RMIT Redbacks

{{More citations needed|date=January 2025}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}

{{Infobox Sports team

| team = RMIT Redbacks

| color1 =

| color2 =

| logo =

| pixels =

| founded = 1968

| history =

| arena =

| ballpark =

| stadium =

| city = Melbourne, Australia

| colors =

| colours = {{color box|#FF0000}}{{color box|#000000}}{{color box|#FFFFFF}}

| owner = RMIT Sport

| president =

| coach =

| manager =

| titles =

| cheerleaders =

| dancers =

| mascot = Rupert and Ruby the Redback spiders

| broadcasters =

| media =

| website = {{URL|1=https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/student-life/sport-and-fitness||2=RMIT Sport}}

}}

The RMIT Redbacks are the sport collective of the Australian research University the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), based at all campuses in Victoria and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The program is managed by the RMIT Sport team, part of RMIT Student Life.

Organised sport was first established at the Melbourne City Campus when the University re-branded from the Working Men's College, Melbourne to Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 1960.

RMIT has participated in the Australian University Games[http://link.rmit.edu.au/past_events.html Past events] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110518183128/http://link.rmit.edu.au/past_events.html |date=2011-05-18 }} - RMIT Link, retrieved 2 October 2012 since 1992, initially competing as the Coburg Kangaroos due to the university's partnership with the Coburg-based Philip Institute of Technology (PIT). Following PIT's amalgamation into RMIT in 1992, RMIT re-branded as the Rhinos before changing the mascot to the Redbacks in 1997.

The RMIT Redbacks currently administers 40 clubs in competitive sport ranging from local grassroots level to semi-professional, available to student and non-student members.

History

= Working Men's College (1887–1960) =

The Working Men's College (WMC) was an all-male tertiary institution opened in 1887 at the college's campus on La Trobe Street, Melbourne City following the initial financial support and founding by prominent Victorian parliamentarian and philanthropist Francis Ormond in 1881. Coordinated by the WMC, organised sport was played at the college as early as 1900 with students competing in athletics events and registering Australian Rules football and cricket teams to compete against fellow Universities in the area.{{Cite web|url=http://victoriancollections.net.au:8080/items/522ebbb02162ef1250ea54f0|title=Book: The Tech: a centenary history of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology 1987 - The Tech: a centenary history of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology 1987 - Victorian Collections|website=victoriancollections.net.au|access-date=2020-02-06}}

Following the end of World War I, the WMC formed clubs for tennis, swimming, rowing, lacrosse, baseball and boxing and entered annual multi-sport events, firstly the Inter-Technical School Carnival held in Brunswick and subsequently the Preparatory School Sports held in Queenscliffe. The increased player registrations for Australian Rules increased to allow the WMC to enter an Under 21 years team in the Senior Technical School Association and an Under 16 years team in the Junior Technical Schools’ Association. In 1927, the WMC coordinated its first interstate student sporting trip in an exchange of visits with Adelaide Technical High School.

In 1954, the WMC became the first Australian tertiary education provider to be awarded royal patronage for its service to the Commonwealth in the area of education and for its contribution to the World War II effort and was officially renamed the “Royal Melbourne Technical College”. Its name was officially changed to the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 1960.

= Emily McPherson College of Domestic Economy (1927–79) =

The Emily McPherson College of Domestic Economy (EMCDE) was an Australian domestic science college for women situated on the corner of Russell Street and Victoria Street in Melbourne City adjacent to the current-day RMIT campus. On 30 June 1979, EMCDE was amalgamated with the RMIT campus.

= Creation of Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (1960–present) =

Following its re-branding, RMIT became a co-educational institution allowing enrolment for female as well as male students. Students formed and operated sporting clubs that were run dependent on resources and funding from the RMIT sport and student life departments. Accordingly, the new administrative body the Sports Regulation Committee opened registration for mixed gender sides as well as all-male and all-female sports. Table tennis, softball, hockey, basketball, squash, badminton, netball, fencing, golf and volleyball were introduced to the campus between 1960 and 1969.

= Amalgamation of Phillip Institute of Technology (1992) =

The Phillip Institute of Technology (PIT) was a northern Melbourne tertiary college from 6 January 1982 to 30 June 1992. It was established in Preston and amalgamated into RMIT University on 1 July 1992.

Sport clubs

File:The_RMIT_Women's_Football_Academy_Redbacks_celebrate_a_goal_at_Bundoora_Oval.jpg

class="wikitable sortable"

|AFL Women's

|Aikido

|Badminton

|Basketball

|Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Cheerleading

|Cricket

|Cue Sports

|Cycling

|Dodgeball

eSports

|Fencing

|Futsal

|Hockey

|Karate

Kendo

|Kung Fu

|Lacrosse

|Netball

|Outdoors

Pom-Pom (ceased)

|Snow Sports

|Soccer

|Softball

|Squash

Surf

|Table Tennis

|Taekwondo (ITF)

|Taekwondo (WT)

|Tennis

Tenpin Bowling

|Touch Football

|Ultimate Frisbee

|Underwater

|Volleyball

Water-ski and Wakeboard

|

|

|

|

=Basketball=

In 2024, the RMIT men's basketball team won the Big V Division One title. They were subsequently promoted to the Big V Championship division in 2025.{{cite news |title=Big V Championship 2025 Opening Round |url=https://www.basketballvictoria.com.au/news/big-v-championship-2025-opening-round |access-date=24 January 2025 |work=Basketball Victoria |date=10 December 2024 |language=en-AU}} The women's team play in the Big V Division Two.{{cite web|url=https://api.basketballvictoria.com.au/api/assets/17x6ezm9im3kc4gs|title=2025 Big V Divisional Structures|work=BasketballVictoria.com.au|access-date=24 January 2025|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250124162149/https://api.basketballvictoria.com.au/api/assets/17x6ezm9im3kc4gs|archive-date=24 January 2025}}

National and Regional Uni Games

The RMIT Redbacks compete in the following annual sport competitions.

= Australian University Games (1992–2017) =

The Australian University Games (AUG), since reformatted and renamed as the UniSport Nationals Division 1 and UniSport Nationals Division 2, was an annual national multi-sport event held between the 43 Australian universities and tertiary institutions. First held in Melbourne in 1992, the AUG were hosted in Queensland for eight years, Victoria for five years, Western Australia and New South Wales for four years, South Australia for three years and the Northern Territory and the ACT for one year.

RMIT won the John White Spirit of the Games Shield as the University that best displayed exemplary behaviour, excellent team spirit and fair competition in the 2009 and 2011 AUG at the Gold Coast.

= Southern University Games (2011–17) =

The Southern University Games (SUG), since reformatted and renamed as the UniSport Nationals Division 1/Division 2, was an annual regional multi-sport event held between the Australian universities and tertiary institutions from Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. First held in Ballarat in 2002, the SUG reformatted in 2017.

RMIT finished first in the SUG in 2008 and 2015–2017, finished second in 2009–11 and 2013–14 and was awarded the Spirit of the Games Award in 2009–12 and 2014.

= Nationals Division 1 & 2 (2018–2019) =

Following the 2017 Australian University Games, UniSport reformatted the nationals and regionals events into a two-tiered competition Nationals Division 1 and Nationals Division 2. Universities could enter one team per sport across the two divisions with student athletes able to compete in multiple events. The competition was merged into a single week-long festival ahead of the 2020 games.

= Nationals Snow (2011–2019) =

Nationals Snow is an annual multi-discipline snow sport event held between Australian universities and tertiary institutions. Student athletes compete in a variety of disciplines including slalom, boarder cross, slopestyle and rails.

= Eastern University Games (2013) =

The Eastern University Games was an annual multi-sport event held between Australian universities and tertiary institutions from New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. RMIT entered a team for the surfing (men's) and surfing (women's) events in the 2013 Wollongong Games.

Events

= RMIT Soccer Tour of China (2002–04) =

File:The_RMIT_Redbacks_Soccer_Team_celebrates_victory_during_its_2004_China_Tour.jpg

The RMIT Redbacks’ Soccer club conducted annual tours of China between 2002 and 2004. The tours were supported by the University, the Australian Football Federation, the Victorian Soccer Federation, Australian University Sport, then-SBS Head of Sport Les Murray and the Honourable Lord Mayor of the City of Melbourne John So.

In 2002, the Redbacks played a five-match tour against teams from Chinese universities. The following year, RMIT planned an expanded 16-day tour that saw the Redbacks compete against teams from seven Chinese universities with one of the matches being broadcast on Chinese national television.

= NBL Big Hustle 3x3 Nationals (2018) =

RMIT hosted the inaugural NBL Big Hustle 3x3 Nationals at its Melbourne City Campus in 2018. The two-day tournament was held at the A’Beckett Urban Square and featured 24 teams from 17 Australian universities and tertiary institutions playing in Open Men and Open Women categories between July 31 and August 1.

Macquarie University finished first in the Open Men category with Monash University winning the Open Women category. The RMIT Redbacks’ Open Men side finished second and the Open Women side finished fifth.

= Malaysian Tenpin Bowling Tournament (2019) =

The RMIT Redbacks’ Tenpin Bowling Team competed in the 2019 UiTM International Sports Fiesta in Malaysia at Universiti Teknologi Mara in the city of Shah Alam between July 31-August 4.

RMIT as the first team from Australia to compete at the international multi-sport event. The four-player team was made up of student athletes Jordan Wallace, Josh Robinson, Daniel Perrella and Richard Tran with Terry Lu acting as team manager.

Perrella won gold in the Men's Singles and Wallace claimed the bronze medal in the same event. In the Men's Doubles event, Tran and Robinson won silver. The Redbacks finished fourth in the team events format.

Elite Athletes

= International Athletes =

The following international athletes are alumni or current students of RMIT University.

class="wikitable"

|Athlete

|Sport

Ian Browne

|Cycling

Christine Envall

|Bodybuilding

Jessica Gallagher

|Alpine Skiing

Track and field

Tandem cycling

Elizabeth Gardner

|Freestyle skiing

Steve Hooker

|Pole Vaulting

Laura Hingston

|Diving

Lydia Lassila

|Freestyle Skiing

Bill Lawry

|Cricket

James Marburg

|Rower

David Morris

|Freestyle Skiing

Nick Morris

|Wheelchair basketball

Monique Murphy

|Swimming

Christine Nunn

|Squash

Elizabeth Patrick

|Coxswain

Colin Ridgway

|NFL

Catherine Skinner

|Shooting

Jared Tallent

|Racewalking

James Tomkins

|Rowing

Peter Thomson

|Golf

Paul Van Der Ploeg

|Cross-country mountain cycling

Max Walker

|Cricket/AFL

Julian Wiener

|Cricket

= National Athletes =

The following national athletes are alumni or current students of RMIT University.

class="wikitable"

|Athlete

|Sport

Lauren Arnell

|Australian Rules (Carlton/Brisbane)

Laura Attard

|Australian Rules (Carlton)

Shae Audley

|Australian Rules (Carlton)

Ron Barassi

|Australian Rules (Melbourne/Carlton)

Lauren Brazzale

|Australian Rules (Carlton)

Hayley Bullas

|Australian Rules (West Coast)

Stephanie Chiocci

|Australian Rules (Collingwood)

Darcy Daniher

|Australian Rules (Essendon)

Roger Dean

|Australian Rules (Richmond)

John Dugdale

|Australian Rules (North Melbourne)

Jack Edwards

|Australian Rules (North Melbourne)

Carrie Graf

|Basketball (Nunawading Spectres)

Keith Grieg

|Australian Rules (North Melbourne)

David Hille

|Australian Rules (Essendon)

Tony Jewell

|Australian Rules (Richmond)

Gus Johnston

|Hockey (New South Wales)

Lauren Morecroft

|Australian Rules (Western Bulldogs)

Karen Paxman

|Australian Rules (Melbourne)

Bob Skilton

|Australian Rules (South Melbourne)

Jim Stynes

|Australian Rules (Melbourne)

Brian Taylor

|Australian Rules (Richmond/Collingwood)

Captains

In 2010, RMIT Sport began the annual practice of appointing a male and female student as co-captains for the duration of the year. The students represented the University in sport events and in public appearances.

class="wikitable"

!Year

!Captains

2020

|Zeb Jarvis and Dana Tieman

2019

|Tyson Lingham and Rebecca McInerney

2018

|Marcus Vaiano and Emily Buckland

2017

|Alexander Bonacci and Sarah Collins

2016

|Jack Plowman and Lilly Walsh

2015

|Ben Marris and Tessa Bruno

2014

|Patrick Hutton and Hannah Wyatt

2013

|Aaron Bettio-Sandlant and Teagan Nugent

2012

|Kieran Wallis and Louise Grant

2011

|Jake Mutimer and Samantha Coates

2010

|Stefan Olszewski and Samantha Coates

National and Regional Uni Games Results

= Australian UniGames Nationals Results Summary (1992–2019) =

class="wikitable"

!Year

!Host City

!Sports

!Medals

1992

!Melbourne

|Hockey (Men's)

|Hockey (Men's): Gold

1993

|Brisbane

|

|

1994

|Wollongong

|

|

1995

|Darwin

|

|

1996

|Canberra

|

|

1997

|Melbourne

|Netball (Women's)

|Netball (Women's): Gold

1998

|Melbourne

|Rowing 8s (Women's)

|Rowing 8s (Women's): Gold

1999

|Perth

|

|

2000

|Ballarat

|Rowing 8s (Women's)

|Rowing 8s (Women's): Bronze

2001

|Sydney

|Hockey (Men's), Rowing 8s (Women's)

|Hockey Men's): Gold

Rowing 8s (Women's): Bronze

2002

|Adelaide

|

|

2003

|Newcastle

|Hockey (Men's)

|Hockey (Men's): Gold

2004

|Perth

|

|

2005

|Brisbane

|Beach Volleyball (Men's), Water Polo

|Beach Volleyball (Men's): Bronze

Water Polo: Bronze

2006

|Adelaide

|Basketball (Men's), Volleyball (Women's)

|Basketball (Men's): Silver

Volleyball (Women's): Silver

2007

|Gold Coast

|Beach Volleyball (Men's)

|Beach Volleyball (Men's): Silver

2008

|Melbourne

|

|

2009

|Gold Coast

|AFL (Women's), Athletics, Badminton (Men's), Badminton (Women's),

Beach Volleyball, Cycling, Fencing, Golf, Handball, Hockey (Men's),

Hockey (Women's), Judo, Lawn Bowls, Netball (Mixed), Netball (Women's),

Rugby 7s, Soccer (Men's), Soccer (Women's), Squash, Swimming, Table

Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Tenpin Bowling, Touch Football, Ultimate

Frisbee, Volleyball (Men's), Volleyball (Women's), Water Polo (Men's),

Water Polo (Women's)

|Volleyball (Mixed): Silver

2010

|Perth

|AFL (Men's), AFL (Women's), Athletics, Badminton (Men's),

Badminton (Women's), Baseball (Men's), Basketball (Men's),

Basketball (Women's). Beach Volleyball, Cycling, Fencing, Golf,

Handball (Men's), handball (Women's), Hockey (Men's), Hockey (Women's),

Judo, Lawn Bowls, Netball (Mixed), Netball (Women's), Rowing, Rugby 7s,

Soccer (Men's), Soccer (Women's), Squash, Swimming, Table Tennis,

Taekwondo, Tennis, Tenpin Bowling, Touch Football, Ultimate Frisbee,

Volleyball (Men's). Volleyball (Women's), Water Polo (Men's),

Water Polo (Women's)

|*SPIRIT OF THE GAMES*

Volleyball (Mixed): Gold

Beach Volleyball (Men's): Silver


2011

|Gold Coast

|AFL (Men's), AFL (Women's), Athletics (Men's), Badminton (Men's),

Badminton (Women's), Basketball (Men's), Basketball (Women's),

Beach Volleyball (Men's), Football (Men's), Netball (Women's),

Netball (Mixed), Swimming (Men's), Swimming (Women's),

Table Tennis (Men's). Taekwondo, Tennis (Men's), Tennis (Women's),

Tenpin Bowling, Ultimate Frisbee, Volleyball (Mixed), Water Polo (Women's)

|AFL (Women's): Gold

Tenpin Bowling: Gold

Netball (Women's): Gold

Netball (Mixed): Gold

Tenpin Bowling: Gold

Badminton (Men's): Silver

Beach Volleyball (Men's): Silver

Beach Volleyball (Mixed): Silver

Basketball (Women's): Bronze

Beach Volleyball (Women's): Bronze

Football (Men's): Bronze

Tennis (Women's): Bronze

2012

|Adelaide

|AFL (Women's), Athletics, Badminton (Men's), Baseball (Men's),

Basketball (Men's), Beach Volleyball (Mixed), Cycling (Men's),

Football (Men's), Golf (Men's), Hockey (Men's), Hockey (Women's),

Netball (Mixed), Netball (Women's), Rowing (Men's), Sailing,

Swimming (Women's), Table Tennis, Taekwondo (Men's), Tennis (Men's),

Tenpin Bowling, Volleyball (Men's), Volleyball (Women's),

Water Polo (Men's), Water Polo (Women's),

|*SPIRIT OF THE GAMES*

Volleyball (Mixed): Gold

AFL (Women's): Gold

Tenpin Bowling: Gold

Netball (Mixed): Gold

Cycling: Gold

Golf (Men's): Silver

Netball (Women's): Silver

2013

|Gold Coast

|AFL (Men's), AFL (Women's), Athletics (Men's), Athletics (Women's),

Badminton (Men's), Badminton (Women's), Basketball (Men's).

Basketball (Women's), Beach Volleyball (Mixed), Cycling (Men's),

Cycling (Women's), Soccer (Men's), Golf (Men's), Handball, Hockey (Men's),

Hockey (Women's), Lawn Bowls, Netball (Mixed), Netball (Women's),

Sailing, Squash, Table Tennis, Tenpin Bowling, Ultimate Frisbee,

Volleyball (Men's)

|AFL (Women's): Gold

Tenpin Bowling: Gold

Athletics (Women's): Silver

Beach Volleyball: Silver

Golf (Men's): Silver

2014

|Sydney

|Athletics (Men's), Athletics (Women's), AFL (Men's), AFL (Women's),

Baseball, Badminton (Men's), Badminton (Women's), Basketball (Women's)

|Tenpin Bowling: Gold

Golf: Gold

AFL (Women's): Silver

Beach Volleyball: Silver

Athletics (Women's): Bronze

AFL (Women's): Bronze

2015

|Gold Coast

|

|AFL (Women's): Gold

Lawn Bowls: Gold

Tennis (Women's): Gold

Tenpin Bowling: Silver

Beach Volleyball (Mixed): Silver

Golf: Silver

AFL (Men's): Bronze

Cycling (Women's): Bronze

Kendo (Men's): Bronze

2016

|Perth

|

|AFL (Women's): Gold

Golf: Gold

Futsal (Men's): Gold

Basketball (Men's): Silver

Beach Volleyball (Men's): Silver

Fencing (Women's): Silver

Tenpin Bowling: Silver

Netball: Bronze

2017

|Gold Coast

|

|Tenpin Bowling: Gold

Cycling: Gold

Basketball (Men's): Silver

AFL (Women's): Bronze

Netball (Women's): Bronze

2018 – Nationals Div 1

|Gold Coast

|

|*SPIRIT OF THE GAMES*

Cycling (Men): Gold

Tenpin Bowling: Gold

AFL (Women's): Silver

Basketball (Men's): Silver

Cycling (Women): Silver

Futsal (Men): Silver

Lawn Bowls: Silver

Tennis (Men): Silver

3x3 Basketball (Men): Silver (Melbourne)

Golf (Men): Bronze

Netball (Mixed): Bronze

Softball: Bronze

2019 – Nationals Div 1

|Gold Coast

|

|*SPIRIT OF THE GAMES*

Futsal (Men): Gold

Tennis (Men): Gold

Tennis (Women): Gold

Tenpin Bowling: Gold

Marathon (Women): Gold (Melbourne)

Cycling (Men): Silver

Surfing (Women): Silver (Manly)

Basketball (Men's): Bronze

2019 – Nationals Snow

|Thredbo

|

|Alpine Skiing (Women): Gold

Snowboard (Men): Gold

Freestyle Ski (Women): Silver

= Southern UniGames Results Summary (2011–17) =

Mascots

Following the amalgamation of the Phillip Institute of Technology, the mascot of the RMIT sport collective was the Kangaroo (the University continued to play under the name Coburg until 1995). In 1995, RMIT Sport re-branded the sport collective under the University's banner and anointed the mascot as the Rhinos ahead of the Australian University Games held in Darwin. Following a proposal from the Sport Regulation Committee (SRC), RMIT changed the mascot to the Redbacks in 1997. The RMIT Redbacks logo features a redback spider silhouette with the University's pixel logo as a red background.

References