Wikipedia

Rod Macqueen Cup

The Rod Macqueen Cup is a rugby union trophy contested biannually in Super Rugby between the ACT Brumbies and the Queensland Reds. The Rod Macqueen Cup was introduced in 2005 to celebrate Rod Macqueen, the first Brumbies head coach.[1]

Rod Macqueen Cup
Awarded forWinning the biannual ACT Brumbies versus Queensland Reds match.
CountryAustralia
Presented byRugby Australia
History
First award2005
Most recentACT Brumbies

Rod Macqueen edit

End of the Amateur Era edit

One of Macqueen's first major coaching positions was at the NSW Waratahs, from 1991 to 1992. In 1992, 1994, and 1995, he was also a selector for the Wallabies, the Australian national team.

ACT Brumbies edit

Rod Macqueen was the first head coach of the ACT Brumbies in 1996. He led them to the 4th best win-loss record in the competition that year, only missing out on a finals berth due to the Natal Sharks winning a superior number of bonus points. The ACT Brumbies were one of only two teams to beat the Queensland Reds in the regular season. Macqueen's 1996 Brumbies were the only team to beat Queensland, Natal, and the Auckland Blues.

In 1997, Macqueen led the ACT Brumbies to the Grand Final against the Auckland Blues. Joe Roff scored all the Brumbies' points in a 23–7 defeat.

Wallabies Head Coach edit

Macqueen was appointed the head coach of the Wallabies in September 1997, and would coach them until 2001. He led the Wallabies to victory at the 1999 Rugby World Cup in Wales, where they defeated France in the final, becoming the first nation to ever win the Rugby World Cup twice. The following year Australia won the Tri Nations Series for the first time.

Macqueen retired from the game after guiding the Wallabies to a victory over the highly rated 2001 Lions side captained by Martin Johnson. He finished his career as the Australian coach with a test match winning record of just below 80%.[2] His achievements with the Wallabies led many people to believe that he is one of the talented coaches in the professional era.

Macqueen received an Australian Sports Medal in 2000.[3] was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2001.[4] and was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2003.[5] In 2004 he was awarded the Joe French Award, which recognizes outstanding service to the Australian Rugby Union. Macqueen was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame in October 2011, alongside all other Rugby World Cup-winning head coaches and captains through the 2007 edition.[6]

History of the Rivalry edit

Super 12 to Super 14 (1996 – 2009) edit

Despite producing many talented Wallabies in the first fifteen years of professionalism, such as Jason Little, Chris Latham, Toutai Kefu, Tim Horan, Daniel Herbert, Michael Foley, Elton Flatley, John Eales, Dan Crowley, John Roe, Ben Tune, and David Wilson, the Queensland Reds only defeated the ACT Brumbies once in the first fifteen years of their rivalry, with an 19-18 victory at Ballymore Stadium in 1999.

12 March 1999 Queensland Reds 19 – 18 ACT Brumbies Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane  
Try: Daniel Herbert   24'
Con: Nathan Spooner    25' (1/1)
Pen: Nathan Spooner    11', 40', 44', 82' (4/5)
Cards: Toutai Kefu   22' to 32' 		Try: Jim Williams   4', 30'
Con: Stirling Mortlock    31' (1/2)
Pen: Stirling Mortlock    17', 28' (2/3)
Cards: Gordon Falcon   43' to 53' 		Referee: Peter Marshall


Queensland's 1999 win was enough to give them a top-of-the-table finish in 1999, and prevented the ACT Brumbies from reaching the playoffs.

The most significant clash in the early rivalry between these teams was the 2001 Semi Final. This was Queensland's last playoff appearance for a decade.

19 May 2001 ACT Brumbies 30 – 6 Queensland Reds Bruce Stadium, Canberra  
19:40 (UTC+10) Try: Stirling Mortlock   39'
Owen Finegan   50'
Jeremy Paul   78'
Con: Andrew Walker   39', 50', 78' (3/3)
Pen: Andrew Walker   60', 68' (2/2)
Drop: Stephen Larkham   80' (1/1) 		Report Pen: Elton Flatley   10' (1/1)
Shane Drahm   37' (1/1) 		Attendance: 25,273
Referee: Paddy O'Brien


The Rod Macqueen Cup was introduced in 2005 to celebrate Rod Macqueen.[7] The ACT Brumbies were the first to win the Rod Macqueen Cup, and proceeded to retain it all through Super 14.

The end of Super 14 and the start of the Conference System (2010 – 2014) edit

The four years that Ewen McKenzie, who played for the Brumbies in Super 12, was coach of the Reds was the high water mark of the rivalry. In 2010, 2012, and 2013, the Rod Macqueen Cup games decided whether either the Brumbies or the Reds made the playoff. In 2010, the Rod Macqueen Cup game was the difference between the Reds finishing 4th (in the playoffs) and 5th (not in the playoffs). In 2012 and 2013, if the losing team had won just one of the Rod Macqueen Cup games, they would have won the conference ahead of the other.

In 2011, the Queensland Reds won their second game against the Brumbies. Despite scoring four tries, the Brumbies were only able to convert one, while Quade Cooper kicked seven penalty goals, a drop goal, and converted the Reds' only try for an individual haul of 26 points, enough to beat the Brumbies on his own, and more points in a game than any Brumby has ever scored.[8]


5 March 2011 Brumbies 25 – 31 Reds Bruce Stadium, Canberra  
19:40 (UTC+11) Try: Stephen Moore   18'
Pat McCabe   30'
Ita Vaea   42'
Ben Alexander   74'
Con: Matt Giteau   18' (1/4)
Pen: Matt Giteau   37' (1/1) 		Report Try: Scott Higginbotham   12'
Con: Quade Cooper   12' (1/1)
Pen: Quade Cooper   2', 23', 29', 38', 52', 55', 69' (7/9)
Drop: Quade Cooper   34' (1/1)
Cards: Ben Daley   37' to 47' 		Attendance: 16,027[9]
Referee: Mark Lawrence


However, the Reds were unable to win the Rod Macqueen Cup in 2011, as the Brumbies won a famous underdog victory in the return game. The Brumbies were in the middle of their worst season, while the Reds would win the 2011 Super Rugby Final, and yet the Brumbies played one of the best defensive performances of the season to continually frustrate the Reds and prevent them from playing their game.[10] The game ended in controversy when the Brumbies won a penalty after the siren. Brumbies captain Matt Giteau chose to attempt the penalty goal, while Stephen Moore, a former Queensland Red, told Giteau to kick it out so the Reds could have the losing bonus point for finishing within seven points. Giteau was clearly heard on the broadcast telling Moore "f**k off, I'm the captain.", which many fans consider to be illustrative of both men's captaincies: Giteau the authoritarian, Moore too nice to his opposition.[11]


4 June 2011 Reds 14 – 22 Brumbies Bruce Stadium, Canberra  
19:40 (UTC+10) Try: Ben Lucas   36'
Con: Quade Cooper (0/1)
Pen: Quade Cooper   5', 9', 56' (3/4) 		Report Try: Stephen Moore   19'
Con: Matt Giteau   19' (1/1)
Pen: Matt Giteau   2', 7', 18', 31', 82' (5/5)
Drop: Matt Giteau (0/2) 		Attendance: 27,374[12]
Referee: Garratt Williamson


The Reds won the Rod Macqueen Cup for the first time in 2012, beating the Brumbies in Canberra and in Brisbane to win as many games against the Brumbies in one year as they had in their entire history. However, the Brumbies won it back with a win and a draw in 2013. The draw in 2013 was played in front of the largest crowd to ever watch a Rod Macqueen Cup game, a testament to the status of the rivalry at that time.


20 April 2013 Reds 19 – 19 Brumbies Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane  
19:40 Try: Jake Schatz   14'
Rod Davies   49'
Liam Gill   75'
Con: Quade Cooper   15', 76' (2/3) 		Report Try: Christian Lealiifano   24'
Con: Christian Lealiifano   25' (1/1)
Pen: Christian Lealiifano   5', 10', 53', 59' (4/4)
Nic White (0/2)
Cards: Christian Lealiifano   29' to 40'
Scott Sio   69' to 79' 		Attendance: 38,404[13]
Referee: Glen Jackson


The captains and coaches (Ben Mowen and Jake White for the Brumbies, and James Horwill and Ewen McKenzie for the Reds) all considered Rod Macqueen Cup games of 2010–2013 to be of a test standard.[14]

Era of Home Ground Advantage (2015 – Present) edit

 
The Brumbies and the Reds pack down to scrum at GIO Stadium, 31 January 2020

The Brumbies retained the Rod Macqueen Cup from 2013 to 2020. However, unlike the early years of Super Rugby, the fixture is now regularly won by the home team, with neither of the teams winning away from home between 2015 and 2020. The Reds broke this streak in 2021, when they beat the Brumbies in Canberra.

In 2020, the Reds began to threaten for the top spot in Australian rugby. Despite losing five of their seven games before the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Reds were incredibly competitive against the Brumbies, the Crusaders, and the Sharks, who were all considered favourites to win their own conference and to make the final. Commentators and pundits pointed to the four 2020 Brumbies-Reds games as "[improving] the standard of Australian Rugby",[15] with a sense of excitement due to "both teams [having] a great chance of winning it" each time.[16]

The Reds delivered on their potential in the Australian resumption of Super Rugby, only losing two of their eight games and reaching the final against the Brumbies.


19 September 2020 Brumbies 28 – 23 Reds GIO Stadium, Canberra  
19:15 (UTC+10) Try: Fainga'a   17'
Muirhead   26'
Banks   45'
Con: Lolesio   18', 47' (2/3)
Pen: Lolesio   5', 55' (2/3)
Drop: Lolesio   49' 		Report Try: Wilson   31'
Blyth   64'
Con: O'Connor   32', 65'
Pen: O'Connor   13', 40+2', 59' (3/3)
Cards: Daugunu   50' to 60' 		Attendance: 6,000[17]
Referee: Angus Gardner


In 2021, the Reds won the Rod Macqueen Cup for the second time, beating the Brumbies 40 – 38 in Canberra, and 24 – 22 in Brisbane. The games between the teams in 2021 were generally considered "thrillers" that "exceeded all expectations as a spectacle".[18] Pundits consider that the majority of players for the Wallabies in 2021 will come from the Reds or the Brumbies, noting that this would be a first since 1999.[19]

The Reds won the 2021 Super Rugby AU season, beating the Brumbies 19 – 16 in Brisbane.

8 May 2021 Reds 19 – 16 Brumbies Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane  
19:45 (GMT +10) Try: O'Connor 80+5' c
Con: O'Connor (1/1) 80+7'
Pen: O'Connor (4/5) 3', 30', 51', 64' 		Report
Summary 		Try: Banks 13' c
Con: Lolesio (1/1) 14'
Pen: Lolesio (3/3) 32', 40', 71' 		Attendance: 41,637[20]
Referee: Nic Berry

Notable players for both teams edit

Several players have had successful periods playing for both clubs, including:

Criteria: (At least 20 games with both teams OR (captain of at one team AND at least 20 games with the other)) AND (at least 50 games for one team OR at least 60 games combined for both teams)
Notable players to play for both the Brumbies and the Reds
Player Brumbies Years Brumbies Caps Reds Years Reds Caps
Mitchell Chapman 2008 – 2011 40 2005 – 2007 28
Troy Coker 1996 – 1998 23 1983 – 1988, 1992 – 1995 30
Saia Fainga'a 2006 – 2008, 2017 30 2009 – 2016 99
Julian Huxley 2002, 2007 – 2010 28 2003 – 2006 31
Stephen Moore 2009 – 2016 117 2003 – 2008, 2017 59
Radike Samo 2000 – 2006 35 2010 – 2013 33
James Slipper 2019 – Present 39 2010 – 2018 105
JP Smith 2014 – 2015 25 2018 – 2020 39
George Smith 1999 – 2010, 2013 142 2017 – 2018 22
Ruan Smith 2013 – 2016 51 2018 – 2019 27
Aidan Toua 2015 – 2016 30 2009 – 2014, 2018 – 2019 24
Adam Wallace-Harrison 2003 – 2008 37 2011 – 2013 30
Andrew Walker 2000 – 2003 47 2007 – 2008 21
Josh Valentine 2010 – 2011 25 2003 – 2006 38

As of 25 September 2021.
Players in bold are still playing for one of the two teams.

Rod Macqueen Cup Results edit

Brumbies Win Reds Win Draw
Season Score Winner Venue Attendance
2005 Game 1 38 – 21 ACT Brumbies Suncorp Stadium 28,323[21]
2006 Game 1 36 – 0 ACT Brumbies Canberra Stadium 17,041[22]
2007 Game 1 6 – 3 ACT Brumbies Suncorp Stadium 25,170[23]
2008 Game 1 43 – 11 ACT Brumbies Canberra Stadium 15,244[24]
2009 Game 1 52 – 13 ACT Brumbies Suncorp Stadium 19,346[25]
2010 Game 1 32 – 12 ACT Brumbies Canberra Stadium 18,023[26]
2011 Game 1 31 – 25 Queensland Reds Canberra Stadium 16,027[27]
2011 Game 2 22 – 14 ACT Brumbies Suncorp Stadium 27,374[28]
2012 Game 1 20 – 13 Queensland Reds Suncorp Stadium 31,479[29]
2012 Game 2 13 – 12 Queensland Reds Canberra Stadium 16,123[30]
2013 Game 1 24 – 6 ACT Brumbies Canberra Stadium 17,058[31]
2013 Game 2 19 – 19 Draw Suncorp Stadium 38,404[32]
2014 Game 1 27 – 17 Queensland Reds Canberra Stadium 13,670[33]
2014 Game 2 23 – 20 ACT Brumbies Suncorp Stadium 30,004[34]
2015 Game 1 47 – 3 ACT Brumbies Canberra Stadium 13,570[35]
2015 Game 2 29 – 0 ACT Brumbies Suncorp Stadium 22,537[36]
2016 Game 1 43 – 24 ACT Brumbies Canberra Stadium 9,830[37]
2017 Game 1 43 – 10 ACT Brumbies Canberra Stadium 11,466[38]
2017 Game 2 16 – 15 Queensland Reds Suncorp Stadium 13,264[39]
2018 Game 1 18 – 10 Queensland Reds Suncorp Stadium 11,034[40]
2018 Game 2 45 – 21 ACT Brumbies Canberra Stadium 7,598[41]
2019 Game 1 36 – 14 Queensland Reds Suncorp Stadium 13,566[42]
2019 Game 2 40 – 27 ACT Brumbies Canberra Stadium 9,751[43]
2020 Game 1 27 – 24 ACT Brumbies Canberra Stadium 7,436[44]
2020 Game 2 22 – 20 ACT Brumbies Canberra Stadium 1,525[45]
2020 Game 3 26 – 7 Queensland Reds Suncorp Stadium 9,922[46]
2020 Super Rugby AU Final 28 – 23 ACT Brumbies Canberra Stadium 6,000[47]
2021 Game 1 40 – 38 Queensland Reds Canberra Stadium 9,384[48]
2021 Game 2 24 – 22 Queensland Reds Suncorp Stadium 19,185[49]
2021 Super Rugby AU Final 19 – 16 Queensland Reds Suncorp Stadium 41,637[50]
2022 Game 1 16 – 12 ACT Brumbies Canberra Stadium unknown
2022 Game 2 21 – 7 Queensland Reds Suncorp Stadium 13,257[51]
2023 Game 1 23 – 17 ACT Brumbies Canberra Stadium 8,501[52]
2023 Game 2 52 – 24 ACT Brumbies Suncorp Stadium 9,702[53]
2024 Game 1 20 – 19 ACT Brumbies Suncorp Stadium TBA[54]

References edit

  1. ^ "The Rod Macqueen Cup the only silverware to elude the Queensland Reds". Courier Mail. 24 May 2012. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. ^ "David Lyons wins 2004 John Eales Medal". www.rugby.com.au. Archived from the original on 2 September 2006.
  3. ^ "Macqueen, Roderick Ian: Australian Sports Medal". It's an Honour. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  4. ^ "Rod Macqueen". Sport Australia Hall of Fame. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  5. ^ "Macqueen, Roderick Ian, AM". It's an Honour. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  6. ^ "RWC legends inducted into IRB Hall of Fame" (Press release). International Rugby Board. 26 October 2011. Archived from the original on 27 October 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  7. ^ Tucker, Jim (25 May 2012). "The Rod Macqueen Cup the only silverware to elude the Queensland Reds". Courier Mail. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
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  9. ^ "Super Rugby: Reds d Brumbies". AU Stadiums. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  10. ^ "Brumbies shock Reds and open up finals race". SuperXV. 3 June 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  11. ^ Dutton, Chris (6 June 2011). "Moore and Giteau say Reds blow-up was really just a lovers' tiff". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
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  15. ^ Lenthall, Steve (31 January 2020). "Brumbies hold on for close win over the Reds". Green and Gold Rugby. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  16. ^ Marczyk, Ben (3 September 2020). "Reds V Brumbies Preview- Top of the Table Clash". Green and Gold Rugby. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
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  18. ^ Walton, Darren (14 March 2021). "Brumbies coach hails Super Rugby thriller". Canberra Times. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  19. ^ Harris, Bret (4 March 2021). "Brumbies and Reds channel spirit of 1999 to prop up Wallabies". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
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  26. ^ Posted at 11:27h. "ACT Rugby Grand Final week - Brumbies Rugby". Brumbies.com.au. Archived from the original on 25 February 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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  54. ^ "AUStadiums Rugby Union". AUStadiums. 31 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
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