PARTNER PROFILE: ACT BRUMBIES & ACT RUGBY

Despite a crazy and unpredictable 12 months, the Brumbies have certainly taken huge strides forward in their quest for success. 

Not only on the field have results been strong, but players are returning to local competitions in droves following the COVID-19 outbreak in Australia.

In September 2020, the Brumbies took home the trophy after defeating the Queensland Reds in the Super Rugby AU final.

But it wasn’t always smooth sailing with the unpredictability of COVID-19.

“The Brumbies, and rugby as a whole experienced considerable challenges and uncertainty in these last 12 months as a direct result of the COVID-19 global health crisis, and the knock-on effects of those challenges are still felt today,” the Brumbies told gilbertrugby.com.au.

“Operationally, our adaptability has been tested to its limits, and other unions and clubs have experienced even more trying conditions. Financially, the game has managed to survive and 2021 was an important step in our recovery.

“It’s hard to fathom that this time 12 months ago, we were preparing for our first game of Super Rugby AU against the Rebels, scrambling to put on a game of professional rugby with unprecedented rules and restrictions - and again - we were grateful to do so.

“What followed was perhaps the most difficult period in the history of the club, but one we now look back on fondly as we won the inaugural Super Rugby AU title in front of a COVID-19 restricted crowd of 6,500 people at our home ground, something that just a few months before was unthinkable.”

The Brumbies followed up their 2020 success by reaching the 2021 Super Rugby AU final, before going down to the Reds.

“We had some great highs in the 2021 Super Rugby season, but there were also some challenging times throughout the year. Reaching the Super Rugby AU Grand Final through much adversity during the campaign was a tremendous achievement for the club,” they said.

“Although we didn’t get the result we wanted, we watched many young, homegrown players step up in front of 40,000 fans at Suncorp (Stadium) and come so close to delivering the result.

“Super Rugby Trans-Tasman brought new challenges as we went up against the best club sides in the world. Results were not where we wanted them to be, but there was a real sense of excitement at continuing to test ourselves against those sides in the future. Taking a gutsy win against the Hurricanes on the night we played in our player-designed Pasifika jerseys was a real highlight.

“On the whole, we will probably look back at 2021 and think about what could have been, but with so many young players starting their careers this season, we believe it will be remembered as an important year in the development of our club moving forward.”

Gilbert Rugby products are a central aspect of the Brumbies, including at the grassroots level among the community and local clubs.

The Gilbert Barbarian Rugby Ball is one of the most popular products due to its performance and durability.

“We choose to use Gilbert products simply because they are the best. Gilbert makes the best rugby balls in the world,” the Brumbies added.

“They are the gold standard and have become an integral part of our weekly training schedule.”

Local competitions in the ACT are going from strength-to-strength with the return of the John I Dent Cup providing plenty of exciting rugby matches.

“After an incredibly fraught 2021 season, our local club rugby competition, the John I Dent Cup, is back in full swing with a full set of fixtures and final series locked in for 2021,” they explained.

“Our competition has evolved over the past few seasons to become one of the most open, entertaining and competitive premier rugby competitions in the country. Truly, any team can win on their day in the John I Dent Cup.

“While those selected for Wallabies duties are unavailable, the remaining contracted Brumbies players are back with their clubs and bringing even more quality to the competition.”


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