THE 2003 World Cup. A sea of gold jerseys decorate Australia’s stadiums as the Wallabies reach the final.
Melbourne hosted seven games in the tournament back then – including a Wallabies pool match – in what was one of the biggest showcases of rugby union in the state of Victoria to date.
A glance at those green-and-gold Wallabies fans in Melbourne then would lead you to believe that this is a country – and state – that is mad for the game.
Victoria has a battle on its hands when it comes to rugby union, though. The sport is an underdog in the nation’s second-most populated state, not featuring in the top ten sports for participation. Victoria – and Melbourne especially – is one of the most saturated sports landscapes in the world. Just at a glance, there are:
• Ten Aussie Rules (AFL) teams, whose intrastate match-ups alone regularly attract crowds in
