| Rugby union in Victoria | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Melbourne Rebels versus Sharks, 2011 | |
| Governing body | Rugby Victoria |
| State team | Melbourne Rebels |
| First played | 1878, Melbourne[citation needed] |
| Registered players | 11,792 (2022)[1] |
| Clubs | 26 |
Club competitions | |
Audience records | |
| Single match | 90,119 (1997). Bledisloe Cup - Australia vs New Zealand (MCG, Melbourne) |
Rugby union in Victoria describes the sport of rugby union being played and watched in the state of Victoria in Australia. The code was first introduced some time between the 1850s and 1880s but remained a minor sport played primarily in the private schools and amongst interstate expats. This has changed, particularly since the professionalisation of the game in the mid 1990s.
Player numbers are healthy for a sport in perhaps the most crowded football code marketplace on earth. Rugby Victoria counts participation across all variations of the game including 15-a-side Rugby, Sevens Rugby, VIVA 7s and Game-On primary school development program and claims that the game has grown by 38 per cent in 2016 to 15,829 participants.[citation needed] However Ausplay shows a decline of the sport in Victoria and with 11,792 registered players in 2022 trails behind Rugby union in Western Australia.[2]
There are over 25 Rugby clubs in Victoria at any one time, with age group and community rugby forming the largest portion. The top tier of clubs consisting of a mix of amateurs and professionally contracted players aligned with the Melbourne Rebels compete for the Dewar Shield.
Victoria has produced over 30 Wallabies and many more Super Rugby and Professional players and age group Australian players as well as internationals for a number of pacific island nations.
International rugby matches are popular with spectators in Victoria. This is evidenced by the large crowds which attended matches at the 2003 Rugby World Cup, 2006 Commonwealth Games, England v Australia game (2016) and overall television ratings for blockbuster internationals.
Victoria is represented in the professional Super Rugby competition by the Melbourne Rebels.