2017 National Rugby Championship
# 2017 National Rugby Championship

The 2017 National Rugby Championship was the fourth season of Australia's National Rugby Championship. It involved nine professional rugby union teams, one more than the previous year, with eight teams from Australia and one team from Fiji.

The two leading teams in the regular season, Canberra Vikings and Queensland Country, went on to play in the championship final. The deciding match, played at Viking Park in Canberra, was won 42–28 by Queensland Country to claim their first NRC title.

## Teams

A major change made for the 2017 season was the inclusion of the Fijian Drua in the competition. Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama met with the Australian Rugby Union, and World Rugby earlier in the year about establishing a pathway for developing Fijian rugby players. World Rugby financed the Fijian Drua.

The nine teams for the season included three from New South Wales, two from Queensland, and one each from Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, Western Australia, and Fiji:

| Region | Team | Coach(es) | Captain(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| FJI | Fijian Drua | Senirusi Seruvakula | John Stewart |
| ACT | Canberra Vikings | Tim Sampson | Tom Cusack |
| NSW | NSW Country Eagles | Darren Coleman | Paddy Ryan |
| NSW | Greater Sydney Rams | John Manenti | Jed Holloway |
| NSW | Sydney Rays | Julian Huxley | Damien Fitzpatrick |
| QLD | Brisbane City | Mick Heenan | Andrew Ready |
| QLD | Queensland Country | Brad Thorn | Duncan Paia'aua |
| VIC | Melbourne Rising | Zane Hilton | Steve Cummins |
| WA | Perth Spirit | Kevin Foote | Michael Ruru |

Home match venues scheduled for the 2017 NRC season:

| Region | Team | Match Venue | Capacity | City |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| FJI | Fijian Drua | Churchill Park | 18,000 | Lautoka |
| FJI | Fijian Drua | Lawaqa Park | 12,000 | Sigatoka |
| FJI | Fijian Drua | National Stadium | 15,000 | Suva |
| ACT | Canberra Vikings | Viking Park | 8,000 | Canberra |
| NSW | NSW Country Eagles | Bellevue Oval | 3,000 | Armidale |
| NSW | NSW Country Eagles | Simon Poidevin Oval | 3,000 | Goulburn |
| NSW | NSW Country Eagles | Wade Park | 8,000 | Orange |
| NSW | NSW Country Eagles | Scully Park | 11,000 | Tamworth |
| NSW | Greater Sydney Rams | TG Millner Field | 8,000 | Sydney |
| NSW | Sydney Rays | Macquarie University | 3,000 | Sydney |
| NSW | Sydney Rays | Pittwater Park | 10,000 | Sydney |
| QLD | Brisbane City | Ballymore | 18,000 | Brisbane |
| QLD | Brisbane City | UQ Rugby Club | 3,000 | Brisbane |
| QLD | Brisbane City | Wests Bulldogs | 3,000 | Brisbane |
| QLD | Queensland Country | Bond University, Gold Coast | 5,000 | Gold Coast |
| QLD | Queensland Country | North Ipswich Reserve | 5,500 | Ipswich |
| QLD | Queensland Country | Noosa Dolphins Club | 3,000 | Noosa |
| QLD | Queensland Country | Sports Ground | 9,000 | Toowoomba |
| VIC | Melbourne Rising | Holmesglen Reserve | 3,000 | Melbourne |
| VIC | Melbourne Rising | Frankston Park | 8,000 | Melbourne |
| WA | Perth Spirit | UWA Rugby Club | 4,000 | Perth |

## Television coverage and streaming

Two of the NRC matches each weekend were broadcast live via Fox Sports, with the remaining matches shown on the Fox Sports streaming platform. Discussion of the NRC competition was included on Fox Sports' review show NRC Extra Time on Monday nights, and the Kick & Chase program on Tuesday evenings.

## Experimental Law Variations

The trialed changes to the point scoring system adopted in previous years were not continued for the 2017 NRC season, and scoring reverted to the standard values of five points for a try, two for a conversion and three for a penalty or drop goal.

The remaining law variations used in 2016 were retained for the 2017 season. Also adopted were World Rugby's six amendments to the program of trial laws for 2017, relating to the tackle/ruck (Law 15.4 (c), 16, and 16.4 variations) and scrum (Law 20, 20.5 (d), and 20.9 (b) variations).

| Existing Law of the Game | Variation |
| - | - |
| Law 5.7(e) If time expires and the ball is not dead, or an awarded scrum or lineout has not been completed, the referee allows play to continue until the next time that the ball becomes dead. The ball becomes dead when the referee would have awarded a scrum, lineout, an option to the non-infringing team, drop out or after a conversion or successful penalty kick at goal. If a scrum has to be reset, the scrum has not been completed. If time expires and a mark, free kick or penalty kick is then awarded, the referee allows play to continue. | Non-offending team is allowed to kick the ball into touch after being awarded a penalty kick, which has been blown after time expires, and the lineout will take place. |
| Law 9.B.1(e) The kicker must take the kick within one minute and thirty seconds (ninety seconds) from the time a try has been awarded. The player must take the kick within one minute and thirty seconds even if the ball rolls over and has to be placed again. | Time limit reduced to 60 seconds for conversion kicks, and 45 seconds for penalty kicks. |
| Law 15.4 (c) The tackler must get up before playing the ball and then may play the ball from any direction. Sanction: Penalty kick | The tackler must get up before playing the ball and then can only play from their own side of the tackle “gate”. Rationale: To make the tackle/ruck simpler for players and referees and more consistent with the rest of that law. |
| Law 16 Definitions A ruck is a phase of play where one or more players from each team, who are on their feet, in physical contact, close around the ball on the ground. Open play has ended. Players are rucking when they are in a ruck and using their feet to try to win or keep possession of the ball, without being guilty of foul play. | A ruck commences when at least one player is on their feet and over the ball which is on the ground (tackled player, tackler). At this point the offside lines are created. Players on their feet may use their hands to pick up the ball as long as this is immediate. As soon as an opposition player arrives, no hands can be used. |
| Law 16.4 Other ruck offences | A player must not kick the ball out of a ruck. The player can only hook it in a backwards motion. |
| Law 17.2(d) Keeping players on their feet. Players in a maul must endeavour to stay on their feet. The ball carrier in a maul may go to ground providing the ball is available immediately and play continues. | Greater policing of this law, in order to discourage "hold up tackles", by ensuring that the tackler, who holds up a ball carrier in an effort to form a maul, does not collapse the maul as soon as it has formed. |
| Law 19.2(d) For a quick throw-in, the player must use the ball that went into touch. A quick throw-in is not permitted if another person has touched the ball apart from the player throwing it in and an opponent who carried it into touch. The same team throws into the lineout. | Players will be allowed to take quick throw-ins regardless of whether someone else has touched the ball |
| Law 19.6 The player taking the throw-in must stand at the correct place. The player must not step into the field of play when the ball is thrown. The ball must be thrown straight, so that it travels at least 5 metres along the line of touch before it first touches the ground or touches or is touched by a player. | Latitude will be given to the throwing team if the opposing team does not compete for the ball near where the ball is received |
| Law 20 Definitions ... A scrum is formed in the field of play when eight players from each team, bound together in three rows for each team, close up with their opponents so that the heads of the front rows are interlocked. This creates a tunnel into which a scrum half throws the ball so that front row players can compete for possession by hooking the ball with either of their feet ... | Once the ball touches the ground in the tunnel, any front-row player may use either foot to try to win possession of the ball. One player from the team who put the ball in must strike for the ball. Rationale: To promote a fair contest for possession. Sanction: Free-kick |
| Law 20.5(d) Throwing the ball into the scrum No Delay. As soon as the front rows have come together, the scrum half must throw in the ball without delay. The scrum half must throw in the ball when told to do so by the referee. The scrum half must throw in the ball from the side of the scrum first chosen. Sanction: Free Kick | No signal from referee. The scrum-half must throw the ball in straight, but is allowed to align their shoulder on the middle line of the scrum, therefore allowing them to stand a shoulder width towards their own side of the middle line. Rationale: To promote scrum stability, a fair contest for possession while also giving the advantage to the team throwing in. |
| Law 20.9 (b) All players: Handling in the scrum. Players must not handle the ball in the scrum or pick it up with their legs. Sanction: Penalty kick | The number eight shall be allowed to pick the ball from the feet of the second-rows. Rationale: To promote continuity. |
| Law 21.2(a) The kicker must take the penalty or free kick at the mark or anywhere behind it on a line through the mark. | Increased latitude will be given to where penalty and free kicks are to be taken |
| Competition rule - Bonus point awarded for scoring 4 tries | Bonus point awarded if winning team scores 3 or more tries than their opponents. This particular system has been used in France's professional leagues since the 2007–08 northern hemisphere season. |
| Television match official protocols | Television match official to only be consulted about tries and in-goal plays. |

## Regular season

The nine teams played in a round-robin for the regular season, each team having four matches at home and four away. The top four teams qualified for the semi-finals with the respective winner meeting in the final.

During this section of the competition, teams also played for the Horan-Little Shield, a challenge trophy put on the line when a challenge is accepted by the holders or mandated by the terms of competition for the shield.

Points for the regular season standings were accumulated by the same method as for The Rugby Championship and Super Rugby. A slightly modified version of the standard competition points system was used, with a bonus point awarded to a winning team scoring at least 3 tries more than their opponent; and a bonus point awarded to a losing team defeated by a margin of 7 points or under. Four points were awarded for a win and none for a loss; two points were awarded to each team if a match was drawn.

Each team's placement was based on its cumulative points total, including any bonus points earned. For teams level on table points, tiebreakers apply in the following order:

* Difference between points for and against during the season.
* Head-to-head match result(s) between the tied teams.
* Total number tries scored during the season.

The top four teams at the end of the regular season qualified for the title play-offs in the form of semi-finals followed by a final to determine the champion team.

### Standings

National Rugby Championship :

| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Canberra Vikings | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 353 | 186 | +167 | 3 | 2 | 29 |
| 2 | Queensland Country | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 316 | 204 | +112 | 4 | 1 | 29 |
| 3 | Fijian Drua | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 261 | 245 | +16 | 4 | 2 | 22 |
| 4 | Perth Spirit HL | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 269 | 237 | +32 | 2 | 2 | 20 |
| 5 | NSW Country Eagles | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 219 | 217 | +2 | 1 | 1 | 20 |
| 6 | Brisbane City | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 281 | 291 | –10 | 2 | 0 | 20 |
| 7 | Greater Sydney Rams | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 248 | 319 | –71 | 1 | 0 | 13 |
| 8 | Sydney Rays | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 238 | 322 | –84 | 1 | 0 | 13 |
| 9 | Melbourne Rising | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 193 | 357 | –164 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Updated: 29 October 2017 Source: rugbyarchive.net  • Teams 1 to 4 (Green background) at the end of the preliminary competition rounds qualify for the Title play-offs. HL denotes the holder of the Horan-Little Shield. |||||||||||||||

### Competition rounds

All kick-offs listed are in local time.

**Round 1**

* Bye/s: Sydney Rays

**Round 2**

* Bye/s: NSW Country Eagles

**Round 3**

* Bye/s: Queensland Country

**Round 4**

* Bye/s: Brisbane City

**Round 5**

* Bye/s: Greater Sydney Rams

**Round 6**

Pasifika Round

* Bye/s: Perth Spirit

**Round 7**

* Bye/s: Fijian Drua

**Round 8**

* Bye/s: Canberra Vikings

**Round 9**

* Bye/s: Melbourne Rising

## Finals

The top four sides in the regular season advanced to the semifinals of the knock-out stage, which was followed by the final to decide the National Rugby Championship title.

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Canberra Vikings | 40 | | | |
| 4 | Perth Spirit | 35 | | | |
| 4 | Perth Spirit | 35 | Canberra Vikings | Canberra Vikings | 28 |
| | | | Queensland Country | Queensland Country | 42 |
| 2 | Queensland Country | 57 | Queensland Country | Queensland Country | 42 |
| 3 | Fijian Drua | 21 | | | |

### Final

| Canberra Vikings | Queensland Country |
| - | - |

Team details :

| FB | 15 | Tom Banks | |
| - | - | - | - |
| RW | 14 | Ben Johnston | |
| OC | 13 | Len Ikitau | 64' |
| IC | 12 | James Dargaville | |
| LW | 11 | Andy Muirhead | |
| FH | 10 | Wharenui Hawera | |
| SH | 9 | Ryan Lonergan | 64' |
| N8 | 8 | Lolo Fakaosilea | |
| OF | 7 | Tom Cusack | |
| BF | 6 | Rob Valetini | |
| RL | 5 | Darcy Swain | |
| LL | 4 | Dean Oakman-Hunt | |
| TP | 3 | Leslie Leulua’iali’i-Makin | 79' |
| HK | 2 | Folau Fainga'a | 68' |
| LP | 1 | Harrison Lloyd | 61' |
| Replacements: ||
| HK | 16 | Robbie Abel | 68' |
| PR | 17 | Faalelei Sione | 61' |
| PR | 18 | Max Bode | 79' |
| LK | 19 | Michael Oakman-Hunt | |
| FL | 20 | Angus Allen | |
| SH | 21 | Pedro Rolando | 64' |
| FH | 22 | Liam Moseley | |
| OB | 23 | Lausii Taliauli | 64' |
| Coach: ||
| Tim Sampson ||
| RW | 14 | Filipo Daugunu | |
| OC | 13 | Chris Feauai-Sautia | |
| IC | 12 | Duncan Paia'aua | |
| LW | 11 | Eto Nabuli | |
| FH | 10 | Hamish Stewart | |
| SH | 9 | James Tuttle | |
| N8 | 8 | Caleb Timu | |
| OF | 7 | Tainui Ford | 66' |
| BF | 6 | Angus Scott-Young | |
| RL | 5 | Angus Blyth | |
| LL | 4 | Harry Hockings | |
| TP | 3 | Taniela Tupou | |
| HK | 2 | Alex Mafi | |
| LP | 1 | Richie Asiata | |
| Replacements: |||
| HK | 16 | Alex Casey | |
| PR | 17 | Gareth Ryan | |
| PR | 18 | Gavin Luka | |
| LK | 19 | Phil Potgieter | |
| LF | 20 | Ted Postal | 66' |
| SH | 21 | Tate McDermott | |
| FH | 22 | Teti Tela | |
| OB | 23 | Tony Hunt | |
| Coach: |||
| Brad Thorn ||||

* Man of the Match:
* Duncan Paia'aua
* Assistant Referees:
* Damon Murphy (Australia)
* Jordan Way (Australia)
* Television match official:
* Ian Smith (Australia)
