Club information | |
---|---|
Full name | Warilla-Lake South Rugby League Football Club |
Nickname(s) | The Gorillas |
Colours | Gold Blue |
Founded | 1965 |
Current details | |
Ground(s) |
|
Coach | Troy Grant |
Competition | Group 7 Rugby League |
Records | |
Premierships | 9 (1978, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2011, 2022) |
Runners-up | 11 (1981, 1986, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020) |
Minor premierships | 9 (1980, 1982, 1992, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2009, 2011, 2014) |
The Warilla-Lake South Gorillas (or sometimes simplified to Warilla Gorillas) are an Australian rugby league football team based in Lake Illawarra, a coastal town of the Illawarra region. The club is a part of Country Rugby League and have competed in the South Coast first grade competition since 1970. The club's greatest achievement to date is winning the Clayton Cup in 1982.
The very first team to play for Warilla was an under-9's side in the Illawarra competition in 1964. On the back of this, in 1965, Warilla successfully split from Shellharbour-Lake Illawarra to form their own club known as Warilla. The club fielded an under-18s squad that year entered their inaugural grade team in reserves in 1966. In 1969, the club took its first step into first grade, as well as fielding a third grade side for the first time. [1] [2]
The Gorillas won their first premiership in 1978. [3] Their success continued winning three more first grade grand finals in the 80's and again in the 90's. The turn of the century wasn't as fruitful for the club winning no first grade titles, although they participated in a few finals. Notably, the Gorillas lost two consecutive grand finals, in 2009 to the Albion Park-Oak Flats Eagles [4] and in 2010 to the Gerringong Lions. [5]
In 2011 Warilla ended their 14-year premiership drought by defeating the Gerringong Lions 36–6. Prop Alex Volkanovski was named man of the match in his final game for the Gorillas before embarking on his UFC career. [6] Since the Gorillas grand final win in 2011 they appeared in three losing grand finals, 2013 to the Gerringong Lions, 2014 to the Nowra-Bomaderry Jets and in 2016 to the Gerringong Lions.
The team's colours are gold and blue.
Notable First Grade Players that have played at Warilla-Lake South Gorillas include:
Source: [1]
Source: [7]
The Illawarra is a coastal region in the southeast of the Australian state of New South Wales. It is situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the South Coast region. It encompasses the two cities of Wollongong, Shellharbour and the coastal town of Kiama. Wollongong is the largest city of the Illawarra with a population of 240,000, then Shellharbour with a population of 70,000 and Kiama with a population of 10,000. These three cities have their own suburbs. Wollongong stretches from Otford in the north to Windang in the south, with Maddens Plains and Cordeaux in the west.
Gerringong is a town located about ten minutes drive south of Kiama, and about twenty minutes north of Nowra in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia in the Municipality of Kiama. At the 2016 census, Gerringong had a population of 3,966. One theory says that the name derives from an Aboriginal word meaning "fearful place".
Warilla is a seaside suburb of the City of Shellharbour, Australia within the Wollongong urban area. It is one of the more established areas and is between the suburbs of Mount Warrigal in the west, Barrack Heights and Barrack Point in the south and Lake Illawarra in the north.
South Coast Group 7 Rugby League is the divisional boundary drawn from the Southern Illawarra and South Coast regions of New South Wales, Australia and is governed by the NSWCRL. The main semi-professional competition,, comprises ten (10) teams from across the region. Group 7 Rugby League also administers reserve grade, third grade, and under-18s competitions, Ladies League Tag, as well as looking over many junior competitions.
The Illawarra Rugby League is a rugby league competition in Wollongong, NSW. It is one of the oldest rugby league competitions in Australia, founded in 1911 with five clubs. The area provides a nursery of juniors for the Illawarra Steelers and St George Illawarra Dragons. The season is contested by seven teams and concludes with a finals series involving the top four teams.
Michael William Cronin OAM is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer and coach. He was a goal-kicking centre for the Australian national team and a stalwart for the Parramatta Eels club. He played in 22 Tests and 11 World Cup matches between 1973 and 1982. Cronin retired as the NSWRL Premiership's and the Australian Kangaroos' all-time highest point-scorer and has since been named amongst the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century.
The AFL South Coast is an Australian rules football competition in the Shoalhaven and Illawarra regions of New South Wales. The AFLSC has two divisions of senior men's football and one division of senior women's football. In 2012 The South Coast AFL became "AFL South Coast" incorporating the three leagues of South Coast AFL Seniors, Shoalhaven Juniors and Illawarra Juniors.
The Kiama Knights are an Australian rugby league football team based in Kiama, a coastal town of the Illawarra and South Coast regions. The club was formed in 1914 as one of the founding members of South Coast Rugby League, and continue to participate in this league's local competition.
The Gerringong Lions are an Australian rugby league football team based in Gerringong, a coastal town of the Illawarra and South Coast regions. The club was formed in 1914 as one of the founding members of South Coast Rugby League, and continue to participate in the Group 7 competition.
The Jamberoo Superoos are an Australian rugby league football team based in Jamberoo, a country town of the Illawarra region. The club is a part of Country Rugby League and have competed in the South Coast first grade competition since its inception in 1914.
The Nowra Warriors are an Australian rugby league football team based in Nowra, a coastal town of the South Coast region. The club is a part of Country Rugby League and previously competed in the South Coast first grade competition since its inception in 1914 until they merged with Bomaderry in 2008 to form the Shoalhaven Jets. The Nowra Warriors still field teams in junior rugby league competitions.
The Nowra-Bomaderry Jets are an Australian rugby league football team based in Nowra, a coastal town of the South Coast region. The club is a part of Country Rugby League and previously competed in the South Coast first grade competition since 2008 when struggling clubs Nowra Warriors and Bomaderry Swamp Rats merged at the end of the 2007 competition. The Nowra Warriors and Bomaderry Swamp Rats still field teams in junior rugby league competitions.
The Dapto Canaries are an Australian rugby league football team based in the Wollongong suburb of Dapto. The club are a part of Country Rugby League and have competed in the Illawarra Rugby League premiership since its inception in 1911.
The Western Suburbs Red Devils are an Australian rugby league football team based in Figtree, a suburb of Wollongong. The club is a member of the Country Rugby League and compete in the Illawarra Rugby League premiership. The club play out of Figtree Oval, Figtree. Wests wear red and blue jerseys and have won 16 premierships. Wests Illawarra Leagues club is a thriving club in Unanderra.
Football South Coast is a sport governing body and soccer competition based in the Illawarra and South Coast regions of New South Wales. All competitions and soccer activity of Football South Coast is under control of Football New South Wales.
Tom Denniss is an Australian athlete, inventor, scientist, and entrepreneur. A Doctor of Mathematics and Oceanography, he invented a technology to convert energy in ocean waves into electricity, also played professional rugby league, was a finalist in the Australian of the Year Award, and in 2013 set a new world record for the Fastest Circumnavigation of the Earth on Foot.
The 2021 Group 7 Rugby League season was the 109th season of rugby league in the New South Wales country region of Group 7. On 16 August 2021, it was announced by the New South Wales Ruby League governing body that all competitions in Group 7 would be abandoned due to the ongoing issues involving COVID-19 in the area and surrounding regions.
The 2022 Group 7 Rugby League season was the 110th season of rugby league in the New South Wales country region of Group 7.