| 1883 Sydney Rugby Premiership | |
|---|---|
| Duration | May to August |
| Teams | 18 |
| Premiers |  Redfern (1st title) |
| Runners-up |  Sydney University |
The 1883 Southern Rugby Union season was the 10th season of the Sydney Rugby Premiership. Twelve clubs competed from May till August 1883. The season culminated in the Premiership, which was won by Redfern. This was the first premiership in which the winner was awarded the Gardiner Cup. Redfern were crowned Premiers at a committee meeting of the Union.
By the beginning of the season, the Southern Rugby Football Union had 37 clubs signed up as part of the Union. [1]
Out of the 37 affiliated clubs, 24 resided within the Sydney area with 6 representing a school or college. This left 18 clubs based within Sydney, independent of any school. Some of these clubs were considered to be "Senior" Clubs with the others called "Junior" Clubs. [1]
It is not clear whether all clubs were eligible for the Premiership or a select group were. According to the Sydney Club Rugby discussion board on the Green and Gold Rugby website, 12 clubs competed for the Premiership. [2] However, in the Australian Town and Country Journal, they state that these were only the principal clubs. This indicates that more clubs were considered when deciding upon the Premier Club. [3] The Paddington Club was included in the list in the Australian Town and Country Journal, but was not included as a member club of the Union. They may have signed on at a later date.
| Club | Colors | Formed | Ground | Captain | Seniority | AGM | Fixtures | AR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arfoma | prior to 1883 | None | unknown | [4] | ||||
| Balmain | c.1873 | None | Henry Creer | Senior Club | [5] | [6] | [7] | |
| Burwood |  | c.1876 | Burwood Park | W. Robberds | Senior Club | [8] | [9] | |
| Carlton |  | unknown | None | unknown | ||||
| Glebe | prior to 1883 | None | James Colley | [10] [11] | ||||
| Newtown | prior to 1883 | Macdonaldtown Reserve | unknown | [12] | ||||
| Oaklands | unknown | None | unknown | |||||
| Oriental | prior to 1883 | None | unknown | [13] [14] | [15] | |||
| Parramatta | c.1879 | None | unknown | [16] | [17] | [7] | ||
| Paramatta Union | c.1878 | None | unknown | [18] | ||||
| Pyrmont | unknown | None | unknown | [19] [20] | ||||
| Redfern |  | 24 May 1878 | Redfern Ground | George Walker | Senior Club | [21] | [22] | [7] |
| Rugby | unknown | None | unknown | [23] | ||||
| Randwick |  | c.1882 | None | unknown | ||||
| St. Leonards | June 1872 | The Reserve | unknown | [24] | ||||
| Sydney University |  | c.1863 | University Ground | Ted Raper | Senior Club | [25] | ||
| Wallaroo | 19 May 1871 | Wallaroo Ground | Jim Brodie | Senior Club | [26] | [27] | ||
| Wellesley |  | unknown | None | unknown | [28] |
| Club | Colors | Formed | Ground | Captain | Seniority | AGM | Fixtures | AR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bathurst | [29] | |||||||
| Goulburn | H.C. Baker | [30] | ||||||
| Newcastle | [31] | [32] [33] |
The rules were changed at the beginning of the season determining who was the victor in a match. Previously, games were decided by the number of goals scored irrespective of tries scored. The new system involved awarding points to tries and goals with the winner of the match being the team with the greatest number of points. [34] As a result of this change, it was noticed that game tactics had changed with players working towards tries rather than goals. Some lamented this and suggested that the system be improved to encourage more kicking. [3]
The 1883 SRFU Sydney Rugby Premiership was the first season to award the Premiers with the Gardiner Cup. This was a trophy sponsored by Mr W Gardiner for a football competition known as a 'challenge cup'. Unfortunately, the Union found it difficult to organise such a competition due to the lack of suitable playing fields and the disorganisation of club engagements. [1] One of the biggest problems with matches was the encroachment of spectators onto the playing field. This would result in games being suspended. Police intervention was sought after to ensure games could continue uninterrupted. [35] At the beginning of the season, the Union was able to arrange for a section of the grounds at Moore Park in the control of the Agricultural Society of NSW to be used for football matches. [35]
The organisation for the Gardiner Cup was still unsettled by 14 June. At a meeting of the Southern Rugby Football Union, a suggestion was made to award the Cup to the Premiers of the season, as decided by the committee of the Union. [36]
Premiers for 1883 were the Redfern Football Club. The first fifteen were undefeated for the season with only 11 points scored against them. Matches included games played against Junior teams. Their second game against Sydney University resulted in their opponents unable to form a team to play against them. President of the club was the Hon. Edmund Barton. [37]
At the time, the Premiership was decided by a committee of the Union. It was not clear how the Union decided upon the Premier club. [38] When the season had concluded, it was suggested that the relative positions of the clubs should not be left up to the allotment of the Union. It was suggested that a set of rules be arranged at the beginning of the season to determine the champion and what was needed to obtain the premiership. [39]
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Redfern | 13 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 158 | 11 | +147 |
| 2 | Sydney University | 17 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 188 | 40 | +148 |
| 3 |  Wallaroo | 19 | 8 | 2 | 9 | 136 | 125 | +11 |
| 4 | Newtown | 14 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 189 | 72 | +117 |
| 5 |  Burwood | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 87 | 52 | +35 |
| 6 | Oriental | 12 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 101 | 35 | +66 |
| 7 | Glebe | 13 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 117 | 39 | +78 |
| 8 | St. Leonards | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 40 | 40 | +0 |
| 9 | Parramatta | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 94 | 39 | +55 |
| 10 | Arfoma | 13 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 69 | 75 | -6 |
| 11 | Paddington | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 28 | 21 | +7 |
After the success of the previous season's games, a New South Wales team was sent to Brisbane to compete against a Queensland team in two intercolonial matches. This was the first time that a representative team had been sent by the Southern Rugby Football Union. The first match saw a thrilling game with Queensland snatching the win 12 points to 11. Pratten ran the entire length of the field to score the winning try. At the conclusion of the game, the enthusiastic Queensland crowd carried Pratten from the field. The second match saw New South Wales win the game 13 points to nil surprising the Queensland crowd. The NSW forwards displayed superior power with the team showing superb passing.
15 August 1883 |
Queensland  | 12 – 11 |  New South Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: W Shields, T Bond, T Pratten Goals: W Shields (0/1), H Pritchard (2/2) | [40] | Tries: EM Cameron (2), SH Belcher, EJ Raper Goals: EJ Raper (1/2), EM Cameron (0/2) |
Eagle Farm Racecourse Attendance: 3000 |
23 August 1883 |
| Queensland | 0 – 13 | New South Wales |
|---|---|---|
| [41] | Goals: EM Cameron (1/1) |
Match reports and other relevant articles in 1883 newspapers generally did not make an immediately obvious distinction between football codes. Several clubs played Australian Rules Football under the auspices, and in affiliation with, the New South Wales Football Association. In many instances, the code being reported on in newspapers could be determined by tries and touch-downs in Rugby Union and behinds in Australian Rules.
The following New South Wales clubs played Australian rules football in the 1883 season.
 |
| Club | AGM | Fixtures | AR |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Sydney | [42] [43] | [44] [45] | |
| Sydney | [46] | [44] [45] | |
| Our Boys (Sydney) | [47] | [45] | |
| Petersham | [48] [49] | [45] | |
| Waratahs | [50] [51] | [45] | |
| Northumberland (West Maitland) | [52] | [53] | |
| Singleton | [54] | [53] | |
| Newcastle | [53] | ||
| Wallsend | [53] |
The New South Wales Football Association made arrangements for Victorian club, South Melbourne to tour. [55]
| 1883 South Melbourne tour of New South Wales | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 7 July | Sydney 5.17 | def. by | South Melbourne 6.16 | Association Ground | Report [56] |
| Tuesday, 10 July | East Sydney 2.6 | def. by | South Melbourne 3.13 | Association Ground (crowd: 500) | Report [57] |
| Thursday, 12 July | Combined Team 2.5 | def. by | South Melbourne 8.7 | Association Ground | Report [58] |
| Saturday, 14 July | New South Wales 4.6 | def. by | South Melbourne 9.15 | Association Ground (crowd: 5000) | Report [59] |
| Tuesday, 17 July | Combined Northern District 5.10 | def. by | South Melbourne 6.9 | Albion Ground, West Maitland | Report [60] |
The following New South Wales clubs played English Association Football (soccer) in the 1883 season.
| Club | AGM | Fixtures | AR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcadian | [61] | [14] [45] |
The New South Wales Waratahs, referred to as the Waratahs, are an Australian professional rugby union team representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super Rugby competition. The Riverina and other southern parts of the state, are represented by the Brumbies, who are based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (ACT).
The New South Wales Rugby League premiership was the first rugby league football club competition established in Australia and contributor to today's National Rugby League. Run by the New South Wales Rugby League from 1908 until 1994, the premiership was the state's elite rugby league competition, parallel to Queensland's first-class league, the Brisbane Rugby League.
The NSW Cup, currently known as the Knock-On Effect NSW Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a rugby league competition for clubs in New South Wales. The competition has a history dating back to the NSWRFL's origins in 1908, starting off as a reserve grade competition, and is now the premier open age competition in the state. The New South Wales Cup, along with the Queensland Cup, acts as a feeder competition to the National Rugby League premiership. The competition is the oldest continuous rugby league competition in the Australia.
The Shute Shield, currently known as the Charter Hall Shute Shield, is a semi-professional rugby union competition in Sydney, Australia. It is the premier club competition in New South Wales. The Shute Shield is awarded to the winning team from the Sydney premiership grand final held at the end of the club rugby season.
Timana James Aporo Tahu is an Australian former professional rugby league and rugby union footballer. He last played for Denver Stampede in the US PRO Rugby competition. A dual-code international representative three-quarter back for Australia's Kangaroos and then the Wallabies, he could also play second-row and played for New South Wales in State of Origin. Tahu started his career in the National Rugby League for the Newcastle Knights, with whom he won the 2001 NRL Premiership before moving to the Parramatta Eels. He then played for the New South Wales Waratahs in the Super Rugby competition. Tahu returned to the NRL with the Eels and then the Penrith Panthers before finishing his NRL career where it started with the Newcastle Knights.
In New South Wales, Australian rules football dates back to the 1860s colonial era, with organised competitions being continuous since the 1880s. It is traditionally popular in the outback areas of the state near the Victorian and South Australian borders— in the Murray Region, in the Riverina and in Broken Hill. These areas form part of an Australian cultural divide described as the Barassi Line. To the west of the line it is commonly known as "football" or "Australian Football" and to east of the line, it is promoted under the acronym "AFL" by the main development body AFL NSW/ACT. There are more than 15 regional leagues though some are run from other states, the highest profile are AFL Sydney and the Riverina Football Netball League. With 71,481 registered players, it has the third most of any jurisdiction.
The 1908 NSWRFL season was the inaugural season of the New South Wales Rugby Football League's premiership, Australia's first rugby league football club competition, in which nine clubs competed from April till August 1908. The season culminated in the first premiership final, for the Royal Agricultural Society Challenge Shield, which was contested by Eastern Suburbs and South Sydney. In 1908 the NSWRFL also assembled a New South Wales representative team for the first ever interstate series against Queensland, and towards the end of the season, the NSWRFL's leading players were absent, having been selected to go on the first Kangaroo tour of Great Britain.
The 1909 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the second season of Sydney's top-level rugby league football competition, Australia's first. Eight teams contested during the season for the premiership and the Royal Agricultural Society Challenge Shield; seven teams from Sydney and one team from Newcastle, New South Wales.
Mitchell Pearce is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who last played as a scrum-half for the Catalans Dragons in the Super League.
Rugby union in New South Wales is one of the leading professional and recreational team sports. Rugby football began to be played in Sydney’s schools in the early 1860s. In the more than 150 years since, the game in New South Wales has grown to include more than 100,000 participants and the Rugby World Cup Final has been hosted in Sydney.
Women's rugby league is a popular women's sport in Australia. The sport has a high level of participation in the country both recreational and professional. Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) is the national governing body of the sport in Australia, organising the Australian Women's Rugby League, the Australian women's national team, and the nine state governing bodies of the game, among other duties. Women's participation of modern rugby league has been recorded since the early 1920s. It has since become one of Australia's most popular women's team sports.
Hannah Southwell is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who currently captains the Newcastle Knights in the NRL Women's Premiership. Primarily a lock, she is an Australian and New South Wales representative.
The NSWRL Women's Premiership is a rugby league competition for clubs in New South Wales. It is the only statewide open-age competition for women in New South Wales and is run by New South Wales Rugby League.
The New South Wales Football Association was the governing body for Australian rules football in New South Wales between 1880 and 1893. It oversaw an Australian rules competition based in Sydney and governed the Laws of Australian Football in the colony. Matches were mostly played at Moore Park in Sydney. The competition is a predecessor to the current Sydney AFL, with some clubs, notably Sydney and East Sydney being reformed as foundation clubs of that competition in 1903. The game's early presence in Sydney is poorly documented, partly due to the bitter distaste that the Sydney media's displayed toward the Victorian code.
The 1884 Southern Rugby Union season was the 11th season of the Sydney Rugby Premiership. This was the second competition for the Gardiner Cup which was awarded to the winners of the premiership. The football season lasted from May till September 1884 with the main cup games held between June and August. The season culminated in the premiership, which was won by Burwood. Burwood were crowned premiers by a committee of the Union.
The 1886 Southern Rugby Football Union season was the 13th season of the Sydney Rugby Premiership. This was the fourth competition for the Gardiner Challenge Cup which was awarded to the winners of the premiership. The football season was from May till September 1886. The season culminated in the premiership, which was won by Gordon who were newly formed at the beginning of the year. Gordon were crowned premiers by a committee of the Union.
George Smith was an Australian professional soccer player who played as a forward. He captained the Australia national soccer team in 1933. Often considered the best centre-forward in Australian soccer in the 1930s, he had an average of 2.66 goals per game for Australia and has had many goalscoring records throughout his 17-year career.
Kirra Dibb is an Australian rugby league footballer who captains the North Queensland Cowboys in the NRL Women's Premiership.
The 1882 Southern Rugby Union season was the ninth season of the Sydney Rugby Premiership. Several clubs competed from May till August 1882. The season culminated in intercolonial matches against a touring Queensland team, and a tour to New Zealand by a team representing the Union.
The 1882 New South Wales tour of New Zealand was a rugby union tour of New Zealand undertaken by a team from the colony of New South Wales under the auspices of the Southern Rugby Football Union. The team of sixteen players was drawn from seven clubs. A factor in selection was availability. Only six of the twenty-one players that had represented New South Wales against Queensland in August made the tour in September. During the tour NSW played matches against provincial New Zealand sides, but they did not play a representative New Zealand team.