As the NRL Grand Final approaches this Sunday 4 October, here鈥檚 some campus trivia:聽the 爆料王 once played first鈥慻rade rugby league, and, in聽1926,聽a team of students made it all the way to the premiership decider, finishing runners鈥憉p to South Sydney.
From campus to first grade
The Sydney University Rugby League Football Club (SURLFC) was founded in聽1920聽by law student聽Herbert Vere 鈥淒oc鈥 Evatt, who later became a High Court judge and President of the UN General Assembly. Rugby league itself was still young, having split from rugby union in聽1907鈥08聽over player payments. On campus, rugby union was the established powerhouse, with the , founded in 1863, still a dominant force today.
From day one, SURLFC stood apart: while other rugby league clubs paid players, our University fielded amateur sides made up entirely of students聽balancing lectures and labs with weekend matches.
Sydney University Rugby League Football Club founder Herbert Vere Evatt (left) in May 1945 discussing the text of the proposal with UK Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden. Photo: United Nations
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Link1926: into the decider
In聽1926, determination and team spirit took our student team all the way to the New South Wales Rugby Football League (the precursor to today's NRL) grand final at the聽Sydney Showground, where around聽20,000聽fans watched South Sydney edge out University聽11鈥5. It remains SURLFC鈥檚 best top鈥慺light finish.聽
A lasting contribution
SURLFC competed in first grade until聽1937, producing聽two Kangaroos聽鈥撀燫ay Morris聽and聽Jim Craig聽鈥 and聽12 NSW representatives聽along the way. While success was rare beyond 1926, their persistence 鈥 competing as unpaid students against professional clubs, carved out a unique place in Australian rugby league history as an amateur, student鈥憀ed side in a professional competition.
Though Sydney University (centre, light hooped jersey) didn't see much success, they still made their mark on the competition. Photo: SSR Almanac
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Sydney Uni Rugby League Football Club
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