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About Our Club

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About Us

Canberra Royals is a proud, inclusive and family club comprising seniors (women and men) and juniors (girls and boys) playing groups and was established in 1949. Canberra Royals has been showing excellence on and off the field in ACT club rugby since this time, winning over 20 First Grade Men’s Premierships.

Over the years, Canberra Royals has always maintained the philosophy that representation, at whatever level, was the right of its players regardless of the cost to the club’s on-field performance. This drive for professionalism, not in monetary terms but in attitude, is reflected across playing, coaching, and administration.

Royals men’s seniors have won more premierships and provided more home-grown ACT (including Brumbies) and Wallaby representatives than any other ACT rugby club.

Royals Juniors is the oldest continuously operating junior rugby club in the ACT. Royals Juniors field teams in most, if not all, boys’ and girls’ age divisions and have strong community support in Weston Creek, Woden Valley, and, more recently, Molonglo Valley.

Royals men’s seniors have won more premierships and provided more home-grown ACT (including Brumbies) and Wallaby representatives than any other ACT rugby club.

griffins win 1
griffins win 1

Royals Juniors is the oldest continuously operating junior rugby club in the ACT. Royals Juniors field teams in most, if not all, boys’ and girls’ age divisions and have strong community support in Weston Creek, Woden Valley, and, more recently, Molonglo Valley.

Royals have a proud indigenous history and have established programs to promote indigenous participation inside and outside the ACT. Royals was the first Australian rugby club to have an Indigenous woman President.

Royals support programs such as ‘Every Chance to Play’ to ensure that young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are included in participating in rugby. Royals also has a disability inclusion program, which promotes the participation of disabled people in all aspects of the club’s operations. Royals are committed to fostering an inclusive environment and eliminating discrimination in sports.

Royals seniors and juniors have over 2,000 active members, primarily based in the ACT region but with significant interstate and international support. In 2019, the Royals family expanded to include Royal Volleyball.

griffins win 1
grifins win

Our History

Seventy-four years of Rugby excellence by Canberra Royals was founded not in stone but on cloth. A row over new jerseys worth less than two dollars – 18 shillings in 1949 – resulted in Jack Waters, the club’s first president, along with several enthusiastic youngsters such as Noel Hansen, Keith Hawke and Bob Brown, splitting away from Norths to form the club now known as Canberra Royals Rugby Union Football Club.

For seventy years since, Canberra Royals has been showing excellence on and off the field in ACT club rugby. The proud history of Canberra Royals follows and is built on an impressive first season in 1949, with the Royals entering two teams in the reserve grade competition, with the reserve A team crowned undefeated premiers.

grifins win
grifins win

In 1992, Royals was the first ACT rugby club to field a women’s team and won the first version of the women’s national championship that year. Royals continued to field a team in the Sydney women’s competition and were the driving force behind establishing the first ACT women’s competition in 1996. Royals women’s seniors have won most of ACT women’s premierships and provided more ACT and Wallaroo (national women’s team) representatives than any other Australian club.

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Watch A Game

Our home ground is located on Ainsworth Street, Philip.

Come along and support us! 

Life Members

Jack Baker

Graham Blewitt

Kate Blewitt

Gary Bodman

Terry Brady

Bob Brown

Louise Burrows

Frank Condi

Geoff Didier

Tekani Ferris

Anne Gallagher

Peter Gallagher

Darren Goodwin

Peter Goodwin

John Hillier

Mick Houston

John Kelsey

Graham Limbrick

Paul Maguire

Brendan Maher

Craig McMahon

Brian Paule

Pat Quilty

Michael Roche

Johnathon Rollings

Bill Salter 

Frank Spidmore

David Stafford

Jim Taylor

Kim Thurbon

Liz Thurbon

Dougal Whitton

Mark Young

Jack Waters

Nev Herbert

Ian Buttsworth

John Stafford

Valerie Hawke

Bill Hanley

Keith Hawke

Rex Clarke

Kevin Ayers

Noel Hansen

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