Dan Vickerman Cup

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Dan Vickerman Cup
Awarded forWinning the biannual ACT Brumbies versus NSW Waratahs match.
CountryAustralia
Presented byRugby Australia
History
First award2017
Most recentACT Brumbies

The Dan Vickerman Cup is a rugby union match, initially contested as a one-off match in 2017, and afterwards biannually, in Super Rugby between the ACT Brumbies and the NSW Waratahs. The Dan Vickerman Cup was introduced in 2017 to commemorate Dan Vickerman.[1]

Dan Vickerman[edit]

Dan Vickerman was an Australian Rugby Union International Lock. He played over 60 games for Australia, winning the 2011 Tri Nations and a bronze medal at the 2011 Rugby World Cup. He won the 2001 Super 12 title and made the 2002 Super 12 final with the Brumbies, and also made the 2005 Super 12 final and 2008 Super 14 final with the Waratahs.

Vickerman died by suicide in his home on 18 February 2017, at the age of 37 years.[2]

History[edit]

Era of Home Field Advantage (1996 – 2010)[edit]

Waratahs host the Brumbies at Sydney Football Stadium, 16 April 2006. Dan Vickerman is wearing the #5 jersey for the Waratahs.

Traditionally, the ACT-NSW rivalry was dominated by home victories. Home field advantage was such a powerful factor in these games that the only Brumbies away loss in the 2000 Season was against the Waratahs. Of the sixteen games in the Super 12 and Super 14 eras, the home team won fourteen games. Dan Vickerman played for the winning team in both away victories in this period.[3]

The Brumbies were the first to win two ACT-NSW games in a row, with the 2002 Semi Final and the 2003 regular season game. The 2002 Semi Final was also the first away win in the rivalry, a 51–10 win for the Brumbies at Sydney Football Stadium. The Waratahs had been so comprehensively beaten by the Crusaders the week before that pundits believed the Waratahs would struggle to be in the right state of mind for a semi-final.[4] After winning the game, Brumbies coach David Nucifora agreed that the previous week had "derailed the Waratahs' season".[5] The Brumbies successfully dominated the set piece in the first half but failed to capitalise in open play, only finding success in open play in the second half.[5]

This game was only the fourth time a Super Rugby semi final had been lost by the host, with the Waratahs joining the Reds (1996 and 1999) and the Stormers (1999) in the list of losing hosts, and the Brumbies joining the Crusaders (1999), Highlanders (1999), and Sharks (1996) as winning visitors.[6] Since this time, the Brumbies (2013), Crusaders (2011), Highlanders (2015), and Sharks (2012) have all won semi finals as visitors again, while the Bulls (2013), Stormers (2011 and 2012), and Waratahs (2015) have all lost as hosts.[7]

18 May 2002 Waratahs 10 – 51 Brumbies Sydney Football Stadium  
19:40 Try: Staniforth rugby ball 45'
Con: Burke rugby goalposts icon 46' (1/1)
Pen: Burke rugby goalposts icon 4' (1/3) 		Report
Summary
Recap 		Try: Bond rugby ball 24', 75'
Paul rugby ball 51'
Finegan rugby ball 58'
Harrison rugby ball 66'
Howard rugby ball 80'
Con: Walker rugby goalposts icon 24' (1/1)
Huxley rugby goalposts icon 52', 59', 67', 75', 80' (5/5)
Pen: Walker rugby goalposts icon 12' (1/1)
Huxley rugby goalposts icon 43', 71' (2/2) 		Attendance: 35,462[8]
Referee: Paddy O'Brien


The Waratahs were the first to win three ACT-NSW games in a row, made possible when they won the first regular season away game in 2005. Waratahs head coach Ewen McKenzie engaged in "mind games" by parking the team bus as an "attack bus" at Brumbies Headquarters all week, mentally "getting in their space".[9] Several Waratahs coaches and players believe this worked for different reasons:

  • Chris Whitaker, the Waratahs' assistant coach, believed that the "attack bus" worked by getting in the heads of the Brumbies players, while spending an entire week in Canberra allowed the Waratahs players to relax and feel more comfortable.[10]
  • Lote Tuqiri, who started on the wing for the Waratahs, believes that playing down the "big brother – little brother" dynamic in the media took some motivation away from the Brumbies players. Jeremy Paul, who started at hooker for the Brumbies, dismissed this view, and believed that the changing dynamic between the teams was a sign that the younger Brumbies players had their own rivalry with the Waratahs, not simply inheriting a rivalry for its own sake.[11]
  • Peter Hewat, who started on the wing for the Waratahs, recalled that the media in Canberra were more affected by the "attack bus" than the Brumbies players, but that the media then put more pressure on the Brumbies as a result.[12]
  • Morgan Turinui, who started at outside centre for the Waratahs, believed that the "attack bus" was more of a metaphor for why they won than the reason, with the Waratahs' tactics to play for possession and "camp in the Brumbies territory".[13]
  • Tamaiti Horua, who started at number 8 for the Brumbies, believed that the Brumbies' success in 2005 was dependent on how successful they were at keeping the 2004 championship-winning players in the starting lineup.[14] For a variety of reasons, only eight of the fifteen starting players for the Brumbies had started in that position in the 2004 final.[11]


16 April 2005 Brumbies 6 – 10 Waratahs Canberra Stadium  
19:40 Pen: Giteau rugby goalposts icon 14', 31' (2/3) Report Try: MacKay rugby ball 23'
Con: Rogers rugby goalposts icon 24' (1/1)
Pen: Rogers rugby goalposts icon 46' (1/2) 		Attendance: 27,040[15]
Referee: Mark Lawrence

Winning away from home (2011 – 2018)[edit]

Brumbies and Waratahs prepare for a scrum in 2012. Ben Mowen and Dan Palmer, present in this shot, previously played for the Waratahs.

With the advent of the Super Rugby conference system in 2011, home dominance ceased to be as significant. The first clash in the Super 15 era saw the Waratahs win 29-22 at Canberra Stadium. Both teams had started the season with a good win, but had then fallen into terrible form and embarrassing losses.[16] With the 2011 season being the worst in the Brumbies' history, having fired coach Andy Friend earlier in the month and going into the game with many players missing due to injury, many pundits had picked the Brumbies to lose despite their home field advantage.[17] A try after the siren from Sitaleki Timani, a former Brumby, gave the Waratahs their second ever win in Canberra.[18]

26 March 2011 Brumbies 22 – 29 Waratahs Canberra Stadium, Canberra  
19:40 Try: Ben Alexander rugby ball 76'
Con: Giteau rugby goalposts icon 77' (1/1)
Pen: Giteau rugby goalposts icon 11', 17', 33', 40', 48' (5/6) 		Report Try: Ryan Cross rugby ball 60'
Sitaleki Timani rugby ball 80'
Con: Kurtley Beale rugby goalposts icon 62', 80' (2/2)
Pen: Kurtley Beale rugby goalposts icon 5', 20', 32', 40', 66' (5/6) 		Attendance: 18,011
Referee: Marius Jonker


The Brumbies had their revenge the following year, with a 19-15 victory at Allianz Stadium.

7 July 2012 Waratahs 15 – 19 Brumbies ANZ Stadium, Sydney  
19:40 Try: Tatafu Polota-Nau rugby ball 31'
Berrick Barnes rugby ball 57'
Con: Berrick Barnes rugby goalposts icon 58' (1/2)
Pen: Berrick Barnes rugby goalposts icon 50' (1/1) 		Report Try: Henry Speight rugby ball 62'
Con: Zack Holmes rugby goalposts icon 62' (1/1)
Pen: Zack Holmes rugby goalposts icon 13', 40' (2/3)
Jesse Mogg rugby goalposts icon 24', 65' (2/3) 		Attendance: 22,844
Referee: Keith Brown

Between the round 12 clash in 2015 and the round 17 clash in 2019, the homes team lost six of the seven games.

Brumbies Ascendent (2019 – Present)[edit]

The Brumbies became the second team in Super Rugby history to win 200 games when they beat the Waratahs 24-23 in 2020.[19]

"Mindgames"[edit]

  • Waratahs head coach Ewen McKenzie, who had played for both teams, infamously invoked "mindgames" by parking the Waratahs' team bus at the Brumbies' headquarters.[9] The distraction paid off, with the "attack bus" getting credit for the Waratahs' 10–6 victory away from home.[12]
  • The narrative around the clash was revived in the late 2000s, with the Brumbies nickname of "the Real Madrid of Rugby" cited as originating in the Waratahs camp.[20]
  • After the Brumbies' horrific 2011 season, the Waratahs recruited Brumbies star players Rocky Elsom and Adam Ashley-Cooper; these players were subjected to constant booing from the crowd in the 2012 clash in Canberra, as many fans saw the players as either 'traitors' or 'stolen'.
  • In 2014, Waratahs Head Coach Michael Cheika broke the door of the visiting Coach's box at Canberra Stadium, with the Brumbies ceremonially sending him the bill.[21][22]
  • Brumby Jack, the mascot for the Brumbies, was refused on-field access by the Waratahs for the 2014 semi final.[23]
  • Following further "mindgames" around the timing of naming the starting team, the Brumbies did not release their lineup for the fixture until kickoff in the Round 12 clash in 2015.

Notable players for both teams[edit]

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

Criteria: (At least 20 games for both teams OR (Captain of one team and at least 20 games for 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 Waratahs
Player Brumbies Years Brumbies Caps Waratahs Years Waratahs Caps
Adam Ashley-Cooper 2005 – 2011 78 2002 – 2015, 2019 76
Mitchell Chapman 2008 – 2011 40 2013 – 2015 35
Rocky Elsom 2010 – 2011 14 2003 – 2008, 2012 70
Justin Harrison 1997 – 2003, 2010 48 2004 – 2005 21
Stephen Hoiles 2007 – 2011 48 2004 – 2006, 2014 – 2015 58
Michael Hooper 2010 – 2012 31 2014 – Present 121
Matt Lucas 2018 – 2019 28 2013 – 2017 32
Ewen McKenzie 1996 – 1997 36 1987 – 1995 37
Ben Mowen 2012 – 2014 51 2008 – 2011 40
Tom Staniforth 2014 – 2017 22 2018 – 2020 40
Dan Vickerman 2001 – 2003 20 2004 – 2008, 2011 58

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

Results[edit]

All Time Record[edit]

Total Games Brumbies Wins Waratahs Wins Brumbies Points Waratahs Points
42 25 (59.5%) 17 (40.5%) 1095 (54.9%) 898 (45.1%)

Dan Vickerman Cup era[edit]

Brumbies Win Waratahs Win Draw
Season Score Winner Venue Attendance
2017 Game 1 28 – 12 Brumbies Allianz Stadium 15,911[24]
2018 Game 1 24 – 17 Waratahs GIO Stadium 13,515[25]
2018 Game 2 40 – 31 Brumbies Allianz Stadium 17,155[26]
2019 Game 1 19 – 13 Brumbies GIO Stadium 12,112[27]
2019 Game 2 35 – 24 Brumbies Bankwest Stadium 12,016[28]
2020 Game 1 47 – 14 Brumbies GIO Stadium 8,167[29]
2020 Game 2 24 – 23 Brumbies ANZ Stadium 1,976[30]
2020 Game 3 38 – 11 Brumbies GIO Stadium 3,000[31]
2021 Game 1 61 – 10 Brumbies GIO Stadium 9,322[32]
2021 Game 2 24 – 22 Brumbies The SCG 7,486[33]
2022 Game 1 27 – 20 Brumbies GIO Stadium 6,273[34]
2023 Game 1 31 – 25 Brumbies Allianz Stadium 25,076[35]
2023 Game 2 40 – 36 Brumbies GIO Stadium 10,575[36]

Pre-Dan Vickerman Cup[edit]

Brumbies Win Waratahs Win Draw
Season Score Winner Venue Attendance
1996 Game 1 44 – 10 Waratahs Sydney Football Stadium unknown
1997 Game 1 56 – 9 Brumbies Canberra Stadium unknown
1998 Game 1 32 – 7 Waratahs Sydney Football Stadium unknown
1999 Game 1 27 – 16 Brumbies Canberra Stadium unknown
2000 Game 1 30 – 25 Waratahs Sydney Football Stadium 33,987[37]
2001 Game 1 48 – 21 Brumbies Canberra Stadium unknown
2002 Game 1 19 – 11 Waratahs Sydney Football Stadium 41,645[38]
2002 Semi Final 51 – 10 Brumbies ANZ Stadium 35,462[8]
2003 Game 1 41 – 15 Brumbies Canberra Stadium 25,122[39]
2004 Game 1 37 – 29 Waratahs Sydney Football Stadium 37,832[40]
2005 Game 1 10 – 6 Waratahs Canberra Stadium 27,040[41]
2006 Game 1 37 – 14 Waratahs Sydney Football Stadium 36,656[42]
2007 Game 1 36 – 10 Brumbies Canberra Stadium 23,097[43]
2008 Game 1 24 – 17 Waratahs Sydney Football Stadium 32,371[44]
2009 Game 1 21 – 11 Brumbies Canberra Stadium 21,594[45]
2010 Game 1 19 – 12 Waratahs ANZ Stadium 40,271[46]
2011 Game 1 29 – 22 Waratahs Canberra Stadium 18,011[47]
2011 Game 2 41 – 7 Waratahs ANZ Stadium 28,276[48]
2012 Game 1 23 – 6 Brumbies Canberra Stadium 19,122[49]
2012 Game 2 19 – 15 Brumbies ANZ Stadium 22,844[50]
2013 Game 1 35 – 6 Brumbies Canberra Stadium 20,027[51]
2013 Game 2 28 – 22 Waratahs ANZ Stadium 21,817[52]
2014 Game 1 28 – 23 Brumbies GIO Stadium 17,016[53]
2014 Game 2 39 – 8 Waratahs ANZ Stadium 29,132[54]
2014 Semi Final 26 – 8 Waratahs Sydney Football Stadium 38,800[55]
2015 Game 1 28 – 13 Waratahs Allianz Stadium 27,469[53]
2015 Game 2 13 – 10 Waratahs GIO Stadium 17,563[53]
2016 Game 1 32 – 15 Brumbies GIO Stadium 20,141[56]
2016 Game 2 26 – 20 Brumbies Allianz Stadium 25,319[36]

References[edit]

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  2. ^ "Former Wallaby Dan Vickerman's cause of death confirmed". Now To Love. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
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