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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 3 Hansard (8 April) . . Page.. 730 ..

MR WHITECROSS (Leader of the Opposition) (5.26): I rise today to talk briefly about the ACT Brumbies and what a great job they are doing in representing the ACT in the Super 12 rugby union competition. It really is great for the sport of rugby union to have the Brumbies doing so well. Anyone who was at Bruce Stadium the night that the Brumbies played Canterbury and saw George Gregan's marvellous cover tackle on the huge Fijian winger Paula Bale will find it hard to stay away. The entertaining style of running rugby that the Brumbies play is clearly reflected in the crowds that have been showing up. It was a great result for the ACT Rugby Union to have 12,000 people turn up on Good Friday to watch the Brumbies play Northern Transvaal. I suppose it is not so much of a surprise, given that it is said that rugby is the game they play in heaven.

Any team is only as good as the organisation behind it. The ACT Rugby Union really have to be congratulated on the way that they have gone about getting on with the job of ensuring that the ACT has a competitive team in the competition. In the past the ACT has not been able to hold onto talented players like David Campese and Michael O'Connor, who were forced to play for either Sydney or Brisbane clubs in order to ensure their chances of playing for the Wallabies. Last year, the first year that the Brumbies played in the current competition, they were able to get 11 of their players selected for representative honours. This was an outstanding achievement. Half the Wallabies squad is made up of ACT Brumbies players. On current form, ACT representation will only improve with players like John Langford playing the way they are.

There is little doubt that the catalyst for the Brumbies being included in the current competition stems from the initial success of the Canberra Kookaburras in the 1995 AAMI Cup, when in their first year they finished second to Gordon in the grand final. This was another great achievement by the players and the ACT Rugby Union. Being able to go to Bruce and watch international rugby teams like Northern Transvaal, Canterbury and Free State is a great bonus not only for rugby union but also for supporters of rugby union in the Territory. Of course, having the Brumbies beat Queensland at Ballymore is always something to dine out on.

In closing, I wish the Brumbies all the best for their forthcoming games, especially the game against Auckland this week. I will certainly be in the crowd when the Brumbies play archrivals New South Wales and Waikato at Bruce. If there is one criticism I have of the ACT Rugby Union, I want to know why Raiders fans get to listen to Belinda Carlisle and Brumbies fans have to listen to Bill Stefaniak.

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