Mosman Rugby Club (known as The Mosman Whales) is an Australian

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

club. It is based is

Mosman Mosman is a suburb on the Lower North Shore region of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Mosman is located 8 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local governm ...

on the Lower North Shore of

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountains ...

. Home games are played at Rawson Oval and Balmoral Oval. Mosman won the first

Kentwell Cup 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 Kentwell Cup was origi ...

in 1923 and Mosman continues to compete in Division One of the

New South Wales Suburban Rugby Union The New South Wales Suburban Rugby Union, or NSWSRU, is affiliated to the New South Wales Rugby Union and runs the competition affectionately known as "Subbies" rugby. There are around 7500 players and 55 clubs competing across 6 divisions, makin ...

Early years

Mosman's first rugby team was formed in 1893 and played its first match wearing a variety of dark jumpers with single white stars stitched on the front. It did not become a club or compete in official competitions until the following year. The suburb's first rugby club was formed in 1894 as Mosman's Bay Junior Football Club and entered the Third Junior 'B' Division involving ten teams. The club's colours were officially listed as 'Navy with 4 inch Pink Band'. Mosman played its first match on 26 May 1894 against 'Union', a junior club from inner-Sydney, and finished its inaugural season in 7th place with four wins and five losses. One of Mosman's foundation players was Denis 'Dinny' Lutge who would become Mosman's only dual rugby international. After joining North Sydney in 1900 he played in Australia's inaugural Rugby Union test against New Zealand in August 1903 and three tests against the visiting Great Britain side in 1904. In 1908 Lutge joined the switch to Rugby League and played against New Zealand in Australia's first official Rugby League series. When the first Kangaroos were selected to visit Great Britain in 1908–09, he was elected tour captain by the players. Sydney's sub-districts rugby (now known as the

or ''Subbies'') gained its first major trophy in 1923, when W. H. Kentwell, then president of Mosman Rugby, presented the

. Eight teams competed in that first Kentwell Cup, with Mosman the winner. It remains the trophy of Subbies First Division. In 1924, Mosman's vice-president, James A. Burke, presented the Burke Cup for subdistricts second graders.Jack Pollard, Australian Rugby Union the Game and the Players, Angus & Robertson, 1984; p. 524.

Recent developments

Since its foundation Mosman has competed at a high level in many different competitions and grades but has always valued a balance between playing success and mateship and camaraderie off the field. In 1989 the Club embarked on its most ambitious project, the refurbishment of its home ground facilities at Rawson Park. This required a huge effort on the part of the Committee of the day - dealing with Local Council and State and Federal Governments of different political persuasions proved interesting. Four years and $500,000 later, and with the help of Mosman Council and Telecom, the doors to the Clubhouse were opened on 26 September 1992. In 2019, Mosman fielded seven grade teams and 3 Colts teams (Under 21s) in the NSW Suburban Rugby Union's 1st Division as well as 35 junior teams. Registrations in general represent over 200 grade players, 80 colts players and over 450 juniors drawn predominantly from the local area.

Premierships

* Division One Club Championships: 1927, 1954, 1996, 2018, 2019 * Cowboy Cup 2018, 2019, 2020 * Kentwell Cup (''1st Grade''): 1923, 1927, 1954, 2016, 2019 * Burke Cup (''2nd Grade''): 1924, 1953, 1996, 2009, 2015, 2018, 2020 * Whiddon Cup (''3rd Grade''): 2003, 2007 * Judd Cup (''4th Grade''): 2007, 2020 * Sutherland Cup (''5th Grade''): 1995, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 * Halligan Cup (''6th Grade''): 1999, 2009, 2011, 2012 * Barbour Cup (''Colts''): 2002, 2004, 2007, 2018, 2020 * Under 85 kg: 2007, 2009, 2012 * Non District Seconds (''1st Grade''): 1922 (Mosman's first premiership) * District Second Division (''1st Grade''): 1972, 1975, 1977 * District Second Division (''2nd Grade''): 1971, 1974, 1978 * District Second Division (''3rd Grade''): 1971, 1973, 1976, 1977 * District Second Division (''4th Grade''): 1972, 1973, 1976, 1977 * District Third Division (''1st Grade''): 1979 * District Third Division (''2nd Grade''): 1979

External links

Mosman Rugby Club

NSW Rugby Union

References

{{NSWSRU Rugby union teams in Sydney Rugby clubs established in 1893 1893 establishments in Australia Mosman, New South Wales