Sydney University Football Club

The Sydney University Football Club, founded in 1863, is the oldest club now playing rugby union in Australia,[2] although this date is disputed by historian Tom Hickie who argues that it was 1865.[3]

For the association football club, see Sydney Uni SFC. For the Australian rules football club, see Sydney University Australian National Football Club. For the rugby league football club, see Sydney University RLFC.

Sydney University Football Club
Full nameSydney University Football Club
Nickname(s)The Students, Varsity
Founded1863 (1863)
LocationCamperdown, New South Wales, Australia
Ground(s)Sydney University Football Ground (No.2 Oval),[1] Sydney University (Capacity: 1,200)
Captain(s)Jack McCalman (1st Grade), Sherienne Koh (Women)
League(s)Shute Shield, NSWSRU
2022Jack Scott Cup Minor Premiers, Colin Caird Shield Premiers, W McMahon Memorial Shield Premiers, Bill Simpson Premiers
Team kit
Official website
www.sydneyunirugby.com.au

Sydney Uni was a member of the inaugural Sydney club competition in 1874, along with the Balmain Rugby Union Football Club, Newington College and The King's School. The club currently competes in the Shute Shield competition and has the most senior premiership titles of all Sydney clubs.

After playing home games at the Sydney University Oval No.1 for 153 years, the club moved to the redeveloped Oval No.2 for the 2016 season. Sydney Uni Sport completed the building of a new training facility and grandstand at that ground accommodating 1,200 spectators.[1]

Club information
  • Women's Rugby: Founded in 1994.
  • Juniors: Founded in 2005 and comprises Balmain Junior Rugby Club, Canterbury Rugby and Petersham Juniors Rugby Club. These clubs include girls and boys teams.

History

The club is officially known as "Sydney University Football Club" because it was the first club of any football code in NSW. The club also played Australian rules football in its early history, making it the first NSW club in that code as well.[4]

The club is often referred to as "Uni", “The Students" as well as "The Birthplace of Australian Rugby" or simply "The Birthplace".

Honours
Rugby at Sydney Uni 1934.

Premiership Titles since 1900 (the Shute Shield started in 1923): (33) 1901 (shared), 1904, 1919, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1937, 1939, 1945, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1961, 1962, 1968, 1970, 1972, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2018, 2019, 2022

The Club has won 29 Shute Shield Major Premierships and has been runners-up 12 times. The Club has won 50 Premierships and has been runners-up 24 times since 1865.

Australian Club Champions: (5) 2007, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2020, 2022 (not contested), 2023

Gregor George Cup Club Championships: (24) 1927, 1937, 1941, 1942, 1961, 1983, 1999, 2001, consecutively from 2004 to 2019 and 2022

Jack Scott Cup: The Women's XVs team is notable in the Jack Scott Cup, winning 5 of the last 6 titles. In 2020, the Students picked up both Major and Minor Premierships after going through the regular season undefeated for the third year. The Women's team defeated Randwick 22–17 in the Grand Final.

*2021 SEASON CANCELLED In response to COVID-19 Sydney University was leading the competition without a loss when NSW Rugby Union (NSWRU) and its affiliate unions jointly made the tough decision to cancel all winter rugby competitions in the Sydney region (and Illawarra). Seven rounds were contested by the Shute Shield teams.

International representatives

To date, 131 Sydney University players have been selected to play for Australia.[5] The first Australian representative was Hyram Marks in 1899. The club's most famous Wallaby would probably be Nick Farr-Jones, who had a long representative career (including World Cup success as Captain in 1991). Our most recent Wallabies are Lachlan Swinton and Angus Bell who debut in November 2020 v New Zealand.

Wallabies Squad – 2022 Angus Bell, Folau Fainga'a, Bernard Foley, Jake Gordon, Matt Philip, Tom Robertson Will Skelton and Sam Talakai

Australia A Squad – 2022 Tom Robertson, Brad Wilkin

England Squad – 2022 Guy Porter

Fiji Squad – 2022 Ratu Rotuisolia

Junior Wallabies Train-on Squad Squad – 2023 Jamie Clark, Oskar Hicks, Clem Haloholo, Henry O'Donnell, Tom Morrisson,

Rugby World Cup Winners

Bob Egerton and Nick Farr-Jones (Captain) - 1991

Richard Harry - 1999

Women's Rugby

The Club has produced 13 Australian Female Representatives of which 11 are Wallaroos; our most recent debutant is Piper Duck (October 2022 v Scotland during the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand).

Wallaroos Squad – 2023 Faitala Moleka #, Grace Hamilton, Sera Naiqama, Bridie O'Gorman and Adiana Talakai

# Denotes Uncapped Wallaroo / Wallaby

Super Rugby players 2023
Will Caldwell playing for Sydney University

Super W players 2022
  • Grace Hamilton – Waratahs (Captain)
  • Iliseva Batibasaga – Waratahs
  • Emily Chancellor – Waratahs
  • Fi Jones – Waratahs
  • Sera Naiqama – Waratahs
  • Adiana Talakai – Waratahs
  • Bridie O'Gorman – Waratahs
  • Piper Duck – Waratahs
  • Brianna Hoy – Waratahs
  • Penelope Leiataua – Waratahs
  • Faliki Pohiva – Waratahs
  • Georgina Tuipulotu – Waratahs, at 17 years, 4 months and 13 days became the youngest player ever to represent the Waratahs, a record previously held by Kurtley Beale
  • Tiarah Minns – Melbourne Rebels
  • Jemima McCalman – Presidents XV
  • Isia Norman-Bell – Presidents XV
  • Claudia Nielsen- Presidents XV
  • Tylah Vailance – Presidents XV
 # Denotes Uncapped

See also

References
  1. "Sydney University No.2 Oval and Grandstand Update". Sydney University Football Club. 8 December 2015. Archived from the original on 19 August 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  2. Football in Australia – Australia's Culture Portal Archived 2009-05-15 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Hickie, Thomas V., A Sense of Union. The History of the Sydney University Football Club, 1998, ISBN 0949853623
  4. "Sydney University". Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2007.
  5. "FIzza's Facts & Stats, Round 17 2019". Sydneyunirugby.com.au.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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