Australia A rugby union team
Encyclopedia
Australia A are a national representative rugby union
team of Australian rugby union
. They are a second tier team to the national side, the Wallabies
. Australia 'A' matches are usually used as a stepping stone up to Wallaby selection. The team often plays at smaller venues than the Wallabies, and fringe Wallaby players usually have a chance to impress selecters during these games. The team will often feature in games in tours such as when the British and Irish Lions
come to Australia.
Australia were originally invited to take part in the Pacific Nations Cup but decided against sending a team stating that they wanted to focus on their domestic competition. However, Australia hosted two games in the inaugural tournament and then joined the competition in 2007.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team of Australian rugby union
Rugby union in Australia
Rugby union is the third most popular winter sport in Australia, with its history dating back to 1864.The principal competition in Australian rugby union is Super Rugby, which is a multi-regional competition across the southern hemisphere...
. They are a second tier team to the national side, the Wallabies
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes 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...
. Australia 'A' matches are usually used as a stepping stone up to Wallaby selection. The team often plays at smaller venues than the Wallabies, and fringe Wallaby players usually have a chance to impress selecters during these games. The team will often feature in games in tours such as when the British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
come to Australia.
Australia were originally invited to take part in the Pacific Nations Cup but decided against sending a team stating that they wanted to focus on their domestic competition. However, Australia hosted two games in the inaugural tournament and then joined the competition in 2007.
Current squad
Australia Barbarians squad for their matches against England on (08/06/10) and (15/06/10):| Position | Club | |
| Luke Burgess Luke Burgess (rugby union) Luke Burgess is anational representative rugby union player who plays professionally for the Stade Toulousain.... |
Scrum-half | Waratahs New South Wales Waratahs The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition... |
| Josh Valentine Josh Valentine Josh Valentine is an Australian rugby union footballer. He currently plays for the ACT Brumbies in the international Super 14 competition. Valentine's usual position is at scrum half... |
Scrum-half | Brumbies |
| Berrick Barnes Berrick Barnes Berrick Barnes is an Australian rugby union footballer with the NSW Waratahs in the Super Rugby competition. His usual position is fly-half or inside centre and he previously played for the Queensland Reds.... (c) Captain (sports) In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field... |
Fly-half | Waratahs New South Wales Waratahs The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition... |
| Kurtley Beale Kurtley Beale Kurtley Beale is an Australian representative rugby union player. His primary position is fullback.- Youth :Beale signed to the Waratahs while a 16 year old at St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill. Before leaving school Beale captained the Australian Schoolboys and regularly attended training... |
Fly-half | Waratahs New South Wales Waratahs The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition... |
| Will Chambers Will Chambers Will Chambers is an Australian rugby union footballer. He played in the Super 15 for the Queensland Reds and is currently playing for Irish province Munster in the RaboDirect Pro12, as of September 2011.... |
Centre | Reds Queensland Reds The Queensland Reds represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996 they were a representative team selected on merit from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland... |
| Anthony Faingaa Anthony Faingaa Anthony Fainga'a started his professional rugby career alongside his twin brother Saia Fainga'a at the Brumbies in Canberra, after growing up in nearby Queanbeyan.-Career:... |
Centre | Reds Queensland Reds The Queensland Reds represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996 they were a representative team selected on merit from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland... |
| Nick Cummins Nick Cummins Nick Cummins Nick Cummins Nick Cummins (born 5 October 1987 in Port Macquarie, New South Wales is an Australian rugby union footballer who plays wing for the Super 14 franchise, the Emirates Western Force... |
Wing | Western Force Western Force Western Force is a rugby union team based in Perth, Western Australia playing in the international Super Rugby competition. They first competed in the 2006 season and finished with the wooden spoon in that year, however their performances greatly improved in 2007. In 2008 they finished in 8th... |
| Peter Hynes | Wing | Reds Queensland Reds The Queensland Reds represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996 they were a representative team selected on merit from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland... |
| Lachlan Turner Lachlan Turner Lachlan 'Lachie' David Turner is an Australian rugby union player contracted to the NSW Waratahs. He is seen as one of the fastest wingers in Australia and his ability to run from deep has seen him score some incredible solo tries... |
Wing | Waratahs New South Wales Waratahs The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition... |
| James O'Connor James O'Connor (rugby) James O'Connor is an Australian international rugby union footballer. He made his Wallabies debut in 2008. In the Super Rugby competition he played from 2008 to 2011 with Western Force, and subsequently signed to the Melbourne Rebels for the 2012 season.-Biography:O'Connor is a versatile... |
Fullback | Western Force Western Force Western Force is a rugby union team based in Perth, Western Australia playing in the international Super Rugby competition. They first competed in the 2006 season and finished with the wooden spoon in that year, however their performances greatly improved in 2007. In 2008 they finished in 8th... |
| Position | Club | |
| Huia Edmonds Huia Edmonds Huia Edmonds is an Australian rugby union footballer. He currently plays Hooker for the Brumbies in the international Super 14 competition.-Career:... |
Hooker | Brumbies |
| Damien Fitzpatrick | Hooker | Waratahs New South Wales Waratahs The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition... |
| Tatafu Polota-Nau Tatafu Polota-Nau - Biography :At 25 years of age, Polota-Nau achieved the rare feat of Test selection before playing a match at Super 14 level. His performances in his Test debut against England at Twickenham and in the win over Ireland at Lansdowne Road were impressive.v Signed to the New South Wales Waratahs... |
Hooker | Waratahs New South Wales Waratahs The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition... |
| Pekahou Cowan | Prop | Western Force Western Force Western Force is a rugby union team based in Perth, Western Australia playing in the international Super Rugby competition. They first competed in the 2006 season and finished with the wooden spoon in that year, however their performances greatly improved in 2007. In 2008 they finished in 8th... |
| James Slipper James Slipper James Slipper is an Australian rugby union player who plays at prop. Slipper currently represents the Queensland Reds, making his debut during the 2010 Super 14 season... |
Prop | Reds Queensland Reds The Queensland Reds represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996 they were a representative team selected on merit from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland... |
| Laurie Weeks Laurie Weeks (rugby union) Laurie Weeks is a national representative rugby union footballer who plays professionally for the Melbourne Rebels. He made his debut for the Reds in February 2009 against the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria... |
Prop | Reds Queensland Reds The Queensland Reds represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996 they were a representative team selected on merit from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland... |
| Mitchell Chapman Mitchell Chapman Mitchell Chapman also Mitch, Mark, Chappo, Horse is an Australian Rugby Union player for the ACT Brumbies in the international Super 14 competition. Chapman usually plays at the position of Blindside Flanker but can also cover the Second Row and Number 8... |
Lock | Brumbies |
| Mark Chisholm Mark Chisholm Mark Chisholm is an Australian rugby union footballer. He currently plays for the Brumbies in the international Super Rugby competition... |
Lock | Brumbies |
| Kane Douglas Kane Douglas Kane Douglas is an Australian rugby union footballer who currently plays for the New South Wales Waratahs in the international Super 14 competition as a lock. His brother is the rugby league player Luke Douglas. Douglas played his junior rugby with the Yamba Buccaneers, captaining the Under 17 team... |
Lock | Waratahs New South Wales Waratahs The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition... |
| Rob Simmons Rob Simmons (rugby union) Rob Simmons is an Australian rugby union footballer. He currently plays for the Queensland Reds in the international Super 14 competition and has also represented Australia. His position is lock.-External links:... |
Lock | Reds Queensland Reds The Queensland Reds represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996 they were a representative team selected on merit from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland... |
| Matt Hodgson Matt Hodgson Matt Hodgson, born is an Australian professional rugby union footballer. Hodgson was selected to the Qantas Wallabies squad in 2009 but sustained an injury in a non-cap match played against the Barbarians and was forced to return home... |
Flanker Flanker (rugby union) A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards... |
Western Force Western Force Western Force is a rugby union team based in Perth, Western Australia playing in the international Super Rugby competition. They first competed in the 2006 season and finished with the wooden spoon in that year, however their performances greatly improved in 2007. In 2008 they finished in 8th... |
| Ben McCalman Ben McCalman Ben McCalman is an Australian rugby union footballer. He currently plays for the Western Force in the international Super Rugby competition, and Australia.... |
Flanker Flanker (rugby union) A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards... |
Western Force Western Force Western Force is a rugby union team based in Perth, Western Australia playing in the international Super Rugby competition. They first competed in the 2006 season and finished with the wooden spoon in that year, however their performances greatly improved in 2007. In 2008 they finished in 8th... |
| Pat McCutcheon Pat McCutcheon Pat McCutcheon grew up in the small New South Wales farming town of Narromine and is a national representative rugby union footballer who plays professionally for the New South Wales Waratahs. He was educated at the prestigious St. Joseph's College in Sydney, when he played in the Australian... |
Flanker Flanker (rugby union) A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards... |
Waratahs New South Wales Waratahs The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition... |
| Stephen Hoiles Stephen Hoiles Stephen Hoiles is an Australian rugby union footballer. He currently plays for the Brumbies in the international Super 14 competition. Hoiles previously played for the New South Wales Waratahs. He has also played for the national team, the Wallabies.-Career:... (c) Captain (sports) In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field... |
Number eight | Brumbies |
- Coach: Robbie DeansRobbie DeansRobert Maxwell Deans is the current coach of the Wallabies and former All Black. He is the former coach of the Crusaders. He also served as assistant to former All Blacks coach John Mitchell between late 2001 and 2003...