2014 National Rugby Championship

The 2014 National Rugby Championship (known as the Buildcorp National Rugby Championship for sponsorship reasons) was the inaugural season of Australia's National Rugby Championship, involving nine professional rugby union teams from around Australia. The competition kicked off on 21 August 2014. The final was held on 1 November 2014 and won by Brisbane City.

Teams and venues

The nine teams for the 2014 NRC season included four from New South Wales, two from Queensland, and one each from Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, and Western Australia:

RegionTeamCoach(es)Captain(s)ACT Dan McKellarNSW Matthew Carraro Cameron Treloar Brian Melrose Jed Holloway Greg Peterson Chris Malone QLD Nick Stiles David McDuling Steve MeehanVIC Sean Hedger Nic StirzakerWA David Wessels Kevin Foote Rory Walton Sam Wykes Ian Prior

Home match venues for the 2014 NRC season: RegionTeamMatch VenueCapacityCityACTViking Park10,000CanberraNSWCaltex Park12,000DubboCentral Coast Stadium20,059GosfordOakes Oval10,000LismoreWade Park8,000OrangeCoogee Oval5,000SydneyParramatta Stadium20,700Brookvale Oval23,000Leichhardt Oval22,000QLDSuncorp Stadium52,500BrisbaneBallymore18,000Ballymore18,000Bond University5,00027,000Mike Carney Toyota Park5,000TownsvilleVICAAMI Park29,500MelbourneWAAdelaide Airport Oval15,000AdelaideHBF Arena16,000PerthRockingham RUC3,000UWA Rugby Club4,000

Experimental Law Variations As part of the initial championship, the ARU was given approval by the IRB to conduct experimental law trials as part of the 2014 National Rugby Championship. Proposed law variations were first considered by a panel composed of the current Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie, former Wallabies coach Bob Dwyer, former Wallaby Rod Kafer and former top referee Wayne Erikson. The variations were then put to the voting public, before returning to the panel.

The variations in place for the 2014 and 2015 seasons are listed below.

Existing Law of the GameVariationLaw 9.A.1Value of a Conversion goal - 2 pointsValue of a Penalty goal - 3 pointsValue of a Dropped goal - 3 pointsValue of a Conversion goal - 3 pointsValue of a Penalty goal - 2 pointsValue of a Dropped goal - 2 points

Previously trialled in South Africa’s Varsity Cup.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 19.6The 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 receivedLaw 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 20.1(d)No delay. A team must not intentionally delay forming a scrum.Team has 30 seconds to form a scrum from the time the referee gives the mark.Law 20.12(c)When a team has won the ball in a scrum, the scrum half of the opposing team is offside if that scrum half steps in front of the ball with either foot while the ball is still in the scrum.Opposing scrum half is not allowed to enter the gap between the flanker and number 8, even if they stay behind the ballLaw 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 takenLaw 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 ballLaw 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.Competition rule - Bonus point awarded for scoring 4 triesBonus 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 protocolsTelevision match official to only be consulted about tries and in-goal plays.

Regular season The nine teams compete in a round-robin tournament for the regular season. Each team has four matches at home and four away, and one bye. The top four teams qualify for the title play-offs with semi-finals and finals.

Standings

Round-by-round Team Progression – 2014 NRC seasonTeamR1R2R3R4R5R6R7R8R9 4 (3rd) 8 (3rd) 8 (4th) 12 (3rd) 12 (3rd) 16 (2nd) 16 (5th) 21 (3rd) 26 (3rd) 0 (9th) 0 (8th) 4 (6th) 9 (6th) 9 (5th) 11 (6th) 16 (4th) 16 (5th) 16 (5th) 5 (2nd) 10 (1st) 15 (1st) 20 (1st) 25 (1st) 30 (1st) 30 (1st) 35 (1st) 40 (1st) 5 (1st) 10 (2nd) 14 (2nd) 15 (2nd) 15 (2nd) 15 (3rd) 19 (2nd) 23 (2nd) 27 (2nd) 0 (7th) 0 (6th) 0 (8th) 4 (7th) 8 (6th) 10 (7th) 12 (7th) 12 (7th) 12 (7th) 4 (4th) 5 (5th) 5 (5th) 5 (6th) 6 (8th) 11 (4th) 16 (3rd) 16 (4th) 17 (4th) 0 (6th) 0 (7th) 1 (7th) 2 (8th) 6 (7th) 6 (8th) 6 (8th) 11 (8th) 11 (8th) 0 (8th) 0 (9th) 0 (9th) 0 (9th) 2 (9th) 2 (9th) 3 (9th) 3 (9th) 7 (9th) 1 (5th) 5 (4th) 9 (3rd) 9 (4th) 11 (4th) 11 (5th) 13 (6th) 14 (6th) 14 (6th) The table above shows a team's progression throughout the season.For each round, their cumulative points total is shown with the overall log position in brackets.Key: win draw loss bye

Points by RoundTeam123456789TotalAverage 4520 2621 1879 3426 N/A N/A291329567726371629525737322311837443447181324343456294058 N/A N/A2542653233 5534 4513 7918 4424 3716 3413 N/A N/A 5840 47263991845023 31 2 37 13 33 21 26 34 16 37 N/A N/A2624423740342512023125 34 55 N/A N/A 21 33 32 29 32 29 34 34 21 21 26 77 40 4924032731412823212634442444293263216829 N/A N/A34403012593832N/AN/A133721262932241313292968532926472082812635 2045 1345 N/A N/A 1847 3737 2163 2426 2953 49402113562645 2328 3718 2621 N/A N/A 3737 1334 2121 3742 16372102382630 Key:OffensiveDefensive

Tries by RoundTeam123456789TotalAverage 64 43 311 54 N/A N/A42471045241375.14.6 04 35 65 73 23 44 74 58 N/A N/A34364.34.58562113735252 N/A N/A857457267.13.340524345 25 N/A N/A 43 65 5534284.33.558N/AN/A34444444334105732444.05.4443456374493104 N/A N/A5543375.44.6N/AN/A2534443224410744729403.65.04626 N/A N/A37553934477531493.96.1 44 53 43 N/A N/A552533562530343.84.3 Key:OffensiveDefensive

Competition rounds

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Round 8

Round 9

Title play-offs The top four sides in the regular season advanced to the knock-out stage of semi-finals and final to decide the National Rugby Championship title.

Semi-finals

Final

FB 15 Brando Va'auluRW 14 Chris KuridraniOC 13 Toby White IC 12 Jack MullinsLW 11 Matthew Feaunati FH 10 Jake McIntyre SH 9 Nick FrisbyN8 8 Jake SchatzOF 7 Liam GillBF 6 Curtis Browning RL 5 David McDuling (c)LL 4 Marco Kotze TP 3 Sef Fa'agase HK 2 Andrew ReadyLP 1 Pettowa Paraka Replacements:HK 16 Matt MafiPR 17 David Feao PR 18 Phil Kite LK 19 Tim Buchanan FL 20 Adam Korczyk SH 21 Will ThompsonFH 22 James Dalgleish WG 23 Junior Laloifi Coach: Nick Stiles FB 15 Dane Haylett-PettyRW 14 Luke MorahanOC 13 Junior RasoleaIC 12 Ammon Matuauto LW 11 Marcel BracheFH 10 Zack HolmesSH 9 Ian Prior N8 8 Alex RoviraOF 7 Richard HardwickBF 6 Brynard Stander RL 5 Brent Murphy LL 4 Sam Wykes (c)TP 3 Ollie HoskinsHK 2 Robbie Abel LP 1 Pek Cowan Replacements:HK 16 Harry Scoble PR 17 Joe Savage PR 18 Chris HeibergLK 19 Kieran Stringer FL 20 Cian O'Connor SH 21 Justin Turner FH 22 Davis Tavita WG 23 Christian JoubertCoach: David Wessels Kevin Foote Man of the Match: Liam Gill (Brisbane)

Assistant Referees: Will Houston (Australia) Damien Mitchelmore (Australia) Television match official: Greg Milne (Australia)

Season attendances

ClubGamesHostedAttendanceLowestHighestAverageTotal Brisbane City 5 2,500 13,700 6,499 32,497 Greater Sydney Rams 4 1,063 1,632 1,380 5,519 Melbourne Rising 5 1,764 2,187 1,990 9,948 NSW Country Eagles 5 500 2,000 1,150 5,750 North Harbour Rays 4 1,852 2,900 2,230 8,921 Perth Spirit 4 1,022 2,300 1,692 6,767 Queensland Country 4 1,500 2,500 1,875 7,500 Sydney Stars 4 750 1,500 1,076 4,302 University of Canberra Vikings 4 1,500 2,000 1,625 6,500 Totals 39 500 13,700 2,249 87,704

Players The leading scorers in 2014 over the regular season and play-offs combined were:

Leading try scorers Top 5 try scorersPosNameTriesTeam1 Andrew Kellaway 9NSW Country Eagles2 Telusa Veainu 8Melbourne Rising3 Jack Debreczeni 6Melbourne Rising3 Robbie Abel 6Perth Spirit3 Lopeti Timani 6Melbourne Rising3 Nic Stirzaker 6Melbourne Rising3 Jarrad Butler 6UC Vikings3 Chris Kuridrani 6Brisbane City3 Jarome McKenzie 6Greater Sydney Rams Source: rugby.com.au

Leading point scorers Top 5 overall point scorersPosNamePointsTeam1 Jack Debreczeni 144Melbourne Rising2 Sam Windsor 88NSW Country Eagles3 Jake McIntyre 82Brisbane City4 Zack Holmes 77Perth Spirit5 Ben Volavola 72Greater Sydney Rams Source: rugby.com.au

2014 National Rugby Championship

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