Navy Canberra Vikings set sail for ARC
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Navy Canberra Vikings set sail for ARC
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Brumbies Media Unit
The Navy Canberra Vikings has been unveiled as the Canberra side to compete for the Mazda Cup in the Mazda Australian Rugby Championship (ARC) beginning August 10-12.
The Navy Canberra Vikings were launched today at the HMAS Canberra Memorial at Lake Burley Griffin, with head coach Nick Scrivener and players Saia Faingaa, Francis Fainifo and Peter Kimlin arriving courtesy of the Australian Navy Dive Team on a rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB).
Scrivener, who has held the position of CA Brumbies assistant coach since 2005, says he’s looking forward to the challenge of leading the Navy Canberra Vikings through the ARC.
“While the exact make-up of the squad is yet to be finalised, we have no doubt that we will be very competitive during the ARC,” he said. “We’re expecting to combine players with Wallaby experience and several established Brumbies with some of Australia’s best rising stars. I have no doubt we’ll be staking our claim for the Mazda Cup when the finals roll around in October.
“This is a very exciting time for Canberra and Australian rugby. This competition is a great initiative from the ARU and I’m very much looking forward to being part of it.”
The Navy Canberra Vikings will host four home matches, three at Manuka Oval, including their season opener against the Melbourne Rebels on Saturday, 11 August, and one at Canberra Stadium.
Brumbies Rugby CEO Andrew Fagan says the ARC is an important fixture on the Australian rugby schedule.
“We see this competition as an important pathway for players into Super 14 rugby, as well as providing a high standard of football for those players not selected in the national squad,” he said. “While there has been a divide between the standard in Super 14 and club rugby, this new competition is a middle ground that will benefit Australian rugby, in the same way that the Air New Zealand and Currie Cups have benefited New Zealand and South African rugby respectively.
“We’re very confident that the Navy Canberra Vikings will be a force to be reckoned with during the ARC. We have a first-class coaching structure that features Nick as head coach, who helped the Brumbies to the best defensive record in this year’s Super 14 competition, and Brumbies head coach Laurie Fisher and Brumbies attack coach Matt O’Connor. We showed the player depth available to us in winning last year’s Australian Provincial Championship and I’m sure that the Navy Canberra Vikings can reproduce that success.”
Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Russ Shalders said he was pleased to be on board with the Navy Canberra Vikings.
“We’re very proud to be involved with the Navy Canberra Vikings,” he said. “Canberra rugby, like the Australian Navy, has a strong and proud history. We’re looking forward to being involved with the Vikings and we wish them every success in the inaugural Australian Rugby Championship.”
President of the Vikings Group of Licensed Clubs, Jim Shonk, says he’s looking forward to the Vikings’ success continuing through the new competition.
“The Canberra Vikings brand is a strong and triumphant one that has tasted success in the Brisbane and Sydney club rugby competitions, and in winning last year’s Australian Rugby Shield,” he said. “The partnership between our Group and the Brumbies organisation began well over a decade ago and has involved more than $4.3 million dollars spent for the betterment of rugby in Canberra.
“Unlike in previous years where our support has been a year-to-year proposition, the prospect of a long-term association with the Navy Canberra Vikings in the ARC has seen us enter into a three-year agreement. This is an indication of our faith in the Union’s stewardship of rugby in Canberra and, just as importantly, a statement of our belief that this new competition will grow into something quite special for the Canberra and region rugby faithful.
“We have no doubt that the Navy Canberra Vikings’ success will continue through this year’s competition and beyond, and continue to provide great opportunities for talented rugby players.”
The ARC features three teams from NSW (Sydney Fleet, Western Sydney Rams and Central Coast Rays), two from Queensland (Ballymore Tornadoes and East Coast Aces) and one each from Victoria (Melbourne Rebels), Western Australia (Perth Spirit) and the ACT (Canberra Vikings).
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Front to Rear: Peter Kimlin, Saia Faingaa, Frankie Fainifo
