Victorian and South Australian Rugby supporters can look forward to a smorgasbord of community events which will concur with all four of the Melbourne Rising’s NRC home games.
The Rising will look to spread the great game of rugby union via hosting fixtures at Box Hill Rugby Club, Bailey Reserve (Adelaide), Mars Stadium (Ballarat) and Casey Fields.
Apart from fans being able to watch some of Australia’s top Super Rugby and Club talent, communities will also have opportunities to take advantage of local rugby-orientated events.
The Rising’s first home match against the Canberra Vikings at Box Hill will coincide with ‘Rugbyfest’ which will include the Victorian Masters Carnival and VSRU’s Old Schoolboys Carnival.
With the Rising’s second home game to be played in Adelaide against NSW Country, the match will be the penultimate event of South Australia Rugby Union’s Junior Grand Final weekend.
After a trip away to Perth, the Rising will return to Ballarat’s Mars Stadium, where the Melbourne Rebels Under 19’s side will take on the Victorian Country Barbarians representative team in a curtain raiser.
The Melbourne side will then host their final home match against reigning NRC Champions Fijian Drua at Casey Fields, where the Melbourne International 7’s will coincide.
Rugby Victoria’s General Manager Chris Evans says the Rising’s NRC home fixtures are an amazing opportunity to connect with the community and grow the game of rugby in Victoria.
“We’re really thrilled three of the Rising’s four home games are here in Victoria and spread out to several different areas in the state,” Evans said.
“To work with the Rebels and provide some quality community engagement to local areas in Victoria is a wonderful aspect of this year’s NRC competition.
“There’s something for everyone at any of the home games played this season, and rugby fans will have a wonderful time enjoying what’s on offer.”
Melbourne Rebels General Manager of Professional and Pathways Nick Ryan also concurred with Evans on the community events being held in Victoria and South Australia throughout the NRC.
While he believes the NRC is an important talent pathway competition for Club players to progress to Super Rugby, Ryan also says the Rising are thrilled to be a part of the various community events during the side’s home matches.
“The NRC is a really exciting opportunity for us to have a look at some local talent and pit them against quality Super Rugby and Club players from around Australia,” Ryan said.
“We’re delighted that we can do this at a number of locations throughout Victoria to connect with our committed supporters and we’re especially excited to head back to South Australia for our second home match.
“We are focussed on building the relationship between the Rebels and the SARU to help grow the game.”
