The National Rugby League's Charity Shield match is an annual pre-season game between the South Sydney Rabbitohs 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 regions of New South Wales. The club has competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 after a joint-ve ...

played before the start of the Premiership regular season. It has been regarded as the unofficial start to the National Rugby League (NRL) season and has been in operation since 1982, with the exception of 2000 and 2001 when Souths were omitted from the NRL. Originally contested between South Sydney and

St. George Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldier ...

, and later by the

when they formed a joint-venture with Illawarra in 1998 before the

1999 NRL season The 1999 NRL season was the 92nd season of professional rugby league football in Australia, and the second to be run by the National Rugby League. With the exclusion of the Adelaide Rams and Gold Coast Chargers, and the joint venture of the St. Ge ...

, the teams go head to head in an annual clash prior to the kickoff of the NRL season. Since its inception in 1982, the Charity Shield has been played on thirty eight occasions. Of these, the Dragons (St George and St George Illawarra) have won 16 times, while the Rabbitohs, South Sydney have triumphed outright on 17 occasions and retained the shield as the current holder in each of the 5 drawn matches. Broken down, St George played 17 matches, winning 11; while St George Illawarra, since their joint-venture in 1999, have played 21 matches, winning 5. The match has been broadcast on national television and in 2002 and 2021 was screened live in the UK. The Charity Shield is for Souths Cares,

Wollongong Hospital Wollongong Hospital is the major tertiary referral hospital located in the Wollongong Metropolitan area, New South Wales, Australia. It provides services to the entire Illawarra and Shoalhaven Region, encompassing population of approximately 35 ...

and St George Hospital.

Head To Head

Match results

Biggest wins

Most points scored in a game by a winning side

Most points scored in a game by a losing side

Most points scored in a game

Least points scored in a game

References

External links

Sydney competitions
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20060826032627/http://www.rabbitohs.com.au/fanzone/viewnewsarticle.asp?ArticleID=1370 Rabbitohs South Sydney Rabbitohs {{Special NRL fixtures St. George Illawarra Dragons matches South Sydney Rabbitohs matches Rugby league competitions in New South Wales Rugby league trophies and awards Rugby league rivalries National Rugby League Rugby league in Sydney Recurring sporting events established in 1982 1982 establishments in Australia St. George Dragons Sports rivalries in Australia