Force Wallabies get into the spirit of new contest
Western Force Wallabies Matt Hodgson, Nathan Charles and Ben McCalman have been aligned to Perth Spirit in the new National Rugby Championship while Pek Cowan has been linked to the North Harbour Rays.
It is understood Cowan wants to spend time with family in Sydney during the early part of the Force off-season.
Players chosen for the Wallabies in the upcoming Rugby Championship will not play for NRC clubs but will act as ambassadors.
Most players are aligned to the NRC team that is affiliated with their premier club. Each team is entitled to four Test players outside their 33-man contracted squad.
The ARU's Andrew Fagan said the allocations were an important milestone for the competition, which starts next month.
"Rugby fans have a strong connection to their national representatives, so it's important for them to know which players are affiliated with their chosen NRC teams," Fagan said.
"The alignment of current Test players is significant for the promotion of individual teams and the competition, while the potential still exists for players to train or play with their affiliated NRC team when they are not on international duty.
"Feedback we've received about the NRC from our Test representatives has been positive.
"They are looking forward to being ambassadors for the competition and helping to shape and influence the culture of their respective NRC teams."
