The 1884 Southern Rugby Union season was the 11th season of the Sydney Rugby Premiership. This was the second competition for the Gardiner Cup which was awarded to the winners of the premiership. The football season lasted from May till September 1884 with the main cup games held between June and August. The season culminated in the premiership, which was won by Burwood. Burwood were crowned premiers by a committee of the Union.
| 1884 Sydney Rugby Premiership | |
|---|---|
| Duration | 10 May to 7 September |
| Teams | 5 |
| Premiers |  Burwood (1st title) |
| Runners-up |  Sydney University |
| Wooden spoon |  Balmain (1st spoon) |
| Top point-scorer(s) | Harold Baylis (26) |
| Top try-scorer(s) | Charles Robberds (7) |
Teams edit
Five Senior Clubs competed for the Gardiner Challenge Cup. Senior Clubs competed against each other for the Cup and played other games against Junior or Country Clubs. Only the first teams from the Senior Clubs were eligible for the Cup.[1]
| Team | Icon | Formed | Ground | Captain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balmain | |
c.1873 | None | C Hawkins |
| Burwood | |
c.1876 | Burwood Park | Samuel Chapman |
| Redfern |  |
24 May 1878 | Redfern Ground | George Walker |
| Sydney University | |
c.1863 | University Ground | Charles Tange |
| Wallaroo |  |
19 May 1871 | Wallaroo Ground | George Graham |
Rule changes edit
The Sydney Rugby Premiership was still in its infancy in 1884 with many aspects of the championship undeveloped. It was the second year that the Gardiner Challenge Cup was to be given to the winner of the Premiership. As per the previous year, a committee was setup to organise the competition for the Cup. Their task was to arrange the contests and determine the conditions that the Cup would be awarded.[2] However, the matches were rather sporadic with games intermingled between those against Junior Clubs and Country Clubs. Supporters of the game questioned the arrangement of matches and suggested organising rounds with a concluding final.[3] The first games between Senior teams for the Cup were held on 21 June[4] despite many of the clubs having played games since early May against Junior teams.[5] The premiership was again decided by the committee at the conclusion of the season.[6]
Season summary edit
The Wallaroo Football Club began their Cup matches with a string of victories. It wasn't until they met Sydney University in a return match that the Wallaroos lost their first game. Unfortunately, they then lost against both Redfern and Burwood in close matches. Against the 'Varsity, Wallaroo had won one game and had lost the second. This was the same against Burwood. Across the entire season, the Club played 15 games, winning 11 of them. Eight of these games were against Senior Clubs with Wallaroo victorious in 5 of them.[5]
The Sydney University Football Club finished the Cup games strong, winning three out of the last four games. Over the season, the 'Varsity played 15 games and won 11. In the Cup matches, the Club played 8 games against the Senior Clubs, winning 5. The 'Varsity lost against Wallaroo and Burwood but were able to reverse the result against Wallaroo in a return match later in the season. A return match against the Burwood Club saw the game end in controversy when a try was awarded near the end of the game. The first umpire for the game declared no try as time had ended, while the second umpire indicated that time was still available.[7] The matter was passed on to the Union who declared the game as unfinished and therefore no result.[6]
The Burwood Football Club enjoyed a successful season. The team played 13 matches, winning 11 of them and losing only 1.[8] Against the Senior Clubs, Burwood played 7 games and won 5. Their only loss all season was against Wallaroo, whom they beat later in the year. After defeating University in their first matchup, their second match ended in controversy and was eventually declared "no result". This decision by the Union gave the Club the Premiership and the Gardiner Challenge Cup.[6] During their matches, Burwood only had 9 points scored against them, indicating their strength in defence.[8]
Ladder edit
1884 Gardiner Challenge Cup edit
| Team | Gardiner Challenge Cup | Complete Season | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | |||
| 1 | Burwood
|
7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 53 | 9 | +44 | 13 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 165 | 9 | +156 | |
| 2 | Sydney University
|
8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 85 | 13 | +72 | 15 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 206 | 26 | +180 | |
| 3 | Wallaroo
|
8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 50 | 45 | +5 | 15 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 171 | 81 | +90 | |
| 4 | Redfern
|
5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 51 | -39 | 11[9] | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 39 | 104 | -65 | |
| 5 | Balmain
|
6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 90 | -82 | 6[9] | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 90 | -82 | |
- It is unclear if a premiership ladder was constructed to show the success of the participating football clubs. The ladder shown above is calculated using the data collected from the results of the Challenge Cup games.
Lower grades edit
The Southern Rugby Football Union classified the participating clubs into two groups, Seniors and Juniors. Prior to 1883, all clubs were considered for the Premiership. With the introduction of the Gardiner Challenge Cup, only Senior clubs participated in the competition. The Junior clubs competed with each other, but no award was recognised for their achievements. Matches between Senior and Junior teams were common place, with results in those matches assisting in deciding the final Senior Premiership winner.
Representative games edit
New Zealand rugby tour edit
In 1884 the first team from New Zealand toured New South Wales and played a number of matches across the colony. The team was supported by the Canterbury Rugby Football Union, a provincial union who administered rugby in New Zealand until a national body was formed. Despite a New South Wales team having visited New Zealand in 1882, no games were played against a team representing the colony. This meant that the three games held in Sydney were the first time that a New Zealand Rugby team competed in football. In all, the team played eight games during the tour and were victorious in all of them scoring 167 points and conceding 17.[10]
Despite being known in modern times as the "All Blacks", the New Zealanders at the time wore dark blue jerseys with New South Wales playing in olive-green jerseys. The team that the visitors placed into the field was heavier than the local team. Much of the three matches saw play restricted to the NSW line with a number of attempts made by the New Zealanders at scoring. In three games between New South Wales and the visiting team, the New Zealand team scored 48 points to 2. One of the main draw cards for the matches was the Maori player, John Taiaroa, who dazzled whenever he had the ball.[11]
With the three matches being played at the end of May into mid June, the Gardiner Challenge Cup was not begun until late June. At the conclusion of the matches, some of the touring players remained in Sydney and took up positions in the local clubs.
31 May 1884
|
New South Wales 
|
0 - 11 |  New Zealand
|
|---|---|---|
| [12] |
Tries: JG Taiaroa, GS Robertson Goals: WV Millton (1/1), T Ryan (0/1) Drop goals: JA Warbrick (1/2), GHN Helmore (0/1), H Braddon (0/1), T Ryan (0/1) |
7 June 1884
|
| New South Wales
|
2 - 21 | New Zealand
|
|---|---|---|
| Tries: HB Fligg Goals: HM Baylis (0/1) Drop goals: HB Fligg (0/1) |
[13] |
Tries: JG Taiaroa (2), GS Robertson, GHN Helmore, JA O'Donnell, TB O'Connor Goals: T Ryan (3/4), WV Millton (0/2) Drop goals: WV Millton (0/1) |
14 June 1884
|
| New South Wales
|
0 - 16 | New Zealand
|
|---|---|---|
| [14] |
Tries: GS Robertson (2), WV Millton Goals: WV Millton (1/2), T Ryan (1/1) Drop goals: JA Warbrick (1/3), GHN Helmore (0/1) |
Intercolonial matches edit
Two intercolonial games were played in July between New South Wales and Queensland at the Association Ground in Sydney. Both matches saw the local New South Wales team display superior play resulting in two easy wins over the Queenslanders. The first match saw the NSW team score 4 tries to defeat the tourists 17 points to 4. The next match was entirely dominated by the local team with NSW scoring 7 tries to win 26 point to nil. In support of these matches, the Gardiner Cup was put on hold in order to allow players to be available for representative duties and not jeopardise their club's performance in the Cup.
12 July 1884
|
| New South Wales
|
17 - 4 |  Queensland
|
|---|---|---|
| Tries: HB Fligg (2), JR Wood, ES Chapman Goals: HM Baylis (2/2), HM Osborne (1/1), JR Wood (0/1) Drop goals: HM Baylis (0/1), JR Wood (0/1), PS Chapman (0/1) |
[15] |
Drop goals: H Pritchard (1/1) |
Association Cricket Ground
Referee: JA Brodie |
19 July 1884
|
| New South Wales
|
26 - 0 | Queensland
|
|---|---|---|
| Tries: LEF Neill, HM Osborne, JR Wood, SL Deane, EM Cameron, HB Fligg, CL Tange Goals: HM Baylis (3/3), HM Osborne (1/2), LEF Neill (0/1), PS Chapman (0/1) |
[16] |
Association Cricket Ground
Attendance: 3000 |
Team and player records edit
Top 10 point scorers edit
|
Top 10 try scorers edit
|
|
Most points in a match edit
| Pts | Team | Opponent | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Sydney University |
Wallaroo |
Agricultural Society Ground | 9 August |
| 19 | Sydney University |
Redfern |
University Ground | 5 July |
| 19 | Sydney University |
Balmain |
Agricultural Society Ground | 23 August |
| 17 | Wallaroo |
Balmain |
Agricultural Society Ground | 5 July |
| 16 | Burwood |
Balmain |
Burwood Park | 9 August |
Greatest winning margin edit
| Pts | Team | Score | Opponent | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | Sydney University |
25 - 2 | Wallaroo |
Agricultural Society Ground | 9 August |
| 19 | Sydney University |
19 - 0 | Redfern |
University Ground | 5 July |
| 17 | Wallaroo |
17 - 0 | Balmain |
Agricultural Society Ground | 5 July |
| 17 | Sydney University |
19 - 2 | Balmain |
Agricultural Society Ground | 23 August |
| 15 | Burwood |
15 - 0 | Balmain |
Burwood Park | 21 June |
Participating clubs edit
| Club | Senior Grade | Junior | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | |
| Arfoma Football Club | Y | Y | ||
| Balmain Football Club
|
Y | Y | ||
| Burwood Football Club
|
Y | Y | ||
| Cammeray Football Club | Y | |||
| Clifton Football Club | Y | |||
| Double Bay Football Club | Y | |||
| Glebe Football Club | Y | |||
| Glen Head Football Club | Y | Y | ||
| Harrowgate Football Club | Y | |||
| Liverpool Football Club | Y | |||
| Manly Football Club | Y | |||
| Newtown Football Club | Y | Y | ||
| Oaklands Football Club | Y | |||
| Parramatta Football Club | Y | |||
| Parramatta Union Club | Y | |||
| Redfern Football Club
|
Y | Y | ||
| Redmyre Football Club | Y | |||
| Rugby Football Club | Y | |||
| St. Leonards Football Club | Y | Y | ||
| Summer Hill Football Club | Y | |||
| Sydney University Football Club
|
Y | Y | ||
| Wallaroo Football Club
|
Y | Y | ||
| Waverley Football Club | Y | |||
| Wellesley Football Club | Y | |||
References edit
- ^ "FOOTBALL". Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1871 - 1912). 5 July 1884. p. 29. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
- ^ "FOOTBALL". Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954). 29 April 1884. p. 8. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
- ^ "TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY TELEGRAPH". Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW : 1883 - 1930). 17 June 1884. p. 6. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
- ^ "FOOTBALL". Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW : 1883 - 1930). 20 June 1884. p. 6. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
- ^ a b c "The 1884 Season". Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1871 - 1912). 27 September 1884. p. 640. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
- ^ a b c "Football". Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1871 - 1912). 25 October 1884. p. 848. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
- ^ "FOOTBALL". Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954). 19 August 1884. p. 8. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
- ^ a b "Football". Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1870 - 1907). 15 November 1884. p. 39. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
- ^ a b Results incomplete.
- ^ "1884 - the year of the first NZ representative football team". All Blacks. Archived from the original on 30 June 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
- ^ "FOOTBALL". Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1871 - 1912). 7 June 1884. p. 1084. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
- ^ "Football". The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1871 – 1912). 7 June 1884. p. 1084. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
- ^ "New Zealand v. New South Wales". The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1871 – 1912). 14 June 1884. p. 1132. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
- ^ "Intercolonial Match". The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1871 – 1912). 21 June 1884. p. 1181. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
- ^ "Intercolonial Match". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954). 14 July 1884. p. 8. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
- ^ "Intercolonial Match". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954). 21 July 1884. p. 8. Retrieved 30 June 2019.