Anthony Puletua, also known by the nickname of "TP", is a former professional rugby league footballer who last played for the Hull Kingston Rovers in the Super League. A New Zealand and Samoan international, Puletua previously played for the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League competition, primarily as second-row forward.
Tulsen Paul Tollett is a TV presenter and former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. A Great Britain international representative utility back, he played in Australia for Sydney's Penrith Panthers and the Parramatta Eels clubs, before moving to England and playing for the London Broncos.
The West Harbour Rugby Football Club is a team in the Shute Shield, the premier club rugby union football competition in New South Wales. The club is based in Concord in the Inner West of Sydney, and plays home matches at Concord Oval. Concord holds a place in rugby history as a venue for the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987. West Harbour's major sponsor is Burwood RSL and post match functions are held at Club Burwood. In 2020, the Pirates would play out of Drummoyne Oval as Concord Oval being NRL club Wests Tigers' training ground, the venue was deemed off limited for people in excess of the "bubble".
The Shute Shield, 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.
The Tooheys New Cup, or TNC, was a rugby union competition established by the New South Wales Rugby Union (NSWRU) in 2002. Played in the second half of the rugby season after the Super 12 competition was completed, it was intended as a stepping stone between the existing grade rugby and Super Rugby competitions. The Tooheys New Cup ran for five seasons before it ceased to exist, with the short-lived Australian Rugby Championship taking its place in the second half of the rugby season of 2007. From 2008 onwards, an extended Shute Shield covered the entire season.
Penrith Rugby Club, known as the Emus, is an Australian rugby union club based in Penrith, a western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales. The club was formed in 1965 as Nepean and renamed Penrith in 1981 and began playing in the Shute Shield in 1995 until their removal midway through the 2018 competition. Sydney Rugby Union chairman David Begg said the Emus had failed to 'meet the standards set for all clubs to compete at the premiership level'. The club was readmitted to the competition for the 2020 season before being dropped again ahead of the 2022 season.
Julian Huxley is an Australian rugby union professional footballer. In 2008 he had established himself in the Wallabies and was named Australian Rookie of the Year. In 2011 he played for the Melbourne Rebels in the Super Rugby competition.
Kerry Cooper Vuna is a professional rugby footballer who plays on the wing for Newcastle Falcons in Premiership Rugby. He played rugby league as a wing for the New Zealand Warriors and Newcastle Knights in the National Rugby League competition, before switching to rugby union to play Super Rugby for the Melbourne Rebels.
Mose Masoe is a former Samoa international rugby league footballer who last played as a prop for Hull Kingston Rovers in the Betfred Super League.
James Hilterbrand is an Australian-born United States international rugby union player, currently playing for New South Wales Shute Shield side Manly and the United States rugby union team. His regular position is hooker, however he can also play as a prop.
Samisoni Langi is a professional rugby league footballer who last played as a centre and for Wakefield Trinity in the Betfred Super League.
Taqele Naiyaravoro is an Australian professional rugby union and rugby league footballer. His regular playing position is the wing.
Hugh Roach is an Australian rugby union professional player who plays hooker for San Diego Legion of Major League Rugby (MLR) in the United States. He also plays for the USA Perpignan of Top 14 (France).
Melani Nanai is a Samoan rugby union player who plays as an outside back for the Crusaders.
Peter Samu is an Australian professional rugby union player who is currently a loose forward for the Brumbies in Super Rugby. He has represented Australia in international rugby. After several seasons playing in Australia and England, Samu gained his professional career breakthrough in New Zealand, firstly with Tasman in the Mitre 10 Cup and then the Crusaders in Super Rugby.
Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, is an Australian rugby union player. He plays for the Northampton Saints in Premiership Rugby. He has played for the Queensland Reds in Super Rugby, and his usual position is lock but he has also played in the backrow for the Wallabies particularly at blindside flanker.
Jaydn Su'a is a Samoa international rugby league footballer who plays as a second-row forward for the St George Illawarra Dragons in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Sam Thomson is a Scottish rugby union player. He currently plays in Japan for Toshiba Brave Lupus in the Top League competition. His usual position is at lock.
Ed Craig is a teacher at SHORE school in North Sydney where he teaches PDHPE and Christian studies. Previously, Craig was a PDHPE teacher at Barker College in Sydney. He has played rugby union for the NSW Waratahs the Melbourne Rebels and the Queensland Reds. He played for Australian Schoolboys and Australian Under 20s and for Sydney in the National Rugby Championship (NRC). Craig is currently playing in the Sydney Shute Shield competition for his home club Eastwood. His position is hooker.
The 2023 Shute Shield season, also known as the Charter Hall Shute Shield, or the NSWRU Shute Shield, is the 149th and current season of the semi-professional premier-grade rugby union club competition in the Australian state of New South Wales. With all but one club playing inside the Sydney area, the competition holds the same number of teams from the previous season, twelve, following difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the axing of Western Sydney club, Penrith Emus.
