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List of Australian club rugby union competitions

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See also: List of Australian rugby union teams

In Australia, what is considered the third tier of Rugby is often referred to as club rugby, grade rugby or premier rugby. Club Rugby often focuses on the major metropolitan areas of the respective unions, with teams representing various districts and suburbs. The teams represented in the first grade can and have changed over time, and are open to change at the discretion of the governing body.

Sydney Premiership

Main article: Shute Shield

The Shute Shield is a rugby union competition in Sydney, New South Wales. It is the premier grade rugby trophy in Sydney rugby. The shield is contested by eleven Sydney Rugby Union clubs.

The first Sydney club competition was held in 1874, contested by Balmain, Newington College, University of Sydney and The King's School, Parramatta. The Shute Shield is seen as the traditional successor to this competition.

The shield was donated to the New South Wales Rugby Union in 1923 by Sydney University Football Club, and was named in honour of Robert Elliott Stewart Shute who died while playing for The Rest v NSW XV on 5 June 1922.[1]

Template:Shute Shield teams

Queensland Premier Rugby

Main article: Queensland Premier Rugby

Queensland Premier Rugby is the top club competition in Queensland. Nine clubs take part: eight from Brisbane and a club each from the Gold Coast.

The first club rugby competition in Queensland was the Hospital Football Challenge, which began in 1899. It was an annual fund-raising venture for the Brisbane Hospital, but the game fell away during and after WWI, and rugby union was abandoned in Queensland after 1919.

The competition was restored in 1929 and the original trophy, the magnificent Hospital Cup became the premiership trophy again. It is now awarded to the winner of the Premier Rugby grand final.[2]

Teams in Queensland Premier Rugby
Est. Club Location Home Ground Nickname Admitted to Premier Grade
1996 [3] . Bond University Gold Coast (Varsity Lakes) Bond University Field Breakers 1997
1905 [4] . Brothers North-East Suburbs (Albion) Jack Ross Oval Butcher Bhoys, The Brethren, The Filth 1905
1947 [5] . Eastern Districts Eastern Suburbs (Coorparoo) David Wilson Field Tigers, Easts 1950
1887 [6] . GPS Old Boys Inner West (Ashgrove) Ashgrove Sports Ground Jeeps 1931
1931 [7] . North Brisbane North Brisbane (Wooloowin) Hugh Courtney Oval Eagles, Norths 1991 (1933 — Eagle Jctn, 1961 — Teachers, 1974 — Teachers-Norths)
1911 [8] . University of Queensland Inner West (St Lucia) University Field 5A Red Heavies 1912
1948 [9] . Southern Districts Southern Brisbane (Annerley) R.A. "Chipsy" Wood Oval Magpies, Souths 1948
1969 [10] . Sunnybank Sunnybank and Logan Oldmac Oval, Macgregor Dragons 1989
1951 [11] . West Brisbane Inner West (Toowong) Sedgman Oval Bulldogs, Wests 1955

ACTRU Premier Division

Main article: ACTRU Premier Division

The ACTRU Premier Division is the top rugby club competition in Canberra. It is conducted by the region's governing body, the ACT and Southern NSW Rugby Union.

The competition was first held in 1938. There are currently, as of 2013, seven ACT clubs that compete in the top division. The trophy awarded to the winner of the grand final is the John I Dent Cup, named after the benefactor who donated it to the union. All of the finals are played at Viking Park.

Teams that compete for the John I Dent Cup
Est. Club Location Home Ground Nickname Admitted to Premier Grade
1949 [12] . Canberra Royals Woden Valley Phillip Oval Blue Baggers 1949
1938 [13] . Easts South Canberra Griffith Oval Beasties 1938
1967 [14] . Gungahlin Eagles Gungahlin Nicholls Oval Eagles 1967
1954 [15] . Queanbeyan Whites Queanbeyan Campese Field Whites 1955
1973 [16] . Tuggeranong Vikings Tuggeranong Viking Park Vikings 1973
1988 [17] . Uni-Norths Owls North Canberra ANU North Oval Owls 1988 (1938 – University, Norths)
1962 [18] . Wests Lions Belconnen Jamison Oval Lions 1962

Newcastle and Hunter Rugby Union Premiership

Main article: NHRU

The Newcastle and Hunter Rugby Union is based around the NSW city of Newcastle, located ~160 km north of Sydney.

The earliest report of a football match in Newcastle was in 1860, when 'a lover of the old English games has offered one of Mrs. O’Hagan’s most fashionable bonnets as a prize to the fortunate party who shall give the winning (final) kick in a game of foot-ball, to be played on the new cricket ground, near St. John's Church'. A precursor to the formation of a local union, the Raysmith Challenge Cup was commenced in 1887 and was contested by Newcastle, Waratah, Advance, Orientals, Union, Ferndale, West Maitland, Raymond Terrace, East Maitland Imperial, Singleton and East Maitland clubs.

In 1888 the Northern Branch of the NSW Rugby Football Union was established, later renamed the Newcastle Rugby Union. The competition was suspended during World War 1, reforming in 1925.  The 1925 competition comprised Cook's Hill Old Boys, Newcastle High School Old Boys, Great Public Schools' Old Boys (later Wanderers), Lysaght's Limited, Northern Suburbs and Mayfield. The NHRU currently sponsors Premier Rugby, Divisional Men’s, Social Men’s, Women’s, Juniors and Schools competitions.  The 2019 Premier Rugby competition was contested by 9 clubs across 3 men’s grades.

Premier Rugby Clubs in the NHRU (2019)

Club Location Home ground Nickname Founded (Seniors)
Hamilton City West Passmore Oval, Wickham Hawks 1968
Lake Macquarie North Lake Macquarie Walters Park, Speers Point Roos 1929 (as Boolaroo)
Maitland Lower Hunter Valley Marcellin Park, Lorn Blacks 1872 (as Albion Football Club)
Merewether Carlton City Beaches Townson Oval, Merewether Greens 1930 (as Cooks Hill Carlton 1887)
Nelson Bay Port Stephens Bill Strong Oval, Nelson Bay Gropers 1983
Singleton Upper Hunter Valley Rugby Park, Singleton Bulls 1967
Southern Beaches Lake Macquarie Beaches Ernie Calland Oval, Gateshead Beaches 1997
University University of Newcastle Bernie Curran Oval, University Students 1955
Wanderers City East No 2 Sportsground, Cooks Hill Two Blues 1924 (as GPS Old Boys)

RugbyWA Premier Grade

See also: RugbyWA

The Premier Grade is contested by 13 teams from the Greater Perth Area.

The teams currently in the RugbyWA Premier Grade are:

Victorian Premier Division

See also: Dewar Shield

The Dewar Shield is contested by 9 teams from the Greater Melbourne Area.

Club Location Home ground Nickname Founded First season
Box Hill Box Hill RHL Sparks Reserve Broncos 1958 1966
Endeavour Hills Endeavour Hills Frog Hollow Reserve Eagles 1979 2007
Footscray Footscray Henry Turner Memorial Reserve Bulldogs 1928
Harlequin Ashwood Ashwood Reserve Quins 1928 1930
Melbourne Armadale Romanis Reserve, Orrong Park Unicorns 1909 1929
Melbourne University Parkville Royal Park Students 1909 1910
Moorabbin Moorabbin Keys Rd Reserve Rams 1965
Power House Albert Park Albert Park The Society 1933 1936

South Australian Premier Grade

See also: Rugby Union South Australia

Tasmanian Division One

See also: Tasmanian Rugby Union

The teams currently in the Tasmanian Division One are:

Darwin First Grade

See also: Northern Territory Rugby Union

The First Grade competition is contested by 5 teams from the Darwin area.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Tooheys New Shute Shield". New South Wales Rugby Union. Archived from the original on 8 April 2009. Retrieved 30 September 2009.
  2. ^ "The Hospital Cup". QRU. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  3. ^ "Gold Coast Breakers RUFC". Aussie Sports Info. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  4. ^ "History". Brothers Rugby Club. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  5. ^ "History". Easts Rugby Brisbane. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  6. ^ "A brief history of the Gallopers". GPS Rugby. Archived from the original on 29 April 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  7. ^ "Norths-QUT Club History". Archived from the original on 16 April 2003. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  8. ^ "History". UQRFC. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  9. ^ "History". Souths Rugby. Archived from the original on 24 May 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  10. ^ "Sunnybank Dragons RUFC". Aussie Sports Info. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  11. ^ "History – Our Journey". Wests Bulldogs Rugby. Archived from the original on 15 May 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  12. ^ "History". Canberra Royals RUFC. Archived from the original on 10 April 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  13. ^ "History". Eastern Suburbs RUFC ACT. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  14. ^ "About Us". Gungahlin Eagles RUFC. Archived from the original on 2 May 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  15. ^ "Queanbeyan Whites RUFC". Aussie Sports Info. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  16. ^ "History". Tuggeranong Vikings Rugby Union. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  17. ^ "Uni-Norths Owls RUFC". Aussie Sports Info. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  18. ^ "Club History". Western District RUFC ACT. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
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