Illawarra Rugby League

Illawarra Division Rugby League
Sport	Rugby league football
Instituted	1911
Inaugural season	1911
Number of teams	7
Premiers	Helensburgh (2015)
Website	Illawarra Carlton League

The Illawarra Rugby League is a rugby league competition in Wollongong, NSW. It is one of the oldest rugby league competitions in Australia, founded in 1911 with five clubs (Dapto, Helensburgh, Mount Keira, Unanderra and Wollongong).[1]. Due to sponsorship rights, the Senior competition (First Grade, Second Grade and Under 18s) is named the Illawarra Coal Rugby League. The Under 13 to Under 16 competitions are merged with the South Coast Group 7 Junior Rugby League, with the Under 6 to Under 12 competitions being run solely by the Illawarra Division. The area provides a nursery of juniors for the St George Illawarra Dragons. The season is contested by nine teams and concludes with a finals series involving the top four teams.

History

Only the Northern parts of the Illawarra have traditionally been included in this competition, with teams further south playing in Group 7. However, Shellharbour's decision in 2009 to field a team in the NSW Cup was coupled with a decision to play in the Illawarra Rugby League as well, blurring the boundary between the two competitions. Other Group 7 clubs are fielding teams in the lower leagues of Illawarra competitions and there's a possibility the two competitions may merge.

The Illawarra Division is one of the strongest, along with Newcastle, local competition in New South Wales. The league features many former and current NRL players and also Toyota Cup players. The Illawarra Division Senior representative team are two-time National Country champions and have won the Country Rugby League championships consistently. The Division also supplies players to the NSWRL Harold Matthews and SG Ball Cup competitions.

2011: The Centenary

On 21 July 2011, whilst celebrating their centenary, Illawarra Rugby League announced their "Team of the Century". Immortals Graeme Langlands and Bob Fulton featured at fullback and five-eighth respectively, as well as Harry Wells at centre. The entire team follows:

Teams

Firsts and Reserves

In 2013, Eight clubs fielded teams in the First and Second Grade:

Berkeley Eagles Berkeley, NSW Ground: Berkeley Sports Ground First season: 1955	Collegians North Wollongong, NSW Ground: University Oval First season: 1933	Corrimal Cougars Corrimal, NSW Ground: Robert Ziems Park First season: 1912	Dapto Canaries Dapto, NSW Ground: Dapto Showground First season: 1911
Helensburgh Tigers Helensburgh, NSW Ground: Rex Jackson Oval First season: 1911		Thirroul Butchers Thirroul, NSW Ground: Thomas Gibson Oval First season: 1913	Western Suburbs Red Devils Unanderra, NSW Ground: Sid Parrish Park First season:1949

Former clubs

• Mount Keira Tri Colours^
• Port Kembla Blacks
• Unanderra^
• Wollongong (Glebe, Buccaneers, Lighthouse Keepers, Bulls)
• University of Wollongong Titans(Books)
• West Wollongong

^merged to form Western Suburbs Red Devils(1949)

First Grade Premiers

Season	Grand Final Information			Minor Premiers
	Premiers	Score	Runners-Up
1911	Wollongong	5-5	Mt. Keira	Wollongong
1912	Unanderra
1913	Wollongong	10-5	Mt. Keira	Wollongong
1914	Unanderra	5-3	Wollongong
1915–1918 - No competition due to World War I
1919	Unanderra	8-5	Wollongong
1920	Wollongong			Wollongong
1921	Wollongong
1922	Port Kembla	5-3	Wollongong
1923	Port Kembla	3-0	Wollongong
1924	Port Kembla	22-13	Wollongong(Glebe)
1925	Gerringong
1926	Wollongong(Glebe)
1927	Port Kembla	2-0	Wollongong(Glebe)
1928	Port Kembla			Port Kembla
1929	Wollongong	Forfeit	Port Kembla
1930	Wollongong	13-6	Port Kembla
1931	Wollongong	31-14	Thirroul
1932	Wollongong
1933
1934	Port Kembla	8-6	West Wollongong	West Wollongong
1935	Port Kembla
1936	Mount Kembla
1937	Port Kembla
1938	Port Kembla
1939	Mount Kembla	8-2	Corrimal	Corrimal
1940	Thirroul	4-3	Corrimal	Thirroul
1941	Port Kembla	24-7	Corrimal
1942	Port Kembla	17-9	Collegians(CBC)	Port Kembla
1943	Port Kembla
1944	Port Kembla	10-8	Thirroul
1945	Wollongong	5-2	Port Kembla
1946	Port Kembla
1947	Wollongong
1948	Corrimal	22-7	Port Kembla
1949	Port Kembla	20-9	Wollongong	Wollongong
1950	Wollongong			Port Kembla
1951	Wollongong	15-11	Corrimal	Corrimal
1952	. Northern Suburbs
1953	Port Kembla	10-7	. Northern Suburbs	Port Kembla
1954	Thirroul	20-7	Port Kembla	Thirroul
1955	Port Kembla			Port Kembla
1956	Port Kembla
1957	Wests	22-6	Wollongong
1958	Port Kembla	10-8	Wests
1959	Wests	12-6	. Northern Suburbs
1960	. Northern Suburbs
1961	. Northern Suburbs	10-2	Wollongong
1962	Port Kembla
1963	Port Kembla
1964	Wollongong			Wollongong
1965	Port Kembla	6-4	Wollongong	Collegians
1966	Dapto	13-6	Collegians	Collegians
1967	Collegians	12-4	Port Kembla	Collegians
1968	Dapto
1969	Wests	11-2	Port Kembla	Port Kembla
1970	Wests		Dapto	Thirroul
1971	Wests	18-11	Thirroul
1972	Wests	23-9	Thirroul
1973	Thirroul	8-6	Wests
1974	Corrimal	22-8	Wollongong
1975	Dapto	15-2	Thirroul
1976	Dapto	22-6	Corrimal
1977	Dapto	18-5	Port Kembla	Wests
1978	Wests	17-13	Port Kembla	Wests
1979	Dapto		Wests
1980	Wests	6-0	Port Kembla
1981	Wests	22-0	Corrimal
1982	Dapto	15-12	Corrimal	Corrimal
1983	Dapto	23-10	Wests	Wests
1984	Wests
1985	Dapto	40-4	Collegians
1986	Helensburgh
1987	Collegians
1988	Helensburgh
1989	Wests	13-12	Corrimal	Corrimal
1990	Dapto	28-2	Collegians
1991	Wests	14-12	Dapto	Wests
1992	Dapto		Wollongong University Books
1993	Helensburgh	22-8	Wests	Helensburgh
1994	Dapto
1995	Thirroul	23-22	Wests	Thirroul
1996	Collegians	11-2	Thirroul	Collegians
1997	Collegians		Dapto
1998	Collegians
1999	Thirroul	40-12	Collegians
2000	Dapto	30-14	Thirroul
2001	Dapto	18-12	Thirroul	Collegians
2002	Dapto	20-16	Collegians	Collegians
2003	Thirroul			Thirroul
2004	Collegians
2005	Collegians	16-14	Wests
2006	Dapto	34-14	Thirroul	Dapto
2007	Collegians	20-18	Dapto
2008	Thirroul	16-12	Collegians	Thirroul
2009	Wests	14-4	Thirroul	Wests
2010	Wests	24-0	Thirroul	Wests
2011	Wests	34-24	Helensburgh	Wests
2012	Thirroul	20-16	Wests	Wests
2013	Collegians	29-28	Helensburgh	Collegians
2014	Thirroul	18-16	Helensburgh	Thirroul
2015	Helensburgh	16-10	Wests	Helensburgh

Thirds(Shield)

The Illawarra District Rugby League runs a "Third Grade" competition known as the Illawarra Coal Shield - featuring Predominately Second Division(Village Clubs)mixed with Third Grade teams from the Illawarra:

Recent Shield Premiers

• 2015 - . Northern Suburbs
• 2014 - Corrimal Cougars
• 2013 - Corrimal Cougars
• 2012 - Corrimal Cougars
• 2011 - Helensburgh
• 2010 - Port Kembla Blacks
• 2009 - University Titans
• 2008 - Windang Sharks
• 2007 -
• 2006 -
• 2005 - Mt Kembla
• 2004 - Berkeley Eagles
• 2003 -

Club	Status	Homeground
Avondale	Village	Reed Park, Dapto
Corrimal Cougars	Third Grade	Ziems Park, Corrimal
Mount Kembla	Village	Mt. Kembla Oval, Mount Kembla
. Northern Suburbs	Village	Jim Allen Oval, Wombarra
North Wollongong Surf	Village	University Oval, Wollongong
Windang	Village	Boronia Oval, Windang

See also

• Rugby league in New South Wales

External links

• First grade ladder - from Sporting Pulse site
• Illawarra RL on Country Rugby League's official site