Four local Canberra club players will join the Plus500 Brumbies for their trip to Singapore next week which includes an exhibition against the Asia Pacific Dragons at Queenstown Stadium.
Tuggeranong Vikings trio, lock Darcy Swain, prop Sione Taula and utility back Andrew Robinson, will be joined by Royals’ wing George Morseu in the team for the inaugural Austbrokers Canberra Cup.
The Brumbies booked their place in the last eight of the Super Rugby competition after claiming a bonus-point win over the Rebels at GIO Stadium on Friday 3 June, the 32-3 victory meaning that the ACT-based side claimed the Australian Conference title for the second successive season with two games to spare.
Acting Head Coach Dan McKellar, who will take on the role on a full-time basis beginning with the 2018 Super Rugby Season, will take the opportunity to give some of the next generation of Brumbies talent the chance to shine on the tour with several exciting young prospects included in the group.
Young scrum-half Ryan Lonergan is included in the tour party having battled through injury in the early part of the season and he will be joined by Brumbies U20 Captain, lock Swain and the duo of club footballers.
As well as Lonergan, the Brumbies will likely unleash the skills of Canberra-born Jordan Jackson-Hope as well as winger Andrew Muirhead, fresh from his try-scoring double in Argentina.
Up front Canberran Tom Cusack, who re-signed with the Brumbies earlier this week, is part of a strong looking pack which will include veteran hooker Josh Mann-Rea and props Nic Mayhew and Leslie Leulua’iali’i-Makin, who also committed their future to the club recently.
The prestige fixture is part of a four-day Brumbies tour that begins on Monday 19 June and will conclude with the game against the Dragons at the boutique 3,800 seat Stadium.
“We are excited by the prospect of heading to Singapore during the June international test window,” Plus500 Brumbies CEO Michael Thomson commented.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for us to help spread the awareness of rugby in Singapore and to promote the Brumbies brand overseas.
“Whilst there we will be working with Singapore Rugby Union to help develop and grow the game in the region. Asia has a fast-growing developing rugby fan-base and the chance to help promote the game globally through the Brumbies brand is wonderful opportunity.
“The game against the Asia Pacific Dragons will enable us to keep the momentum building as we aim to secure a home Quarter Final.
“We would like to thank our partners Austbrokers, Visit Canberra, Tourism Australia and University of Canberra. We hope that our members and supporters consider a trip up to Singapore to watch us play.”
The Brumbies players and coaching staff will take part in several activities in Singapore to help expand and promote the game in the region whilst there. The week includes schools and rugby club visits, a Carbine Club lunch and function at the Australian Embassy.
Plus500 BRUMBIES SQUAD
Singapore Tour
19-22 June 2017
FIXTURE
Asia Pacific Dragons v Plus500 Brumbies
(Queenstown Stadium, 19:00 local, 21:00 AEST)
TOUR SQUAD
Robbie ABEL
Nigel AH-WONG
Chris ALCOCK
Tom BANKS
Jarrad BUTLER
Tom CUSACK
Lolo FAKAOSILEA
Wharenui HAWERA
Ben HYNE
Jordan JACKSON-HOPE
Leslie LEULUA’IALI’I-MAKIN
Ryan LONERGAN
Josh MANN-REA
Nic MAYHEW
George MORSEU
Andrew MUIRHEAD
Andrew ROBINSON
Faalelei SIONE
Jordan SMILER
Tom STANIFORTH
Darcy SWAIN
Sione TAULA
