Newcastle Rugby League

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The Newcastle Rugby League is a rugby league competition in Newcastle, Australia. It is one of the oldest rugby league competitions in Australia, founded in 1910. A Newcastle team competed in the inaugural New South Wales Rugby League premiership of 1908 but withdrew after the 1909 season to form the local competition.

The four original teams were Central Newcastle (Blue & White), Northern Suburbs (Light & Dark Blue vertical stripes), South Newcastle (Red & White) and Western Suburbs (Red & Green).[1] The season kicked off May 14th 1910 with South playing West and Central playing Northern Suburbs. South Newcastle finished the season on top of the ladder; the final was played in front of 2500 spectators at Hamilton League Ground, with Central overcoming South 13-4.

The 1911 season saw the previous minor premiers South slump to the bottom of the ladder. The final was played in front of 4000 spectators and saw North victorious over Central 10-2. 1911 saw the Combined Newcastle & Hunter team Tour Queensland,Defeating the Queensland State team in all Matches played. Newcastle played against the Touring New Zealand team in a tight Match almost pulling off an upset before going down 21-20.

The 1912 season saw the addition of Eastern Suburbs, playing in Black and White. They were immediately competitive and made the grand final.

The First World War saw a halt to the competition for 1917 and 1918.

1919 saw a split, with two smaller competitions held - the "Lilywhites" or clubs faithful to the NSWRL, composed of Eastern Suburbs and Norther Suburbs, and the "Bolsheviks" or rebels composed of South, North and West.

1920 saw the competition reunited and expanded to six teams as Kurri Kurri competed for the first time.

[edit] Clubs

  • Central Charlestown

Nickname: Butcher Boys

Homeground: St John Oval, Charlestown

  • Cessnock

Nickname: Goannas

Homeground: Cessnock Sportsground

  • Kurri Kurri Bulldogs (formed c. 1912, entered league 1920)

Nickname: Bulldogs

Homeground: Kurri Sportsground

Nickname: Seagulls

Homeground: Cahill Oval, Belmont

  • Macquarie United

Nickname: Scorpions

Homeground: Lyle Peacock Field, Toronto

  • Maitland

Nickname: Pumpkin Pickers

Homeground: Maitland Showground

  • [2] Nelson Bay

Nickname: Blues (mascot is a Marlin)

Homeground: Tomaree Sporting Complex, Nelson Bay

  • Raymond Terrace

Nickname: Magpies

Homeground: Lakeside Oval, Raymond Terrace

  • South Newcastle

Nickname: Lions

Homeground: Townson Oval, Merewether

Nickname: Rosellas or The Maggots

Homeground: Harker Oval, New Lambton

  • Wyong

Nickname: Kangaroos

Homeground: Morrie Breen Oval, Wyong

Former Clubs

  • Eastern Suburbs (entered in 1912; disbanded in 1942)

Nickname: Unknown

Homegrounds: mainly Newcastle Sportsground (but also Wickham Oval & Lynn Oval, Stockton)

  • Morpeth-East Maitland (merged with Maitland United in 1942 to form the Pumpkin Pickers)
  • Northern Suburbs (merged with 'Nelson Bay' in 1988)

Nickname: Blues

Homeground: Passmore Oval, Wickham

  • Waratah-Mayfield; still playing in junior competitions

Nickname: Cheetahs

Homeground: Waratah Oval, Waratah

[edit] Premiers

Past winners of the Newcastle RL Premiership

Season Grand Final Information Minor Premiers
Premiers Score Runners-Up
1910 Central Newcastle 13-4 South Newcastle South Newcastle
1911 Northern Suburbs 10-2 Central Newcastle Northern Suburbs
1912 Western Suburbs 10-7 Eastern Suburbs Western Suburbs
1913 Eastern Suburbs 18-0 Western Suburbs Eastern Suburbs
1914 Northern Suburbs 5-2 Central Newcastle Northern Suburbs
1915 Western Suburbs 16-8 Northern Suburbs Western Suburbs
1916 Western Suburbs 10-8 Northern Suburbs Northern Suburbs
1917 no competition
1918 no competition
1919 South Newcastle
1920 Northern Suburbs South Newcastle
1921 Central Newcastle Western Suburbs
1922 Western Suburbs Central Newcastle
1923 Eastern Suburbs Northern Suburbs
1924 Eastern Suburbs Northern Suburbs
1925 Northern Suburbs Eastern Suburbs
1926 Northern Suburbs South Newcastle
1927 South Newcastle Northern Suburbs
1928 Central Newcastle Northern Suburbs
1929 Northern Suburbs Waratah-Mayfield
1930 Central Newcastle South Newcastle
1931 Kurri Kurri Northern Suburbs
1932 Eastern Suburbs Cessnock
1933 Maitland United Waratah-Mayfield
1934 Maitland United Waratah-Mayfield
1935 Northern Suburbs Central Newcastle
1936 Waratah-Mayfield Cessnock
1937 Central Newcastle Cessnock
1938 Northern Suburbs Waratah-Mayfield
1939 Central Newcastle Western Suburbs
1940 Kurri Kurri Cessnock
1941 Cessnock South Newcastle
1942 Waratah-Mayfield South Newcastle
1943 South Newcastle Waratah-Mayfield
1944 Waratah-Mayfield Western Suburbs
1945 Kurri Kurri South Newcastle
1946 South Newcastle Western Suburbs
1947 Lakes United Northern Suburbs
1948 Northern Suburbs Kurri Kurri
1949 Central Newcastle Kurri Kurri
1950 Cessnock Central Newcastle
1951 Northern Suburbs Maitland
1952 Waratah-Mayfield Lakes United
1953 Northern Suburbs Cessnock
1954 Cessnock Maitland
1955 Cessnock Maitland
1956 Maitland Cessnock Maitland
1957 Maitland Kurri Kurri Maitland
1958 Maitland Cessnock Maitland
1959 Northern Suburbs Maitland Northern Suburbs
1960 Cessnock Maitland Cessnock
1961 Western Suburbs Waratah-Mayfield Western Suburbs
1962 Northern Suburbs South Newcastle Northern Suburbs
1963 South Newcastle Central Newcastle
1964 South Newcastle Western Suburbs
1965 Maitland South Newcastle
1966 Western Suburbs Cessnock
1967 Northern Suburbs Western Suburbs
1968 South Newcastle Lakes United
1969 Maitland Lakes United Maitland
1970 Western Suburbs Maitland Maitland
1971 Maitland Lakes United Maitland
1972 Cessnock Maitland Maitland
1973 Maitland Western Suburbs Western Suburbs
1974 Lakes United Western Suburbs Western Suburbs
1975 Lakes United Western Suburbs Maitland
1976 South Newcastle Western Suburbs Lakes United
1977 Cessnock Maitland Cessnock
1978 Western Suburbs South Newcastle Western Suburbs
1979 North Newcastle Cessnock North Newcastle
1980 Western Suburbs Cessnock Kurri Kurri
1981 Western Suburbs Cessnock Western Suburbs
1982 Western Suburbs Kurri Kurri Western Suburbs
1983 Maitland Cessnock Maitland
1984 Western Suburbs Lakes United Lakes United
1985 Lakes United Cessnock Cessnock
1986 Lakes United South Newcastle Lakes United
1987 Lakes United South Newcastle South Newcastle
1988 South Newcastle 29-18 Lakes United South Newcastle
1989 South Newcastle 20-12 Western Suburbs South Newcastle
1990 Waratah-Mayfield 17-14 Lakes United Lakes United
1991 Toronto Workers {now 'Macquarie Scorpions'} 21-10 Western Suburbs South Newcastle
1992 Western Suburbs 33-0 Lakes United Western Suburbs
1993 Kurri Kurri 20-18 Western Suburbs Western Suburbs
1994 Kurri Kurri 20-16 Toronto Workers {now 'Macquarie Scorpions'} Western Suburbs
1995 Kurri Kurri 24-4 Western Suburbs Western Suburbs
1996 Lakes United 16-6 Western Suburbs Western Suburbs
1997 Western Suburbs Lakes United Lakes United
1998 Western Suburbs South Newcastle Western Suburbs
1999 Western Suburbs Cessnock
2000 Waratah-Mayfield 20-14 Lakes United Waratah-Mayfield
2001 Lakes United Western Suburbs
2002 Western Suburbs Lakes United
2003 Cessnock Raymond Terrace
2004 Western Suburbs Northern Blues {now 'Nelson Bay'}
2005 Northern Blues {now 'Nelson Bay'} Western Suburbs
2006 Lakes United Nelson Bay Lakes United
2007 Lakes United 32-12 Wyong Lakes United

[edit] References

  • Power, Bob (1992). The Rebels of Rugby: The Story of Newcastle Rugby League Pioneers "The Bolsheviks vs. The Lilywhites" 1907-1920. Newcastle, New South Wales: self. ISBN. 
  • Pat'Nimmo'Walsh Family archive Newspaper Match Reports.