Sydney University Super 14 XV

[Burgs]

You can see why Sydney Uni can at times get a bit grumpy with the deal they get in the likes of not getting a ARC team to themselves when they can claim players like this!
Sure there are politics involved etc but at the end of the day all of these players were once or still are regulars in blue and gold.
A pretty handy team:

1. Gareth Hardy
2. Nick Hensley
3. Jeremy Tilse
4. Alister Campbell
5. Daniel Vickerman
6. Alex Kanaar
7. Phil Waugh (C)
8. David Lyons
9. Nick Haydon
10. Brock James
11. Peter Playford
12. Daniel Halangahu
13. Tom Carter
14. Alfi Mafi
15. Julian Huxley

16. David Fitter
17. Daniel Lewinski
18. Will Caldwell
19. Jone Tawake
20. Nathan Sievert
21. Peter Owens
22. Peter Betham

And no room for Dean Mumm, David Dennis or Tim Davidson plus I didn't finish the Reds or Force, there may be a couple more.
A little weak at #2 and #9 and not a true #13 but I have seen worse out of position S14 line ups than that!

[chook]

How does Syd Uni manage to get a team like this? Take Kanaar out, I didnt think he was playing anymore. Is Vickerman playing some more with them before he jets out?

[beige]

How does Syd Uni manage to get a team like this?

This was in one of Travelling Gerry's posts:

"But then, to its credit, the club began to get its act together. It set up a foundation that generates a couple of million each year, it began seriously tapping into its alumni network.

"Most importantly, it began to offer such attractive packages - which is not necessarily to suggest monetary packages - that it began sucking players away from its rivals in such numbers that it has come to dominate the Sydney club competition. Indeed, it is now whispered that the main interest in the Sydney premiership is not in which club comes first (that's taken as a given) but which comes second."

Interesting theory. - Western Force Rugby Supporters Site

[jargan83]

you would have to imagine they will figure in a new 3rd tier competition.

What kind of crowds to they pull though??

[Burgs]

Fair call Chook, Tawake to #6, Mumm to #19.
Dunno about Vics but he is still a current player.
My understanding was he isn't a definate departure as yet?
There was about another twenty others in the ARC to make either a 2nd XV or the rest of a S14/"ARC" Squad too!
The Club Captain (Davidson) can't even get a jersey in this 1sts!

[beige]

you would have to imagine they will figure in a new 3rd tier competition.

What kind of crowds to they pull though??

I read that last year's final between Uni and Easts drew a crowd of 5710, although I don't know if that's a reflection on them or NSW club rugby as a whole right now - I remember a Gordon vs Warringah final in the mid 90's drawing 25 000...

[no.8]

Both Brendan Cannon is a university boy and Lachlan McKay isn't (norths) ooops!
Andy Friend coached there as well.
Don't forget CEO Greg Harris as well!

[BLR]

Brock James is playing in the Top 14 in France as well....how old is this team?

[beige]

FYI...

Sydney University Football Club

"A group of former players and supporters established the Sydney University Football Club Foundation in 2003.

"Its goal is to establish a capital fund of at least $2 Million to support the aims of the Club now and for future generations.

"Many of these individuals felt that some of their most cherished memories and friendships stemmed from their Club days, and the Foundation is a way of giving something back to the Club in perpetuity.

"The Board of the Sydney University Football Club Foundation is very pleased to report that the initial target has been achieved. The Foundation has pledges from donors in excess of $2.19 Million as at 30 June 2007."

[AndyS]

And so, what does that say about the balance in the Sydney comp? Just what you need to underpin the next level up - get all the best players together and have them hump everyone else. Everyone knows you only learn by playing against people not as good as you!

[Burgs]

BLR, it is a team of current players that could play Super 14, not a team of current Super 14 players.

Dunno what you are on about 8 MacKay is from Warringah by the way

beige, I would think that back then with only S10 or S12 there would have been far better depth in all of the NSW Clubs so the standard of match would be (on average) equally enhanced?

With S14 and Rep Squads commitments, I think you'll find very few of them have played consecutive Club matches for Uni for a few years, it is a hypothetical squad of players generated from Uni.
Their weekly team may have two or three of these players in any given match if they are lucky, the same as the WA teams with Force players etc.
The nature of the Club system is that over the generations the dominance rolls around the different Clubs as fringe players start looking to different teams where they will get some match time.

FYI, without completing the count as yet, the next highest from the current S14 Squads was Eastwood with 11, Randwick and Warringah with 7 each and Norths and Easts with 6 each. You could probably add two to three players to each of those on a full head count including the Reds who only list current Qld teams.

[shasta]

Hopefully Uni's S14 "graduate" list will soon include one N.Staniforth - Western Force.

When the brave new world of privatisation arrives that foundation money may come in handy when Uni to buys out the Tahs.

[Burgs]

I might even slide him in to #22 anyway shasta, have seen far more of him than Betham and he was bloody handy over there for them.
Playford and he were always the standouts of the uncontracted players of all the recent Uni matches I saw.