University of Canberra Vikings

The University of Canberra Vikings (formerly the Canberra Vikings and Canberra Kookaburras) is an Australian rugby union football team that competes in the National Rugby Championship (NRC). The team is based at Viking Park in Wanniassa, and is backed by a three-way partnership between Tuggeranong Vikings Group, the Brumbies and University of Canberra.

The coaching and training programs used by the Brumbies for Super Rugby are extended to players joining the NRC team from the Brumbies, the local ACTRU Premier Division club competition, and the ACT and Southern NSW Rugby Union catchment area.

The present NRC team is descended from the ACT representative side known as the Canberra Kookaburras. That name was adopted by the Canberra Kookaburra Rugby Club for the ACT Rugby Union's entry into the NSW Premiership in 1995. Ownership of the Kookaburras was transferred to the Tuggeranong Vikings RUC for the 1999 season and the team was renamed the Canberra Vikings.

The Vikings played in the QRU Premiership (2001 to 2003, winning three titles), Tooheys New Cup (2004 and 2005) and Australian Rugby Shield (winning in 2006), before entering the Australian Rugby Championship (2007). That competition did not continue after the inaugural season and the Canberra Vikings team was disbanded at the end of 2007. After a six-year absence, the team was revived as the University of Canberra Vikings for the national competition relaunch as the NRC in 2014.

Rugby union was played in and around what is now the Australian Capital Territory well before it separated from New South Wales on 1 January 1911. Goulburn Rugby Union Club was formed in 1872 and became a founding member of the Southern Rugby Union in 1874. Teams from Hall and the Royal Military College, Duntroon played rugby union