Rugby League History

Newtown RLFC - 1908 Research for The Rugby Rebellion revealed some interesting new material in regard to the nicknames and colours of Sydney premiership clubs. The book did not offer the opportunity to discuss these findings, and they are shared here for the first time.

The full story of the origins of club colours and nicknames is still far from settled - but some new findings and theories can be added to what we already know.

Uncovering the 'truth' is an ongoing process - what follows will hopefully offer some possible sources that can be fully investigated by those that are inspired enough to seek out the answers.

It is important to remember that much of what follows hereunder is speculation - the purpose of this article is share what is known, and offer suggestions of what may be the truth, and what ought to be investigated further.

What is clear is that direct lineage to the social-based Sydney first grade rugby union clubs of the 1890s continue in the jersey colours of some NRL clubs (present and past) and Premier League clubs - namely Paddington (Sydney Roosters), and Pirates/Wallaroos (Wests Tigers, Balmain, North Sydney and Northern Eagles).

It can also be speculated that 'rabbitohs' and 'roosters' - both very unusual names for football clubs - may have very Australian origins.

Souths' combination of cardinal and myrtle (red and green) colours is a particularly unusual mix. Few other sporting teams in the world have combined these colours. It appears the source is the NSW state flower, Telopea speciosissima, which is better-known as the 'cardinal waratah' [have a look at NSW driver's licence if you can].

The colours appeared in the waratah badge on NSW rugby union jerseys from the late 1890s. The likely source though is the name of the club's suburban base - Redfern (formed in 1900, the Souths rugby union district club was originally called Redfern).

The origins of the name 'Redfern' are not entirely clear - some local history points to the name coming from Dr. Readfern (spelt with an 'a') who owned substantial property in the area in the mid-1800s. However, more likely, the first British inhabitants called the waratah, which was prolific in the area, a 'red fern'. In the 1890s the local rugby club played under the name 'Redfern Waratahs'. Articles in Sydney newspapers in the early 1900s make reference to the waratah in comments about the district's cricket and rugby union clubs.

There were no instances found of the club being linked to rabbits until 1913. The earliest published use of 'rabbitoh' remains uncertain (papers after 1913 were not examined in detail). This was surprising - especially as the name is claimed to have originated before the club was formed. Considering nicknames for other clubs were found [Bluebags, Shoremen, Tri-colours & Magpies] doubts remain over when 'Rabbitohs' came into use and its origins.

One possible theory of the 'rabbit' link points to the Australian rugby union team. The 1905 and '08 teams that toured overseas wore the red-and-green waratah colours on their hat-bands, and the latter team's jersey featured a large waratah badge in the same colours. The (1908) Wallabies actually left Sydney under the name of 'Rabbits' [postcards were printed in the UK using this name]. The team though found 'rabbits' derogatory (it was an introduced pest) and replaced it with 'wallabies'.

While it may not be true, it is not inconceivable that, in a typically humorous way for Australians, the discarded 1908 'rabbit' tag came to be associated with the red-and-green wearing South Sydney clubs (of both codes). The manager of the 1908 Wallabies was Souths RU official James McMahon. It doesn't take much for the word 'waratah' to be turned into 'rabbitoh' in an attempt to denigrate the club (as opposing fans are apt to do).

The 'Shoremen' was originally a name given to the black-jerseyed Pirates club in the 1890s. Some have suggested that when Norths rugby union club was founded in 1900, the Pirates were directly responsible for forming the club, and that they are, in effect, the same club. This is not correct. In early 1900 the Pirates held a meeting and disbanded.

Examination of the names of players and officials recorded at the founding meeting of Norths RU (held around the same time as Pirates demise) showed just as many came from the Wallaroos as the Pirates. Former Wallaroos included the powerful Arnold brothers (Richard and Monty) who effectively controlled Australian rugby. It is therefore no surprise that North Sydney adopted their red and black colours from the Wallaroos (who wore black, gold and red jerseys). The use of black also satisfied the ex-Pirates.

The 'Shoremen' name did transfer from the Pirates to Norths, but this is most likely due to both clubs having been based on the northern shore of the harbour, black still being in the jersey, and having to travel across by boat to play away matches.

It has been suggested that the source of Balmain's black and gold colours was the local junior club, or the black-wattle tree that was prolific in nearby Blackwattle Bay, or a shirt worn by champion rower Bill Beach.

When the Balmain district rugby union club was formed in 1900 there was no mention made of why the colours were chosen. The local district was made up of many junior clubs in 1899, and the one playing under the name 'Balmain' did not wear black and gold in the late 1890s (though a reproduced report in True Blue by Ian Heads suggests it may have in 1896).

The black-wattle tree Callicoma serratifolia is not a wattle (it was mistakenly identified in 1788 as a wattle), and its colours are dark brown (bark) and yellow/cream (flowers). Blackwattle Bay is also located in Glebe's (original) district, not Balmain's.

Claims that the colours came from a shirt worn by local sculler, Bill Beach, as he defended a world championship in London, are difficult to support. Beach grew up in Dapto (on the NSW south coast), and built a home for his wife and young family there in the early 1880s.

Beach's career did not extend beyond 1887, and apart from some races being held on the Parramatta River, he had no connection with the Balmain district. The biggest 'Balmain' race was in 1884 where he won the world championship - a card (see at right) depicting that win gives no hint of black and gold. It is difficult to believe a coloured shirt (that may have been) worn in London a few years later, could be more significant, and remain so until 1900.

Balmain adopted in 1900 a full black jersey, and added a 6-inch gold band across the chest. As with North Sydney, the colours chosen were two of the three that made up the most popular and influential Sydney rugby union club of the 1800s, the Wallaroos.

The Wallaroos were (unwillingly) forced to disband, and their players and officials took up positions in their new residential district clubs. The most likely source of Balmain's black-and-gold (and therefore, in part, Wests Tigers') is from the Wallaroos club. The predominant use of black though, suggests that the influence of ex-Pirates (all black jerseys) was also strong.

No references to 'Tigers' were found (it was adopted later), with 'watersiders' the most common nickname. 'Balmainiacs' was used against the club by their critics, particularly for the boisterous and sometimes wild support the locals gave their team.

The origins of the Newtown district's royal blue (adopted at the rugby union club's formation in 1900) is unknown. The local Newtown and Marrickville social-based rugby clubs of the late 1890s did not use the colour.

The first reference to 'Bluebags' was found in regard to the rugby league club in 1910. Nothing was found that could alter or confirm existing theories of its origins.

It is interesting to note that the NSW cricket team changed its colour from light/sky blue to royal blue in the summer of 1904-05. Traditions in NSW cricket had a strong influence on rugby (both codes). NSW cricketers have been known to call their cap a 'baggy blue', but whether this pre-dates the national use of 'baggy green' hasn't been confirmed. Because Newtown wore the same colour as the NSW cricket team, there may be a link to the 'bluebags' name from the cap.

Wests were the only rugby league club to discard their district colours (bottle green) when formed in 1908. The Ashfield rugby union club, aggrieved at the Burwood-dominated Wests first grade club, jumped at the opportunity offered by the new League to form the Wests rugby league club. As a result, Wests started playing rugby league in Ashfield's black-and-white colours. The origin of the colours though remains unknown. The use of 'magpies' as a team nickname was found in newspapers in 1913.

The Sydney Roosters red, white and blue jersey colours come directly from the Paddington rugby union club that played in the Sydney first grade competition during the 1890s.

At the formation of the Eastern Suburbs district rugby union club in 1900, it was resolved to buy jerseys in Paddington's colours, in the hoop-style of the British team that visited Australia in 1899. Why Paddington chose the three colours remains unknown, but an obvious possible source (given NSW was still a British colony) is the 'Union Jack'.

The 'Eastern Suburbs' name itself was used by athletic and cricket clubs in the 1880s, but had dropped out of all use by the end of the century (even as a description of that part of Sydney). It was revived in 1900 when the rugby union club was formed, and was taken up in 1908 by the rugby league club.

Easts rugby league club were referred to in the press as 'the Easterners', 'the stripes' or the 'tricolours'. The latter is interesting as many thought 'le tricolore' originated in the 1950s after Easts adopted a French rugby league inspired jersey design. It is also generally accepted that the association between Easts and the rooster ('le coq') symbol also began with this jersey design.

Some Easts fans have maintained that the rooster was part of the club's identity for decades earlier. The only explanation offered has been that the sun rises on the eastern side of the city, hence this is where the rooster crows first. Interestingly, Rugby League News in the 1930s was in the habit of showing a weather-vane (with rooster a-top) pointing eastward during Easts' successful premiership run in that decade.

Cumberland was formed when the Wests (Burwood) rugby union players decided at the last moment to join the League. Refusing to join Wests rugby league club, they were permitted to form their own (after a meeting held at Homebush). In a sense they were the only non-district club, and took on the colours of the Sydney University - blue and gold. Despite the inference their name suggests, Cumberland had nothing to do with Parramatta (who entered in 1947).

At the formation of the Glebe rugby union club in 1900, the district colour of maroon (deep red) was adopted. The Glebe community had many sporting teams at the turn of the century, and the district colour of maroon was already a well-established tradition. The 'reds' and 'dirty reds' was already an established team nickname in the press before the arrival of rugby league in 1908.

Newcastle adopted the red and white hooped jersey of the Newcastle Carlton rugby union club (established in the 1890s). Significant dissatisfaction with rugby union authorites existed in Newcastle over the treatment of Carlton's Pat Walsh in 1905. Many of his team mates joined rugby league with the Newcastle club in 1908. The club did not have a published nickname, and were not called 'the rebels' or anything similar.

In 1907, the St George district had a club in the Sydney rugby union competition. Interestingly, the team's area was referred to as the 'Illawarra suburbs'. A resolution to form a St George rugby league club was made at a local meeting held in early 1908, but the movement faltered and collapsed. St George, wearing the district colours of red and white, played in the NSWRL's Third Grade competition in 1910, and formed a President's Cup team in 1911. References were found at the time to district teams being called 'The Saints'.

Players from the Manly rugby union club attended meetings of the NSWRL in 1907. After the 1908 season it was announced that Manly would be forming a rugby league club in 1909. However, a week later news came that North Sydney's approval would have to be given. No subsequent reports were found.

At the start of 1914 the NSWRL put a proposal to Manly Council for first grade matches to be played on Manly Oval, as a prelude to a district club forming. However, (for a still unknown reason), the proposal did not proceed.

When Manly entered the premiership in 1947 the local Council refused the club use of Manly Oval, and the Sea Eagles based themselves at neighbouring Brookvale (in the Warringah Shire).

References:
The Sydney Sportsman
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Referee
Sean Fagan, The Rugby Rebellion
Ian Heads, True Blue
NSWRU / ARU archives
www.rowingaustralia.com.au