior code of football for the market. .
Jockstar
Guest
This comment has been removed for breaching The Roar's comments policy.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Apparently when they were first setting up the NRC in Sydney there was a plan for a South East team joint venture between Randwick, East’s and Southo’s. Randwick were happy for the team to be called anything the other sides liked. Their only stipulations were the club colours were myrtle green and home games were at Coogee.
Markus
Roar Rookie
And you know that a club like Randwick would never accept not being considered one of the top four teams, regardless of current form (8th this year, 9th last year)
jeznez
Roar Guru
So the Shute Shield top four are Waringah, Eastwood, Uni and Norths. Each of those teams are going to get smashed by the Drua, Rising, Force, Vikings etc. Who do I, a former Southern Districts player, support? Is it just no NRC for me? Or am I supposed to support Uni since they are the nearest club to my side? Can tell you that is zero chance of happening. Are Manly fans meant to cheer for the Rats? Two-Blues and West Harbour meant to cheer for the Woods? The set up in NSW is finally spot on. Sydney and NSW Country - hardly made up teams. These are genuine regions that surpass club boundaries.
Markus
Roar Rookie
Tried that, the Sydney Shute Shield teams sabotaged it from day 1. The NRC improved after it shifted focus toward the non-Sydney teams that were actually engaged in the concept of a 3rd tier competition.
Markus
Roar Rookie
I read a few times that he was off to Japan but can't find an official release about it. Yeah he was a good solid TH, maintained the scrum dominance when he came off the bench. Will be a loss as youngster Tom Ross was still really struggling at scrum time and will take a bit more time to develop there.
sheek
Roar Guru
Scott, While the concept of the NRC remains meritorious, it suffers from there being a lack of consensus on the character of some of the teams. No comp will be widely supported if fans can't or won't identify with the teams. I see that Sydney will now play in the traditional saxe blue & twin gold bands, which is a massive improvement. But why does NSWCRU continue to deny the Country team being called Cockatoos? And why would fans of other Canberra clubs (John Dent Cup) support the Vikings, who are just a glorified Tuggeranong, & play in the same colours? If Sydney has brought back their traditional jersey, while can't Canberra go back to Kookaburras & NSW Country back to Cockatoos? Both the ARC (2007) & NRC have struggled because of poorly thought out teams & names & logos. If you want to engage the sporting community, wouldn't it make sense to provide teams they can relate to & engage with? The ARC of 2007 won fans with the concept of the Melbourne Rebels, Perth Spirit, Western Sydney Rams & (East) Sydney Fleet. But they lost with the Canberra Vikings, Ballymore Tornadoes, Gold Coast Aces & Central Coast Rays. The NRC corrected the Rays problem, moving them back to Sydney North Harbour, where they belonged. But the problem of the Vikings remains. There was a suggestion they would rebrand as Kookaburras, but this hasn't happened. I'm more comfortable now with the Country teams, although I still don't think this is an ideal forum for them. But the Country teams must be represented somewhere, so in the NRC it is. I've also softened on the participation of the Drua in an Aussie comp. It's the old story. If RA wants this comp to resonate with fans, & create some good old fashioned tribalism, then they're going to have to do better than this. Diehard fans of the NRC can spit out chips all they like at my comments, but the proof is in the poor attendance record of the NRC. It just doesn't grab the average fan out there. My view remains that, in an ideal world, Sydney should have four teams - north, east, west & central-south; Brisbane 2 - roughly north-west & south-east; & Melbourne, Perth, Canberra, Adelaide, Newcastle & NQ all one each. Then if you wanted to expand to 16 teams, you could add Gold Coast, Fiji, Samoa & Tonga. But this is just me dreaming. Unless RA bite the bullet, & seriously contemplate changes to the branding of some teams, it will remain a country fair sideshow.
ScottD
Roar Guru
Go the Force!!!!!!!!!
Istanbul Wingman
Roar Guru
Go Fiji! I wonder how an Auckland-based Samoan team would go in the NZ champs...
AndyS
Guest
I don't think it will necessarily. It might stop the aimless pick and drive due to a lack of ideas, but that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. My only reservation ahead of the trial is what happens when there is no clear outcome, i.e. they just couldn't see a grounding, rather than it was definitively placed or held up. I wouldn't want to see the defending team rewarded simply because they successfully obscured the play. Not sure about the 50:22 rule...the distance seems a little unadventurous. Think I'd be having the lads practicing low hard grubber kicks on the run from just inside the 50, if they felt they didn't have the wheels or support.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
They aren’t going to attempt one that’s well covered.
soapit
Roar Guru
You can't though Peter, the players lying in the ruck are in the way
PeterK
Roar Guru
oldies rugby you aren't allowed to cleanout! seriously it would be better to step over it and kick the ball back towards your own team.
PeterK
Roar Guru
agree on the 50/22 I disagree on your reasoning re the goal line drop out but agree with soapit that it mean the virtual end of pick and drive type tries and THAT is a very good reason to get rid of this change.
soapit
Roar Guru
Bit of a target for a cleanout in the meantime though aren't you?
PeterK
Roar Guru
no, the ability of the attacking team to take advantage will dictate what they do, the ability and the risk reward equation.
PeterK
Roar Guru
if they do they also risk the ball carrier being able to ground the ball or offload wiithin the in goal, so since both sides are taking a risk, I don't have an issue based on this.
PeterK
Roar Guru
Very good point. True , a significance un thought of consequence. That would be a terrible change, the more ways tries get scored the better, otherwise it is a move to greater conformity of body type and playing styles.
Kane
Roar Guru
I usually stand on the ball with one foot not letting the halfback pick it up. As soon as he engages with me he’s part of the ruck and I can tie him in as well.