AQUA RUGBY FAQ
INFO
The next Aqua Rugby Festival is being held over Thursday 10th, Friday 11th and Saturday 12th November 2022.
The 30 x 30 metre pontoon pitch hosting all of rugby’s crashes & splashes, will be floating in Manly Cove (in between Manly Wharf & the Manly Pavilion) in Sydney NSW.
There will also be a vibrant festival precinct along the shoreline – filled with great food, music, big screens, sponsor activations and much more – which is all free for the public to enjoy!
Thursday 10th November, matches will be played from 2-6PM
Friday 11th of November, matches will be played from 2-6PM.
Saturday 12th of November, matches will be played from 2-6PM.
Children can absolutely attend the buzzing shoreline & beach of Aqua Rugby.
They’ll be able to enjoy all of the rugby, and no doubt get to meet some of the stars as they come from the pontoon pitch!
However all VIP ticketed functions to the superyachts & Manly Spirits Co. Players Pavilion requires patrons to be 18 years of age, or older.
MATCH
To learn the exciting rules of Aqua Rugby, head to the Match panel of the website, where the full list of rules are displayed.
Our rules have been drawn up by our rugby experts Bernard Foley & Sean Maloney, to showcase all the best parts of fast-paced, running rugby – on the water!
The Aqua Rugby pitch will be built at the historic Q-Station Manly, around the corner from Manly Cove. This mitigates weather factors in the transportation of the pitch, and is a stunning location to get set for the tournament.
You can check out the full list of invited teams involved on our Teams page of the website. We’re incredibly proud to invite teams to the Aqua Rugby Festival from a diverse range of backgrounds & cultures.
What’s the tournament structure? There will be a separate knockout Men’s & Women’s competitions on all days of the tournament + some awesome exhibition matches from an exciting range of teams represented from Australia & abroad.
The draw will be released well in advance to the tournament taking place, so that you know which day to catch your favourite stars & team playing.
Follow us on our social media channels to stay updated with the draw announcement.
Yes – We are introducing the Players Draft Competition. Be sure to follow us on our socials, and keep your eye out for competitions to win your place playing on one of our Teams at the Aqua Rugby Festival.
Keep your finger on the pulse on our: Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook profiles.
Invited players are a mix of former & current rugby greats + up & coming rugby talent breaking into the scene.
Players are selected by world-class coaches & managers. Keep your eye on our social media accounts for player announcements & coaching appointments as we lead into the tournament!
EVENTS
Aqua Rugby is free for the public to enjoy from the Manly Cove shoreline. With kids rugby activations, food & fun for all on the beach & promenade.
You can also opt to purchase a range of incredible experiences on offer at the Aqua Rugby Festival, from our VIP Ticketed experiences including our Yacht packages + The Players Pavilion.
Aqua Rugby has a maritime exclusion zone for boats. It will only be the Aqua Rugby yachts that will be allowed within this zone for maritime safety purposes.
RMS will be patrolling the exclusion zone over the Aqua Rugby Festival to ensure the safety of players & staff.
There is a public seating area with tables & benches on the shoreline of Manly Cove to watch the action from.
Whilst there won’t be any stadium-style seating – there will be some awesome vantage points both on Manly Cove beach, and Federation Point to watch Aqua Rugby from for free.
You can check out ALL of the info on Aqua Rugby VIP Events, Packages & Tickets, HERE.
Absolutely you can.
Get your group together on a yacht, or at the Players Pavilion for an incredible day of sport, hospitality & festivities.
Eventbrite will give you the option to purchase up to as many tickets as are available at that specific function.
The dress code is listed for each individual event, in the event description on our Eventbrite pages. You can see the full listing of VIP events, here.
In line with RSA & RMS regulations, ticket holders will not be able to swim off the vessels at the Aqua Rugby Festival.
Your ticket will automatically be sent through to the email address provided in the purchasing process.
You can print your ticket – however we’re able to check you in to the event with the ticket on your smartphone, with it set to full brightness.
Don’t stress! We can fix it.
Contact us at: bookings@aquarugby.com
And we’ll advise whether there is capacity to change your tickets to the day, or event you would prefer to go to.
The festival precinct on the shoreline of Aqua Rugby is very much wheelchair friendly. Guests will be able to enjoy the action amongst the music, food trucks, big screen and much more.
The yachts & Players Pavilion are however inaccessible for guests in a wheelchair.
CANCELLATION
ARA events are all-weather outdoor events that will go ahead in most weather conditions. The event will only be cancelled if the weather is deemed hazardous and puts the safety of guests and staff at risk. If an event is cancelled due to hazardous weather, ARA will use all reasonable endeavours to refund ticket prices depending on any operative, applicable and responsive insurance policies, and ARA’s operational requirements. Any refunds will be entirely at the discretion of ARA.
Whilst every effort is made to mitigate the risk, we cannot accept responsibility if ARA events are cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, or any relevant public health orders which restrict attendance at ARA events. Such decisions are completely out of our control, and we cannot guarantee that your ticket price will be refunded in these circumstances.
The following matters will be taken into account by ARA in considering whether to cancel an ARA event:
- winds in excess of 50 knots;
- dangerous waves and/or swell;
- a passing lightning storm; and
- any other hazardous or dangerous weather conditions.
TRANSPORT
There sure is!
An exciting way to travel to Manly is via the public ferry; OR you could try out the Manly Fast Ferry from Circular Quay also.
There are also buses that will drop you right outside Manly Cove, so be sure to check bus routes for the best way you can come & join us on the shoreline at Aqua Rugby.
The closest parking to the Aqua Rugby Festival is underneath Wilson Parking – Manly Wharf; or the Whistler Street Car Park in Manly.
We’d recommend you order an Uber to the Bavarian Bier Cafe in Manly – this will drop you right in the centre of the buzzing shoreline.
OTHER
Currently, Aqua Rugby is a once-a-year specialty.
Our aim is to create an Aqua Rugby a series which travels to different cities within Australia, New Zealand, Asia-Pacific & America.
If you have a city you’d love to see Aqua Rugby at – be sure to reach out & let us know!
With every action we take at Aqua Rugby Australia, the environment & sustainability of our event is front of mind.
It’s our priority to ensure the environment is left pristine – with a focus on preserving sea-grass & a healthy clean ocean.
We have been working closely with RMS for a matter of years to ensure that we protect the seagrass in Manly Cove, to ensure this does not affect sea life in the area.
We also plan very carefully with the penguin community at Manly Wharf in mind, to ensure this protected species remains safe.