Sky high: Tpr Jake Byrt takes possession in a lineout during NQ Army Rugby’s 19-5 win over Townsville during a development camp in Townsville.

Sunset: On Sydney harbour. Photo by Bill Cuneen, Army newspaper

By Pte Shannon Joyce

LIFTING the profile of Army Rugby Union by taking on tougher opponents is just one of the plays being planned by Australian Army Rugby Union (AARU) this year.

Building on past traditions and the successes at the Australian Services Rugby Championships, the organisation hopes to raise the bar again with matches at state and international level.

AARU Director of Development and men’s coach Capt Angus Baker said matches played against such teams as Queensland Country had been very successful in the past.

“Queensland Country are about fourth or fifth in the pecking order of teams in Australia, so regular games like this against them tests the team,” he said.

“Our 2005 tour to China and Singapore to play against teams who compete in the Asian Cup will give us a good gauge on where we stand within the rugby community.

“We’ll be playing the Singapore National 15, the Chinese National 15, and a Hong Kong National 15.”

Success overseas will hinge on Capt Baker having a successful experienced team.

“Each year we try to keep the nucleus of the side,” he said.

“The player-base usually stays the same, but obviously there are changes from a couple of positions due to deployments and operations.”

Capt Baker said training a soldier took a lot of money, and injury through activities such as contact sports was something the Army could not afford.

“Injury is something we’re addressing ADF-wide through our Safety and Development Camps, run regionally for service members to attend,” he said.

“The camps educate coaches and players on as fair and safe a way as possible to play that game, considering it is a contact sport.

“What we teach is the correct way to scrummage, the correct way to tackle someone, and the correct way to fall so as to minimise the risk of injury.”

Wallaby legend Duncan Hall is supporting the development camps run in Townsville and Brisbane this year.

“This initiative and a number of others we’re working on are building on our relationship with Australian Rugby Union,” Capt Baker said.

With a directive being handed down to the AARU committee that all Army players participating in rugby union must be “Smart Rugby” compliant from this year, members are encouraged to attend the camps.

“It’s not guaranteeing that you won’t get injured in rugby, but it does try to minimise the exposure to risk,” Capt Baker said.

He said a pool of experienced and keen new players within the Army had kept the sport safe and successful for the AARU. It is essential that players wanting consideration for the 2005 tour to China and Singapore attend one of the development camps,.

As the culmination of each camp, an Army side takes on a civilian side with selectors present. In the first camp at Townsville, the NQ Army Rugby team defeated a Townsville side 19-5.

As well as development camps, selectors will also be present at the Kapooka 10s for selection to the AARU National Squad.

• Brisbane camps will be held on February 24 and 26 at Gallipoli Barracks; the Sydney camp on March 19; Bandiana camps on April 2 and 3 at Gaza Ridge Barracks; and Darwin camps on April 9-10 at Robertson Barracks.

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