The Newcastle Rugby League, or the Real NRL as it is also known, 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] Current Clubs
Central Charlestown - (formerly Central Newcastle - moved to Charlestown in the early 1960s) [2]
- Nickname: Butcher Boys
- Home Ground: St John Oval, Charlestown (played at Passmore Oval, Wickham in 2008)
- Joined competition: 1910
- Premierships: 1910 1921 1928 1930 1937 1939 1949 (7)
Cessnock [3] - Nickname: Goannas
- Home Ground: Cessnock Sportsground
- Joined competition: 1930
- Premierships: 1941 1950 1954 1955 1960 1972 1977 2003 (8)
Kurri Kurri - Nickname: Bulldogs
- Home Ground: Kurri Sportsground
- Joined competition: 1920 (club formed in 1911)
- Premierships: 1931 1940 1945 1993 1994 1995 (6)
Lakes United - Nickname: Seagulls
- Home Ground: Cahill Oval, Belmont
- Joined competition: 1946
- Premierships: 1947 1974 1975 1985 1986 1987 1996 2001 2006 2007 (10)
Macquarie - (formerly Macquarie United and Toronto Workers)
- Nickname: Scorpions
- Home Ground: Lyle Peacock Field, Toronto
- Joined competition: 1960
- Premierships: 1991 (1)
Maitland - (originally Maitland United - merged with Morpeth-East Maitland in 1942)
- Nickname: Pickers (formerly Pumpkin Pickers)
- Homeground: Maitland Showground
- Years in competition: 1925-2003; 2005-2007; 2009-
- Premierships: 1933 1934 1956 1957 1958 1965 1969 1971 1973 1983 (10)
Northern - (also North-Nelson Bay Marlins, Northern Blues and Nelson Bay Blues - they returned to Northern Blues)
- Nickname: Blues (mascot is a Marlin)
- Home Ground: Tomaree Sporting Complex, Nelson Bay
- Joined competition: 1988 (as North-Nelson Bay)
- Premierships: 2005 (1)
South Newcastle [4] - Nickname: Lions
- Home Ground: Townson Oval, Merewether
- Joined competition: 1910
- Premierships: 1919 1927 1943 1946 1963 1964 1968 1976 1988 1989 (10)
Western Suburbs - Nickname: Rosellas or the Maggots
- Home Ground: Harker Oval, New Lambton
- Joined competition: 1910
- Premierships: 1912 1915 1916 1922 1961 1966 1970 1978 1980 1981 1982 1984 1992 1997 1998 1999 2002 2004 2008 (19)
- Wyong
- Nickname: Roos (mascot is a Kangaroo)
- Home Ground: Morrie Breen Oval, Wyong
- Joined competition: 2003
- Premierships: 2009
[edit] Former Clubs
Eastern Suburbs - Nickname: Unknown
- Home Ground: Newcastle Sportsground (also played at Wickham Oval & Lynn Oval, Stockton)
- Years in competition: 1912-1942
- Premierships: 1913 1923 1924 1932 (4)
Northern Suburbs - Nickname: Blues
- Homeground: Passmore Oval, Wickham
- Years in competition: 1910-1987 (re-located to Nelson Bay as North-Nelson Bay)
- Premierships: 1911 1914 1920 1925 1926 1929 1935 1938 1948 1951 1953 1959 1962 1967 1979 (15)
Waratah Mayfield - Nickname: Cheetahs
- Homeground: Waratah Oval, Waratah
- Years in competition: 1927-2001; 2003-2004
- Premierships: 1936 1942 1944 1952 1990 2000 (6)
Raymond Terrace - Nickname: Magpies
- Home Ground: Lakeside Oval, Raymond Terrace
- Years in competition: 2001-2008
- Premierships: nil
[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 | 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 | 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 | |
| 2005 | Northern Blues | | Western Suburbs | |
| 2006 | Lakes United | | Nelson Bay | Lakes United |
| 2007 | Lakes United | 32-12 | Wyong | Lakes United |
| 2008 | Western Suburbs | 12-10 | Cessnock | Western Suburbs |
| 2009 | Wyong | 36-4 | Cessnock | Cessnock |
[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.
- Ryan, Graham & Betty et al., Newcastle Knights 1988: Collectors Edition, Macquarie Publications, Dubbo, 1988.
- Pat 'Nimmo' Walsh Family archive Newspaper Match Reports.
