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Sydney University RLFC

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Not to be confused with Sydney University Football Club.

Sydney University
Club information
Full nameSydney University Rugby League Football Club
Founded1920; 104 years ago (1920)
Exited1937; 87 years ago (1937)
Former details
CompetitionNew South Wales Rugby Football League
19379th of 9
Home jersey
Team colours
Records
PremiershipsNil
Runners-up1 – 1926
Minor premiershipsNil
Wooden spoons10 – 1921, 1923, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937

The Sydney University Rugby League Football Club is a rugby league team currently playing in the Saturday Metro League competition. The University of Sydney was represented in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership from 1920 to 1937 as University, and also in the NSWRL Second Division and Metropolitan League competitions from 1963 to 1976.

History

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The movement at the University of Sydney to be involved in the new game of rugby league began in 1919 with a number of players (including seven University Blues from the 1918 season) viewing a game of the new code and deciding to switch codes. As put by Herbert Vere Evatt (a final year law student and later a politician, jurist and president of the UN General Assembly) at the time the reasons were:

"Owing to the general dissatisfaction with the management of the Rugby Union during the 1919 football season, and the fact that University footballers were starting to realise that rugby league was a faster and cleaner game, several leading members of the football club, including seven 'blues' of the past season, took steps to introduce the league game into the University for the 1920 season. A special meeting of league supporters was held and decided to enter three teams, all members to play as strict amateurs."[citation needed]

Anti-rugby league prejudice

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From the very beginning, the Students (or 'Varsity' as they were also known) struggled to gain acceptance by the University Sports Association who displayed great prejudice toward those who had left the rugby union side to play rugby league.[citation needed]

Indeed, players who participated in rugby league matches were threatened with disqualification from ever playing rugby union at Oxford University or University of Cambridge and the Sports Association forbid the club from training on the University Oval (forcing Varsity to train with Eastern Suburbs at the Sydney Sports Ground).[citation needed] While public pressure forced the Association to relent, the club never once played a game at the University Oval during its involvement in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership.[citation needed]

1926 Grand Final

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The highlight of the Students' 18 seasons in the NSWRL Premiership was their one and only finals appearance (having finished fourth in the regular season). To get to the Grand Final at the Sydney Agricultural Ground University had to defeat Glebe which they did comfortably 29 - 3.[1] In the Grand Final, however, they were defeated 5–11 by Souths in front of 20,000 people.[2]

Year Premiers Runners-up Score
1926 South Sydney University 11–5

Withdrawal from the Premiership

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Chart of yearly table positions for Sydney University in First Grade NSWRL

Generally, the amateur students struggled to perform against the professional players of the other sides and University enjoyed very little success only winning 44 of its 226 games during its time in the Premiership (and only won 2 games after 1933). The club did not win a single match in 1935, continuing a losing streak that started in round 2, 1934 and which would run till round 14, 1936 and which marked the most consecutive losses in NSWRL/NRL premiership history at 42. This run of form, in addition to having spent 12 of its 18 seasons in last place prompted their decision to withdraw from the Premiership at the close of the 1937 season.

Life After the Premiership

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Rugby league did not perish at the University of Sydney and sides representing the university continued to play in various competitions. Most notably, Varsity played in the NSWRL Inter-District Competition, Second Division and Metropolitan League (predecessors to the Jim Beam Cup) between 1964 and 1976, finishing as Second Division runners-up in 1969 and 1971, both times to the leading side of the day Wentworthville.

Year Premiers Runners-up Score
1969 Wentworthville Magpies University 20–2
1971 Wentworthville Magpies University 21–15
Year Competition Ladder Finals Position All Match Record
Pos Byes Pts P W L D For Agst Diff
1964 Second Division[3] 7 0 12 18 6 12 0 248 277 -29
1965 Second Division[4] 9 0 7 17 3 14 1 177 386 -209
1966 Second Division[5] 7 0 4 14 2 12 0 32 313 -281
1967 Second Division[6] 4 0 16 Semi-Finalist 15 8 7 0 146 159 -13
1968 Second Division[7] 3 2 22 Semi-Finalist[8] 17 11 6 0 263 163 100
1969 Second Division[9] 3 0 24 Grand Finalist 19 14 5 0 213 202 11
1970 Second Division[10] 4 2 28 Semi-Finalist[11] 21 14 7 0 322 248 74
1971 Second Division[12] 2 2 35 Grand Finalist[13] 22 18 3 1 578 255 323
1972 Second Division[14] 5 2 25 Play-Off 21 10 10 1 435 349 86
1973 Second Division[15] 9 2 12 20 4 16 0 202 565 -363
1974 Metropolitan Cup 5 18 21 8 11 2 274 324 -50
1975 Metropolitan Cup 3 2 23 Finalist 18 12 5 1 498 285 213
1976 Metropolitan Cup 5 0 12 16 5 9 2 256 343 -87

Wills Cup

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As runners-up in the 1969 Second Division, University (along with Wentworthville) were invited to compete in the NSWRL pre-season competition (the Wills Cup) in 1970.

Despite the inclusion of mature players from other metropolitan University clubs and professional coaches, the sides were too inexperienced and light to compete with the senior club sides. University finished 13th (above last-placed Penrith) in the competition with 1 win from 4 games (their lone win, a close 19–17 victory, came against Wentworthville), with a points differential of -29.

University Shield Competition

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In 1922 the University of Sydney Club presented the league with a shield for use as a trophy in a statewide High School Rugby League knockout competition. The competition became known as the 'University Shield' and is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious competitions in schoolboy rugby league.

The University Shield has undergone various changes in format since its inception in 1922, the most notable of these having been the exclusion of specialised 'Sports High Schools' which dominated the competition between 1996 and 2006 in a spirit deemed 'untrue' to the traditional concept of the competition.

Sydney Shield

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In December 2018, it was revealed that University would be competing in the Sydney Shield competition.[16] At the end of the 2019 Sydney Shield season, University finished 10th on the table. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, University were initially meant to compete in the 2021 Sydney Shield but pulled out for financial reasons.[17]

Year Competition Ladder Finals Position All Match Record
Pos Byes Pts P W L D For Agst Diff
2019 Sydney Shield[18] 10 1 11 20 4 15 1 397 744 -347
2020 Sydney Shield N/A 0 0 Competition Cancelled[19] 1 0 1 0 20 24 -4
2020 Sydney Shield[20] 7 1 7 8 2 5 1 176 218 -42

University Shield Honour Board (1922–2007)

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Year Premiers
1922 Goulburn
1923 Goulburn
1924 Goulburn
1925 Sydney Technical
1926 Tamworth
1927 Tamworth
1928 Tamworth
1929 Tamworth
1930 Randwick
1931 Tamworth
1932 Newcastle
1933 Cessnock
1934 Combined
1935 Newcastle
1936 Newcastle
1937 Cessnock
1938 Cessnock
1939 Newcastle
1940 Newcastle
1941 Newcastle
1942 Newcastle
1943 Newcastle
1944 Sydney Technical
1945 Sydney Technical
1946 Newcastle
1947 Maitland
1948 Taree
1949 Gosford
1950 Gosford
1951 Gosford
1952 Gosford
1953 Muswellbrook
1954 Newcastle
1955 Gosford
1956 Newcastle
1957 Tamworth
1958 Newcastle
1959 Newcastle
1960 Newcastle
1961 Tamworth
1962 Newcastle
1963 Newcastle Tech
1964 Tamworth
1965 Tamworth
1966 Griffith
1967 Orange
1968 Orange/Tamworth
1969 Tamworth
1970 Yanco Ag.
1971 Tamworth
1972 Yanco Ag.
1973 Moree
1974 Gosford
1975 Tamworth
1976 Ashcroft
1977 Ashcroft
1978 Tamworth
1978 Blacktown
1980 Chatham
1981 Chatham
1982 James Cook
1983 James Cook
1984 Ashcroft
1985 Ashcroft
1986 Toormina
1987 Yanco Ag.
1988 Melville
1989 James Cook
1990 Yanco Ag.
1991 Dubbo South
1992 Yanco Ag.
1993 Kingsgrove
1994 Kingsgrove
1995 Sarah Redfern
1996 Yanco Ag.
1997 Camden
1998 Westfield Sports
1999 Westfield Sports
2000 Westfield Sports
2001 Westfield Sports
2002 Endeavour Sports
2003 Farrer Ag.
2004 Endeavour Sports
2005 Westfield Sports
2006 Hunter Sports
2007 Junee High School

Players of Note

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Australian Representative

New South Wales

Records

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Club Records

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Biggest Win

Biggest Loss

Most Consecutive Wins

  • 5 matches, 8 May – 19 June 1926

Most Consecutive Loses

  • 42 matches^, 28 April 1934 – 29 August 1936

Record point scorer

Record appearance holder

^ denotes premiership record

Club Honours

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Premierships: (0)

Runners-Up: (1) 1926

Minor Premierships: (0)

Wooden Spoons: (10) 1921, 1923, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937

References

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  1. ^ Corbett, Claude (5 September 1926). "University Now in League Premiership Final". The Sun (Sydney). Sydney: National Library of Australia. p. 8. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  2. ^ Corbett, Claude (19 September 1926). "South Sydney League Premiers For Sixth Time". The Sun (Sydney). Sydney: National Library of Australia. p. 8. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  3. ^ New South Wales Rugby Football League. "The Rugby League news". 45 (30 (September 5, 1964)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 20 September 2020 – via Trove. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. ^ New South Wales Rugby Football League. "The Rugby League news". 46 (27 (August 21, 1965)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 20 September 2020 – via Trove. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. ^ New South Wales Rugby Football League. "The Rugby League news". 47 (29 (July 30, 1966)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 20 September 2020 – via Trove. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. ^ New South Wales Rugby Football League. "The Rugby League news". 48 (33 (August 19, 1967)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 18 September 2020 – via Trove. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. ^ New South Wales Rugby Football League. "The Rugby League news". 49 (34 (August 17, 1968)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 18 September 2020 – via Trove. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. ^ New South Wales Rugby Football League. "The Rugby League news". 49 (35 (August 24, 1968)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 20 September 2020 – via Trove. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. ^ New South Wales Rugby Football League. "The Rugby League news". 50 (33 (August 23, 1969)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 18 September 2020 – via Trove. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  10. ^ New South Wales Rugby Football League. "The Rugby League news". 51 (40 (September 5, 1970)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 18 September 2020 – via Trove. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  11. ^ New South Wales Rugby Football League. "The Rugby League news". 51 (42 (September 12, 1970)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 20 September 2020 – via Trove. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  12. ^ New South Wales Rugby Football League. "The Rugby League news". 52 (37 (September 26, 1971)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 18 September 2020 – via Trove. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  13. ^ New South Wales Rugby Football League. "The Rugby League news". 52 (38 (October 1, 1971)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 20 September 2020 – via Trove. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  14. ^ New South Wales Rugby Football League. "The Rugby League news". 53 (36 (September 16, 1972)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 18 September 2020 – via Trove. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  15. ^ New South Wales Rugby Football League. "The Rugby League news" (Grand Final Supplement (September 16, 1973)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 18 September 2020 – via Trove. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  16. ^ "Sydney University Draw". www.nswrl.com.au.
  17. ^ "Ron Massey Cup 2019 Ladder". NSWRL.
  18. ^ "Sydney Shield 2019 - Ladder". League Unlimited. 1 September 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  19. ^ "NSWRL cancels nine competitions for 2020 season". NSWRL. 27 March 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  20. ^ "Sydney Shield 2020 - Ladder". League Unlimited. 13 September 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
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