Australian Rugby Shield: What, who, where and how to watch

Australia’s amateur rugby showpiece kicks off this week with 16 teams from across the nation battling it out at Ballymore Stadium.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Australian Rugby Shield (ARS):

WHAT

The ARS is a round-robin competition contested by eight teams split into two pools of four across men’s and women’s divisions.

Teams play against each of their pool rivals to determine a rank (i.e. first, second, third, fourth), before crossing pools to play the equivalent ranked side (1v1, 2v2, 3v3, 4v4).

Running from 2000-2009 and revived in 2022, the ARS aims to identify talent from outside traditional strongholds such as metropolitan Brisbane and Sydney.

NSW Country have won the most men’s titles (four) with ACT/SNSW (two), Perth (two), Queensland Country and Victoria among past winners, while Victoria won the inaugural women’s event in 2022.

WHO

Men’s Competition – Pool A

• ACT/SNSW Griffins
• VIC Axemen
• QLD Country Heelers
• QLD Suburban

Men’s Competition – Pool B

• NSW Country Cockatoos
• Perth Gold
• SA Black Falcons
• TAS Jack Jumpers

Women’s Competition – Pool A

• Victoria
• QLD Country Orchids
• Perth Gold
• QLD Suburban

Women’s Competition – Pool B

• NSW Country Corellas
• SA Black Falcons
• ACT/SNSW Kestrels
• ADF (Australian Defence Force)

WHERE

Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane (91 Clyde Road, Herston).

Games will be played on Fields 1 and 3 (stadium map below).

HOW TO WATCH

All ARS fixtures will be livestreamed via Rugby Xplorer and rugby.com.au