History
Football under rugby rules began to be played in the 1860s in Sydney's schools. Some of these former students wanted to go on playing and, along with an increasing population of new arrivals in Sydney, this led to the start of club football. [2] After 1872, rugby football clubs grew rapidly in number. [3]
The first 'Junior' clubs: 1872 to 1900
Sydney rugby in the early years was played by Senior teams and Junior teams (where Junior denoted the second tier, not the age of the players). [5] The Senior competition was run by the Southern Rugby Union (SRU, later to become the NSWRU) and had been in existence from 1874, but matches for Junior sides were arranged on an ad hoc basis until after the 1885 season. The SRU only began to involve itself in rugby for Junior teams in 1882, and only established a formal Junior competition in 1886.
Some of the clubs in the original Junior competition were Petersham (who still exist in the Suburban competition today), Manly Federals, the Warrigals and Wentworth. Most of these clubs fielded one team and the competition received coverage in Sydney's newspapers under "Other matches". [6] By 1896, in an early sign of what later led to the schism with rugby league, tensions emerged with suggestions that Senior clubs were trying to poach players with talent at Junior clubs using ‘incentives’ and that Junior players were being paid a match fee.
A new branch of the NSWRU called the Metropolitan Rugby Union (MRU) was formed in 1897 to administer the Sydney competitions and re-organise the clubs along district lines. The previous Junior clubs and players were essentially merged into new district clubs. More than twenty Junior clubs, including foundation members of the union, vanished from the books in 1898. [5]
Most clubs that were disenfranchised in the move to district football between 1897 and 1900 simply went out of existence but a few, such as Petersham, continued playing matches between themselves beyond the control of the MRU and NSWRU. In 1901 the competition was formally organised under the City and Suburban Association, making it the earliest forerunner of today's Subbies rugby. [5]
To counter this new rebel association, the MRU created its own Borough competition in 1902. Several of the leading City and Suburban clubs switched to this competition but, with the start of rugby league in 1908, it did not continue. [5] With the advent of the Great War in 1914, most rugby union clubs ceased playing altogether and rugby league had won ascendancy in New South Wales.
Post-war reformation in 1919
After the war was ended, the NSWRU established one competition for the 1919 season with divisions for both non-district and district clubs. [5] The Mosman Rugby Club, as the winner of the Reserve Grade B division (effectively the first grade for non-district clubs), was presented with a cup donated by W.H. Kentwell in 1923. [9] This began the long history of the Kentwell Cup which is now awarded to the NSWSRU first grade premiers in first division. The Burke Cup, was first presented to the Mosman club's second grade winning side in 1924 by James A. Burke, and is now contested by NSWSRU second grade teams in first division. [9]
Sub-Districts Rugby Union
The NSWRU formed a separate non-district club competition in 1929, which became the Metropolitan Sub-Districts Rugby Union in 1933. The Whiddon Cup was inaugurated in 1933 by Horace Whiddon of the Briars Club, and is now awarded to the NSWSRU third grade premiers. [9]
At the start of the war in 1939 the NSWRU decided to cancel representative games but continue with club competitions. This was an attempt to ward off a repeat of the setback caused by the cessation of rugby during the previous war. All sports were ravaged during the war. Players and officials died or were injured during battle or as prisoners of war but, as at least a restricted form of the game was continued, rugby union was able to be successfully revived in 1946.
After the war, Subbies rugby grew strongly. In 1966 Petersham made history as being the first club to circle the world on a rugby tour. [5] The Sydney Sub-Districts Rugby Union was established in 1971, and the Subbies competition was rearranged into three divisions.
New South Wales Suburban Rugby Union
In 1990, the Subbies became known as the New South Wales Suburban Rugby Union. The second division of the Sydney district competition was absorbed into Subbies in 1993 and 18 clubs contested the Kentwell Cup in that year. Drummoyne, [11] Mosman, University of NSW and Hornsby, Hawkesbury Agricultural College, Canterbury, Dundas Valley, Hawkesbury Valley are former district clubs that moved to Subbies.
Most current clubs are based on a local community, links with schools, or voluntary groups. Old Ignatians, St Patricks, Barker Old Boys, Knox Rugby Club, Waverley, Kings Old Boys, and Oakhill are or were formed from ex-students of schools. The Bronte and Manly Savers clubs are composed of members of surf lifesaving clubs.
Promotion and relegation is based on club championship results down to third division.
Recent events
There have been problems in recent years fielding a 4th Division competition (clubs with 3 grade teams). 4th Division was disbanded after the 2008 season, where only six clubs participated, and was further weakened with the withdrawal of two of the 3rd grade teams. The 4th Division was resurrected in 2011, again with six clubs, but again was afflicted with the withdrawal of two 3rd grade teams, although a Halligan Cup team – Colleagues Convicts – stepped up into the grade. In 2012 the season was played without a 4th division competition again.
The 4th Division competition was revived in 2014, but with it came the demise of the 5th Division (clubs with 2 teams). This means that clubs who were hoping to have 2 teams this year must either downsize to one team (Division 6) or hope for a 3rd grade team and push for the revived Division 4, making clubs either make players miss out on playing if unable to find a Halligan Cup fixture (lack of a 2nd grade) or trying to create a 3rd grade (possibly making players play 2 or more games of rugby).
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.
St Patrick's Rugby Club, also known as St Pats, is a rugby union club based in Strathfield, New South Wales. The club, formerly known as St Patrick's Old Boys, currently field six teams in the second division of the NSW Suburban competition, known as "Subbies". St Pats was formed in 1964 and since their elevation to first division had not been relegated until 2017. The club was formed by ex-students of St Patrick's College, Strathfield but now has members from various backgrounds including a number of international players.
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.
The Forest Rugby Club was established in 1958, to serve the community, not only as a rugby club but also to assist in the development of the youth in The Forest area. The club has grown dramatically since its inception and now fields junior teams from U6's to U17's.
Mosman Rugby Club is an Australian rugby union club. It is based is Mosman on the Lower North Shore of Sydney. Home games are played at Rawson Oval and Balmoral Oval. Mosman won the first Kentwell Cup in 1923 and Mosman continues to compete in Division One of the New South Wales Suburban Rugby Union.
Lane Cove Rugby Union Football Club is a rugby union club founded in 1949 and which participates in the New South Wales Suburban Rugby Union ("Subbies") competition. The club is situated in Lane Cove in Sydney, Australia. The home ground is Tantallon Oval. The club was successful in Sydney Rugby through the 1950s and 1960s and competitive in Division One Sub-Districts into the 1980s with victories including the Under 21 New South Wales State Premiership, the Bruce Graham Shield, Kentwell Cup, Whiddon Cup, Judd Cup trophies among others. Notable players have included Wallabies Ken Yanz and Saxon White, and Kangaroo Greg Florimo. Having been historically a Division One Club, Lane Cove seniors currently plays in New South Wales' Subbies' Division Five, while the thriving Lane Cove Juniors participate in the Gordon Juniors competition.
Rugby union in Queensland has traditionally been one of the most popular professional and recreational team sports in the state. Rugby union was introduced in the British colony's capital Brisbane in 1876. Initially it struggled to gain a foothold due to the popularity of Australian rules there until it got its break in 1882 with the first inter-colonial matches against New South Wales, and the formation of the Northern Rugby Union. Between 1885 and 1887 it became the dominant code after the leading schools association decided to play it exclusively and after 1890 spread virtually unopposed throughout the colony.
Petersham Rugby Union Football Club is a rugby union club based in the inner west of Sydney, New South Wales. The club, also known as "The Shammies", currently field 5 teams in the 1st Grade Division of the New South Wales Suburban Rugby Union competition (Subbies). Petersham RUFC was founded in 1883, making it the oldest surviving suburban rugby club in Australia.
Beecroft Rugby Club is an amateur rugby union club which fields five Grade teams and two Colts teams in the Premier 1st Division of the New South Wales Suburban Rugby Union.
The Kentwell Cup is the major trophy for the New South Wales Suburban Rugby Union (NSWSRU), colloquially known as the "Subbies" competition. It is awarded to the first grade premiers of the first division competition.
The Drummoyne District Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Drummoyne, New South Wales, in Sydney, Australia. Its predecessor Glebe and Balmain Rugby Clubs are among the oldest in Australia and today it competes prominently in the First Division of the New South Wales Suburban Rugby Union.
The Hornsby Rugby Union Football Club is a rugby union team from Hornsby in Sydney, Australia. Up until 2014 the club played in the New South Wales Suburban Rugby Union competition, but currently competes in the Central Coast competition.
Epping Rugby and Netball Club is a sports club, based in Epping, New South Wales. The senior rugby division of the club plays in the 2nd division of New South Wales Suburban Rugby Union, while the Rams Netball club plays in the Eastwood Ryde Netball Association competitions.
The Queensland Suburban Rugby Union, or QSRU, is affiliated to the Queensland Rugby Union (QRU) and runs the rugby competition colloquially known as "Subbies" in Brisbane and South East Queensland.
The Barraclough Shield is the trophy for interstate rugby union matches between the New South Wales Suburban and Queensland Suburban representative teams, colloquially known as "Subbies". The Barraclough Shield was first contested in 1966 and was named after Lindley John Forbes (John) Barraclough AM (1926-2005), a former New South Wales MP and stalwart of New South Wales Suburban Rugby.
The Woollahra Colleagues Rugby Union Football Club, known as Colleagues, is a rugby union club based in Woollahra, in Sydney, Australia. The club was founded in the 1930s and currently plays in the First Division of the NSWSRU competition.
The Hunters Hill Rugby Club, is an Australian amateur rugby union club based in Hunters Hill, New South Wales. The club currently fields six teams in the NSW Suburban Rugby Union competition, known as "Subbies". Hunters Hill was formed in 1892, and is amongst the oldest rugby clubs in Australia.
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.
Blue Mountains Rugby Club is based in the township of Lapstone within Greater Sydney, Australia. The club plays rugby union in the first division of the New South Wales Subbies competition and currently fields teams in five men's grades, plus women's and colts teams.
