AusLeisure

Australia’s floating rugby tournament - Aqua Rugby Festival, supported by Destination NSW – is showcasing its fun and entertaining version of Rugby at Manly Cove, NSW, from 10-12th November 2022.

The second season of the three-day rugby tournament on water will take place on a 30 x 30 metre pontoon floating in Manly Cove between Manly Wharf and the Manly Pavilion.

The event can be viewed for free from the beach and promenade, or from one of the superyachts in the cove and combines the sport spectacle with food, music, big screens, activations and play zones for children, as well as meet and greets with NSW Waratahs players, taking place along the shoreline.

The festival presents a quirky version of Rugby where players have to dive off the floating pitch into the water to score a try and can be crash-tackled off the side. Marquee signings include All Black great Ma’a Nonu, Wallaby legend Drew Mitchell, Wallaroo superstars Sera Naiqama & Sharni Williams, Dave Dennis, James Graham plus many others.

Over 350 local players from around Australia will also descend upon Manly including teams that celebrate culture and diversity in the game such as the Sydney Convicts (LGBTQIA+ team), the Lloyd McDermott Indigenous team, Army and Navy sides and 12 women’s teams.

Red Bull Air Race champion Matt Hall will also be performing an incredible aero-show each day over the event in Manly for all to enjoy.

Aqua Rugby was cofounded by Australian Rugby Union player Bernard Foley and former Cricket Australia administrator, international DJ and music festival producer, Jimmy Galvin..

Aqua Rugby Chief Executive and co-founder Galvin advises “we wanted to showcase rugby in a brand new, modern format and bring colour, fun and entertainment back to the game.

“Aqua Rugby is like the Hong Kong Sevens meets the Monaco Grand Prix where a diverse mix of professional and amateur teams play amongst a vibrant festival atmosphere that makes it fun for everyone.

“We’ve got some of the best superyachts in Sydney offering VIP experiences for corporates and their guests to see the action up close, while on the foreshore families can watch the event for free and take part in activations, play zones for kids and meet and greets with the NSW Waratahs.”

Other key partners and sponsors include Buildcorp, Northern Beaches Council, Budgy Smuggler, Deutsch Miller, Ingenia Holiday Parks and 4 Pines Brewing Company who have created a special Aqua Rugby branded beer to mark the event.

For tickets and more information, visit aquarugby.com

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