Rugby has been played in the Illawarra Region as early as the 1880’s, with teams from Goulburn, Moss Vale, Nowra, Gerringong, Kiama and Wollongong competing.
At some time during the 1880’s, so the story goes, a team from HMS Buccaneer played against a team drawn from the locals, and were so impressed with the standard, that the ship’s company presented a cup for local competition.. The “Buccaneer Cup” is still competed for today by the Union’s First Grade Teams.
With the advent of the professional code in the early 1900’s, the Rugby competition was dissolved. However, the game was revived within the District in 1949-50 and played on a home and away basis against the team having the ”bye” in the Sydney Third Grade Competition. In 1952 this bye was eliminated leaving Illawarra again with no competitive Rugby. This situation was quickly resolved by the formation of a District competition with teams from Wollongong, Lysaghts, A.I.S and the Naval Air Station at Nowra taking part. This occurred in 1953 when Lysaghts defeated Wollongong by 19 points to 8 in the final.
Gradually the competition built up with teams being formed from Kiama in 1956, Vikings 1958, University (1962) amalgamated with Wollongong Teachers College in1981, Weerona (made up mainly from BHP trainees) in 1962, Tech (1963) later joined up with Waratahs who formed in 1972, Shoalhaven (1967)Woonona Shamrocks (1970), Campbelltown (!971), Bowral 1972, Camden (1975). Several other new clubs have affiliated in recent years such as Avondale, Engadine, Wollondilly, Vincentia, and Bundanoon.
Regrettably we have also lost some Clubs along the way, as they come and go. Amongst them are Aurora, Berrima, CYO, Combined Banks, Corrimal Surf, Crookwell, Dapto, Goulburn, Goulburn CAE, HMAS Albatross, HMAS Creswell, Lysaghts, North Wollongong Surf, Port Kembla, Port Kembla Surf, Steelworks (AIS), TIGS Old Boys, Warilla Trojans, Windang and Wollongong Surf.
In the early part of this century Illawarra made its first serious foray into the strong Sydney Competition. Unfortunately this attempt failed after a couple of seasons mainly due to the number of quality players which we had produced having already left to join up with Sydney clubs. Undoubtedly we shall make further attempts in the future hopefully with greater success.
Over a period of more than 55 years, the growth in Rugby Union in the District has increased to the stage that some thirty odd teams compete in three senior grades. More than 50 junior teams compete in various age levels from under 8 through to under 18. The Illawarra also has fielded Women’s teams from time to time, all of this results in an enormous player base of upwards of two thousand.
Over this period of time, Illawarra has produced many fine players. In fact, it is able to boast a team from the district which would include a large number of Wallaby and Waratah players. These could make up a team playing in their usual positions which any country could be proud of. Just imagine a team made up of;
Dick Cocks Peter Palmer Jim Miller
Tom Atherton Mark Giacherri
Peter Sullivan John Lambie Peter Lucas
Gary Grey
Steve Streeter Geoff Shaw(c) Craig Wells James Grant
Brian Weir
Backed up with a Reserves bench of : Dan Palmer, Scott Fava, Barry Stumbles, Peter Rowles, Jim Hindmarsh, Andrew Walker, Paul Copeland amongst many others.
Such is the strength of the Illawarra District Rugby Union Inc.
