The historic opening week of the inaugural Australian Rugby Championship (ARC) was regarded to have been a success by both players and officials.
Four games were played over the weekend in Sydney, Perth, Canberra and the Gold Coast, in a competition designed to bridge the gap between club and Super 14 rugby.
In the season opener the Sydney Fleet defeated the Central Coast Rays 25-19 in what was reported to have been a well attended fixture at the North Sydney Oval on Friday
In the other three fixtures on the weekend, the Perth Spirit downed the Western Sydney Rams 21-13 in Perth. The Canberra Vikings went down to the Melbourne Rebels 27-32, which was regarded to have been the upset of the weekend at the Manuka Oval in Canberra on Saturday.
While the East Coast Aces beat the Ballymore Tornadoes 27-21 in their derby game.
"The evidence of the ARC's successful first round was the quality of the rugby and the fact the fans turned out," said Tony Dempsey, a passionate advocate of the competition and the Chief Executive Officer of the Rugby Union Players' Association (RUPA).
Australian officials seem to have been particularly impressed with the crowd attendance figures for the first four games of the tournament.
ARU Deputy CEO and ARC Commissioner, Matt Carroll said the standard of rugby shown across the four matches was also impressive.
Expectations weren't very high, with officials having budgeted for a crowd attendance average of 2000.
The target was exceeded, with the average attendance reported to have been 3508 for the weekend.
"As the tournament grows, the crowds will swell," said Dempsey, remaining optimistic.
"The open play and skill shown under the new experimental laws gave us some very encouraging signs for the type of competition we are in for in the Mazda ARC's first year," Carroll said.
"The crowds enjoyed it, the players enjoyed it and we look forward to the tournament gaining an even bigger following with every passing week."
Rod MacQueen, former Wallaby head coach and one of the architects of the full range of Experimental Law Variations being trialed for the first time in Mazda ARC said the early signs are very good.
"The feedback we have received from players and coaches is very positive," MacQueen said.
MacQueen echoed Carroll's sentiments, saying that the standard of the games was excellent.
"It will take a few weeks for teams to work out how they can mould their game plans around the new laws, many of them now allowing for more free-flowing play...," he said.
A number of International Rugby Board (IRB) officials were reported to have attended several of the matches to see the full range of ELV's in use for the first time anywhere in the world.
It is hoped that the ELV's will be in use as early as next year's Super 14 competition in the Southern Hemisphere.
Four games were played over the weekend in Sydney, Perth, Canberra and the Gold Coast, in a competition designed to bridge the gap between club and Super 14 rugby.
In the season opener the Sydney Fleet defeated the Central Coast Rays 25-19 in what was reported to have been a well attended fixture at the North Sydney Oval on Friday
In the other three fixtures on the weekend, the Perth Spirit downed the Western Sydney Rams 21-13 in Perth. The Canberra Vikings went down to the Melbourne Rebels 27-32, which was regarded to have been the upset of the weekend at the Manuka Oval in Canberra on Saturday.
While the East Coast Aces beat the Ballymore Tornadoes 27-21 in their derby game.
"The evidence of the ARC's successful first round was the quality of the rugby and the fact the fans turned out," said Tony Dempsey, a passionate advocate of the competition and the Chief Executive Officer of the Rugby Union Players' Association (RUPA).
Australian officials seem to have been particularly impressed with the crowd attendance figures for the first four games of the tournament.
ARU Deputy CEO and ARC Commissioner, Matt Carroll said the standard of rugby shown across the four matches was also impressive.
Expectations weren't very high, with officials having budgeted for a crowd attendance average of 2000.
The target was exceeded, with the average attendance reported to have been 3508 for the weekend.
"As the tournament grows, the crowds will swell," said Dempsey, remaining optimistic.
"The open play and skill shown under the new experimental laws gave us some very encouraging signs for the type of competition we are in for in the Mazda ARC's first year," Carroll said.
"The crowds enjoyed it, the players enjoyed it and we look forward to the tournament gaining an even bigger following with every passing week."
Rod MacQueen, former Wallaby head coach and one of the architects of the full range of Experimental Law Variations being trialed for the first time in Mazda ARC said the early signs are very good.
"The feedback we have received from players and coaches is very positive," MacQueen said.
MacQueen echoed Carroll's sentiments, saying that the standard of the games was excellent.
"It will take a few weeks for teams to work out how they can mould their game plans around the new laws, many of them now allowing for more free-flowing play...," he said.
A number of International Rugby Board (IRB) officials were reported to have attended several of the matches to see the full range of ELV's in use for the first time anywhere in the world.
It is hoped that the ELV's will be in use as early as next year's Super 14 competition in the Southern Hemisphere.
365 Digital
