New rules and rivals draw crowds
Bret Harris | August 13, 2007
PLAYERS Association chief executive Tony Dempsey has hailed the first round of the Australian Rugby Championship as an unmitigated success.
Four games were played over the weekend in Sydney, Perth, Canberra and the Gold Coast in the new competition, designed to bridge the gap between club rugby and Super 14 football.
The average crowd of 3508 exceeded the 2000 a game for which organisers had budgeted.
Spectators, including ARU chief executive John O'Neill, were impressed by the pace of the games, played under experimental laws.
"The evidence of the ARC's successful first round was the quality of the rugby and the fact the fans turned out," said Dempsey, a passionate advocate.
"As the tournament grows, the crowds will swell.
"The players are really happy with the quality of play.
"The message for the people who have not climbed on board the ARC is that it's not too late to jump on board. It will develop into something really special for Australian rugby." The competition kicked off on Friday night with Sydney Fleet's 25-19 win over Central Coast Rays at North Sydney Oval.
On a historic night, 3547 fans made their way to North Sydney Oval, but many independent observers claimed the crowd was more like 6000 or 7000.
The Fleet scored two tries to two, coming back after being down 16-6. Five-eighth Daniel Halangahu finished with 15 points through a try, two conversions and two penalty goals.
From a Wallabies perspective, there was good news with number eight Wycliff Palu surviving 40 minutes, without aggravating the shoulder injury which threatened to keep him out of the World Cup in France.
Perth Spirit claimed a 21-13 win against Western Sydney Rams in front of 3643 fans at Members Equity Stadium in Perth on Friday night.
The crowd was less than an anticipated 4000 to 5000 because of heavy rain, but that did not dampen the quality of the rugby. The Spirit outscored the Rams two tries to one in a hard-fought contest.
Man of the match Cameron Shepherd finished with 16 points from a try, three penalty goals and a conversion.
Chris Siale scored the lone try for the Rams. Compounding the pain for the Rams was the loss of Wallabies prop Benn Robinson, who sustained a suspected fractured bone in his foot.
The upset of the round was recorded by Melbourne Rebels, who beat Canberra Vikings 32-27 in a thriller in front of a crowd of 4355 at Manuka Oval in Canberra on Saturday.
Melbourne is the only team not supported by a Super 14 team, although the Brumbies, NSW, Queensland and Western Australia loaned them players.
The Vikings led 13-10 at half-time, but conceded four tries in the second half.
Jack Farrer scored 12 of the Rebels' points with a try, two conversions and a penalty goal.
Hooker Saia Faingaa scored two of the Vikings' four tries.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...012430,00.html
