Buildcorp Wallaroos to play first Test match one month from today in Newcastle

Wed, Jun 12, 2019, 8:00 PM
Rugby Australia
by Rugby Australia

The Buildcorp Wallaroos will play their first Test match of 2019, one month from today on Saturday 13 July at Newcastle No. 2 Sportsground as the team kick-starts a massive year for Women’s Rugby. 

The Buildcorp Wallaroos will descend on the Hunter region from Saturday 6 July, as the squad comes together in camp in the first time in 2019 to prepare for the two Test Series against Japan. 

Australia has only ever played Japan once at the 2017 Rugby World Cup where they edged out their Asian rivals 29-15.  Fans who attend on the day will be treated to a feast of action with Hunter Women XV taking on Southern Inland XV, followed by Australian Defence Force Women taking on New Zealand Defence Force Women, plus plenty of precinct activations for the whole family to enjoy.  

It will be a great day out for the entire family, with affordable prices to enjoy all the action with ticket pricing for adults at $20, concessions $5 and everyone U16 to get free entry. 

The Buildcorp Wallaroos squad for the Japan Series will be named later this month, with two local Newcastle players vying to make the squad in Maya Stewart and Katrina Barker. 

Barker has already earned nine Test caps for Australia and will be looking to make her International return following on from the 2018 Aon University Sevens Series and 2019 Buildcorp Super W seasons. 

Newcastle will also be taken to the World via television broadcast with the match to be beamed around Australia and through its SANZAAR partners, as well as into Japan. 

The legacy piece of this match is being strongly supported by the Hawthorne Club with the organisation to give green and gold socks to NHRU Junior Girls competing in the ten a side Saturday competition to celebrate the match. 

The Buildcorp Wallaroos will also host an opening training session on Monday 8 July at 10am AEST at Townson Oval, home of the Greens. 

Rugby Australia Head of Women’s Rugby, Jilly Collins said: “With one month to go there is a real excitement building about the start of the 2019 International Women’s Test season in Newcastle.

“Newcastle, Maitland and the Hunter has a proud history of Women’s Rugby and was the place that the first Wallaroos Squad was selected. 

“Rugby Australia is excited about bringing the first standalone Wallaroos Test of this year to the region and we have already have had amazing engagement from local rugby supporters and the community to help make the day a great success.

“We want to capitalise on this historic game, including helping to encourage more young people to take up Rugby. 

“There will be plenty of people driving from around the state to come watch this historic Test match and we know that the Japanese always have a passionate supporter base when their team plays across the world.

“Tickets will be a hot commodity, so I encourage the community to purchase their place as the Aussies take on Japan.”

Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the City’s staff were working hard to produce a world-class playing surface at the inner-city ground and visitor guides to welcome tourists with information on dining options and transport.

“The Australian and world rugby community are going to see just what the green and gold means to Novocastrians and Hunter residents when a packed house gets behind the Wallaroos next month", Councillor Nelmes said.

“This is a Test Match we’re hosting so we’re putting our best foot forward to lure the women’s national team back in years to come after the Wallabies enjoyed their training camp at No.2 last year. Our staff are working around the clock to ensure the best possible facilities at both No.2 and the Wallaroos’ Merewether base in what we hope will become a dream week for both Maya Stewart and Katrina Barker.”

Newcastle Hunter Rugby Union’s General Manager, Andrew Fairfull said: “The rugby players and fans alike of the Newcastle Hunter zone are extremely excited that the Wallaroos v Japan test match is coming to our city.

“Rugby Australia has invested significant resources to bring this test match to the Hunter region. Their communication within the zone and their planned interactions, activations and connections with ‘grass roots’ players and clubs during their time in our region are ‘first class’.

“We believe the test match in conjunction with the prior week’s grass roots activities will assist our own local plans, efforts and initiatives to grow the Women’s game.

“We are expecting the test match to be a sell out and with No.2 Sportsground’s regional sized crowd capacity we highly recommend buying your tickets online as soon as possible.”

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