Based in Canberra, the Brumbies were established in 1996 to create a third Australian team for the Super 14 competition. Since then, they have been the most successful of the three (Queensland Reds and the NSW Warratahs being the other two teams) and boast the greatest fan base.
The Brumbies got their name from the wild horses that inhabit the local region (ACT).
Canberra Stadium (formerly known as Bruce Stadium) is home of the Brumbies and was host to four of the Rugby World Cup matches in 2003. It is located next to the Australian Institute of Sport.
Academy:
The Australian Institute of Sport is the national centre for developing elite sport. It is widely considered as a model for other institutions around the world, serving 26 sports and boasting state-of-the-art facilities.
The AIS created a bio-mechanics laboratory and strength and conditioning centre that house world class sports science programs.
Sports facilities range from an athletics track, basketball and netball centres to multisport playing fields and indoor soccer training.
The AIS is situated only 10 minutes from the centre of Canberra, in the suburb of Bruce.
Find out more about the AIS at www.ais.org.au
Transport Access : Canberra can be reached from all the major citites in Australia.
Flight times to Australia are between 18 and 22 hours from the UK, including a short stopover.
Out and About: Australia's capital city was created at the time of the constitution when arch-rivals Melbourne and Sydney were vying for the honour. Canberra was built halfway between the two cities and called so after the Aboriginal term meaning 'meeting place'.
Canberra might not be tourists' first port of call in Australia but it is well worth the visit. It is a place of government with very little industry, well laid-out and with plenty of green space. It also enjoys a great setting, surrounded by hills that offer good bushwalking.
Canberra is home to the Australian National Gallery, where you can see a fine collection of aboriginal works as well as colonial paintings. Also worth a visit is the Parliament which is one of many architecturally impressive buildings. Other attractions include the Botanic Gardens, walking on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin and walking in the Nature Reserve.
Canberra has a large student population and a surprisingly lively entertainment scene. Sydney is a 30 flight from Canberra and Melbourne can be reached by plane in one hour.
