The Illawarra Rugby League is a
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 11 ...
competition in
Wollongong, NSW. It is one of the oldest rugby league competitions in Australia, founded in 1911 with five clubs (Dapto, Helensburgh, Mount Keira, Unanderra and Wollongong). The area provides a nursery of juniors for the
Illawarra Steelers
The Illawarra Steelers are an Australian rugby league football club based in the city of Wollongong, New South Wales. The club competed in Australia's top-level rugby league competition from 1982 until 1998. On the 13th of December 1980, they ...
and
St George Illawarra Dragons
The St. George Illawarra Dragons is an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing both the Illawarra and St George, Sydney, St George regions of New South Wales. The club has competed in the National Rugby League since NR ...
. The season is contested by seven teams and concludes with a finals series involving the top four teams.
History
Only the Northern parts of the
Illawarra
The Illawarra is a coastal region in the Australian state of New South Wales, nestled between the mountains and the sea. It is situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the South Coast region. It encompasses the two cities of Wollongo ...
have traditionally been included in this competition, with teams further south playing in
Group 7 Group 7 may refer to:
* G7, an international group of finance minister
*Group 7 element, chemical element classification
*Halogens (alternative name)
*Group 7 Rugby League, rugby league competition in New South Wales, Australia
*Group 7 (racing)
G ...
. However, Shellharbour's decision in 2009 to field a team in the
NSW Cup
The NSW Cup, currently known as the Knock-On Effect NSW Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a rugby league competition for clubs in New South Wales. The competition has a history dating back to the NSWRFL's origins in 1908, starting off as a reserv ...
was coupled with a decision to play in the Illawarra Rugby League as well, blurring the boundary between the two competitions. Other Group 7 clubs are fielding teams in the lower leagues of Illawarra competitions and there's a possibility the two competitions may merge.
The Illawarra Division is one of the strongest, along with Newcastle, local competition in New South Wales. The league features many former and current NRL players and also
National Youth Competition players. The Illawarra Division Senior representative team are two-time National Country champions and have won the Country Rugby League championships consistently. The Division also supplies players to the NSWRL Harold Matthews and SG Ball Cup competitions.
On 21 July 2011, whilst celebrating their centenary, Illawarra Rugby League announced their "Team of the Century".
Immortals
Graeme Langlands
Graeme Frank Langlands, MBE, (2 September 1941 – 20 January 2018), also known by the nickname of "Changa", was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. and coached in the 1970s.
He retire ...
and
Bob Fulton featured at fullback and five-eighth respectively, as well as
Harry Wells at centre. The entire team follows:
Teams
The following table lists the clubs and the teams fielded in the 2022 senior competitions: Mojo Homes Illawarra Cup - NSWRL President's Cup Southern Conference (PC), Division 1 (Div1), Division 2 (Div2), Under 18s (U18), Women's tackle (Wom), Ladies League Tag (LLT). The table also indicates whether the club has junior teams.
Notes:
Map
Former clubs
First Grade
Clubs with at least one season in 1st Grade
* Albion Park (1926–31 lower grades, 1934–37 1st Grade)
* Army (1942–43 1st & 2nd grade)
* Bombo (1925–27)
* Bulli (1926 1st grade, 1927–31 lower grades)
* Diggers (1919 2nd grade, 1920–21 1st grade)
*
Gerringong
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 , Gerringong had a population of 3,966. O ...
(1925–27)
*
Jamberoo
Jamberoo is a village on the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia in the Municipality of Kiama. It is approximately 11.3 km inland from Kiama. At the , Jamberoo had a population of 1,667. The town's name is derived from an Aboriginal ...
(1928–30)
*
Kiama
Kiama () is a coastal town 120 kilometres south of Sydney in the Illawarra. One of the main tourist attractions is the Kiama Blowhole. Kiama features several popular surfing beaches and caravan parks, and numerous alfresco cafes and restaurants ...
(1926 3rd grade, 1927–28 1st grade)
* Mount Keira (1912–13, 1920, 1924-28, 1932-39, 1945-48 (as Unanderra-Kiera) 1st grade; 1914 & 1919 2nd grades, 1922–23 lower grades, 1929–31 lower grades, 1940–44 lower grades) – Formally merged to form
Western Suburbs Red Devils
The Western Suburbs Red Devils (Wests Illawarra, Wests Wollongong, Wests Red Devils or simply Wests Devils) are an Australian rugby league football team based in Figtree. The club is a member of the Country Rugby League and compete in the Illa ...
in 1949
* Main Roads Board (1927)
*
![Southern Districts Colours](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Southern_Districts_Colours.svg)
North Wollongong (1931 1st grade, 1923–24 3rd grade)
* Scarborough (1938–40 1st grade, 1920–21 & 1941–46 lower grades)
* Services (1942–43 1st grade; a separate team from Army)
*
Shellharbour Sharks
The Shellharbour City Sharks are a Country Rugby League club founded in 1920 located on the South Coast of NSW that compete in the South Coast Group 7 competition.
Club Info History
Shellharbour City RLFC has a 113-year history, originally exis ...
(2009–13 1st grade; 1928, 1930 & 1944 lower grades)
* Unanderra (1912–14, 1919–21, 1923, 1926–30, 1945–48 (as Unanderra-Keira); 1922, 1924–25, 1932–33, 1944 lower grades) – Formally merged to form
Western Suburbs Red Devils
The Western Suburbs Red Devils (Wests Illawarra, Wests Wollongong, Wests Red Devils or simply Wests Devils) are an Australian rugby league football team based in Figtree. The club is a member of the Country Rugby League and compete in the Illa ...
in 1949
*
University of Wollongong
The University of Wollongong (abbreviated as UOW) is an Australian public research university located in the coastal city of Wollongong, New South Wales, approximately 80 kilometres south of Sydney. As of 2017, the university had an enrolment of ...
(Books 1988–2005 1st grade; Titans 2009 3rd grade, 2010–11 1st grade; 1975–76 Division 2). Also known as the Lighthouse Keepers.
*
Wentworthville Magpies
The Wentworthville Magpies, colloquially known as ''Wenty'', are a rugby league team based in the suburb of Wentworthville in Sydney's Western Suburbs. Founded in 1963 (or 1937), the club has competed in various Sydney district competitions an ...
(1975–77)
* West Wollongong (1921–24 lower grades, 1925–26 1st grade, 1927–28 lower grades, 1929–35 1st grade)
* Wollongong (1912; Buccaneers 1913–14, 1919–24; Glebe 1921–23 lower grades, 1924–28 1st grade; 1929–71 1st grade; Wolves 1972–88 1st grade; Bulls 1997 lower grades, 1998–2005 1st grade; Wollongong-University Bulls joint venture 2006–08 1st grade)
Lower Grades only
Clubs or teams that participated in two or more seasons are listed below. Participants in the Amateur Rugby League (1982–87) are included.
* Albion Park Outlaws (1991–97, 2010–13)
* Austinmeer (1997–99)
* Balgownie Tigers (1913–14, 1921–22, 1944–52, 1973–93)
* Baxters Goannas (1991–93)
* Bellambi (1997–2002)
* Bomaderry Swamp Rats (2016–18 Women)
* Bulli Hotel Colts (1989–95, 2005–09)
* Cabbage Tree Hotel (1994)
* Coniston (1931–33)
* Fairy Meadow Chargers (1972–90)
* Guinerys Goannas (1979–90)
* Harp Angels (1986-91; Harp Hares 2003)
* Illawarra All Blacks (1992–93)
* Imperial Hotel Knights (1991–94)
* Kiama Surf Bees (1988–92)
* Lakeview Bears (1989–95)
* Open Hearth Hotel (1975–78)
* North Wollongong Surf(1972–79, 2009–14)
* Ryans Hotel (1981–83 Roos, 1985–87 Colts)
* Shellharbour Barracudas (1996–97)
* South Pacific Lions (1981–82)
* Tech (1944–54 Under 18/19 & 16/17 teams)
* The Blues (Berkeley, 1997–99)
* Unanderra Falcons (1981–97)
* Welcome Inn (1995 Knights, 1996 Steamers)
First Grade Premiers
Tip: To view original newspaper articles on matches up to 1954, hover over the blue number in the Reports column and then click on the article name. That will open the article in
Trove
Trove is an Australian online library database owned by the National Library of Australia in which it holds partnerships with source providers National and State Libraries Australia, an aggregator and service which includes full text documen ...
.
Women's Opens Premiership
See also
*
Rugby League Competitions in Australia
Rugby may refer to:
Sport
* Rugby football in many forms:
** Rugby league: 13 players per side
*** Masters Rugby League
*** Mod league
*** Rugby league nines
*** Rugby league sevens
*** Touch (sport)
*** Wheelchair rugby league
** Rugby union: 1 ...
*
Rugby league in New South Wales
Rugby league, in New South Wales, is the most popular participation and spectator sport. It currently has the highest attendance and television audiences of the various codes of football in the state, far outstripping any other competitors. The ...
References
External links and Sources
First grade ladder– from Sporting Pulse site
Illawarra RLon Country Rugby League's official site
TroveDigitised Newspapers
* ''
Rugby League Week
''Rugby League Week'' (frequently abbreviated to RLW) was the highest selling Australian rugby league magazine, ahead of major competitor ''Big League''. It was published weekly (on Wednesdays) during the Australian rugby league season, which ru ...
'' a
State Library of NSW Research and Collections
{{Rugby League in Australia links
Sport in Wollongong
Rugby league competitions in New South Wales
Recurring sporting events established in 1911
1911 establishments in Australia
Sports leagues established in 1911