Sydney University Rugby League

The University of Sydney RLFC 1923 team The arrival of the University of Sydney to the NSWRL premiership in 1920 signalled how deeply the League had bitten into rugby union's domain.

At the time the rugby union game in Australia had contracted to just six operating clubs in Sydney. One of those clubs was the University, but that didn't stop the push for a rugby league club.

Owing much to the efforts of people such as Herbert Vere Evatt, on his way to becoming a celebrated jurist and politician (where he secured shipping for the 1946 Lions to Australia), the Sydney University team was gleefully accepted into the competition.

In ways the inclusion of the club was more of a trophy in the battle of the codes than an enhancement to the premiership.

For the football players and individuals who wanted to see a University of Sydney team in the League, they first had to overcome prejudices and obstacles from within the University itself. For example, any students who had thoughts of progressing to Oxford and Cambridge were threatened that they wouldn't be permitted to play Union if they had played League in Australia - no such penalty was ever considered for those playing Australian Rules.

The University of Sydney Football Club was the oldest rugby club in Australia, and one of the oldest in the world, having been founded in 1863. The inclusion of Sydney University in the League, the only tertiary institute in NSW, would have been the crowning glory for the rise of the decade-young code.

Evatt prepared a report which set the scene: "Owing to the general dissatisfaction with the management of the Rugby Union during the 1919 football season, and the fact that University footballers were starting to realise that rugby league was a faster and cleaner game, several leading members of the football club, including seven "blues" of the past season, took steps to introduce the league game into the University for the 1920 season. A special meeting of league supporters was held and decided to enter three teams, all members to play as strict amateurs." Sydney University's entry was encouraged by the NSWRL and they were accepted with little debate or objection.

Clive Evatt - a University of Sydney player who represented NSW as well as 'Australian Universities' in the mid-1920s. A.U. played against both England and New Zealand.

"Varsity" played 18 seasons at the top level of rugby league in Sydney, however their amateur status and the yearly turnover in playing talent (as students moved on) made it very difficult for the club to ever be a serious threat to the professional clubs. The bias within the University made it no easier.

For many seasons the club was not permitted to train on University Oval until public and media pressure forced the Sports Union (of the University) to relent. Until that time the club trained alongside Easts at the Sports Ground.

Playing of games within the University grounds was never allowed during the club's life and they were forced to live a nomadic existence depending on what grounds around Sydney were available. For example, they played South Sydney at North Sydney Oval, and often played both games each season at their opponents home ground.

Wearing the University's sports colours of blue and gold in horizontal bars (as still worn today by the University's rugby union team) the club was coached jointly by Arthur Hennessy, Alex Burdon and Paddy McCue in their opening season.

However during the club's 18 year stay they lost nearly 75% of their games, notching just 44 wins from 226 games. They only avoided the wooden spoon on seven occasions. Their one and only successful season came in 1926 when they finished the regular rounds in fourth place before progressing to the premiership decider against South Sydney.

The 1926 season saw the University of Sydney club improve remarkably under the guidance of coach Bill Kelly and trainer Sid Pearce. The cleaner and faster play-the-ball rule implemented for the season saw the lighter and quicker Students make an immediate challenge for the title, winning their first seven games. This delirious run saw them defeat Glebe at the SCG by 29-3, Easts 19-3 and St George 24-8 in the best period of their history.

However, following the loss of giant centre Frank O'Rourke for the final rounds with a broken hand, University suffered defeats to Glebe and South Sydney to finish in fourth place for the semi-finals (behind Souths, Glebe and Easts). The NSWRL play-off system for that season saw 1v3 and 2v4, with the winners playing each other in the Final.

As Souths held a "right-of-challenge" if beaten along the way, University knew that to take the title they would have to first defeat the powerful Glebe side, then the Rabbitohs twice! In the semi-final against Glebe, University regained their early season form with forward Eddie Ryan starring as they thrashed the favoured "Dirty Reds" by 29-3 in a remarkable performance.

For the Final, centre Frank O'Rourke returned to take his part in a line-up that included state players Harry "Butt" Finn, Jim McIntyre and A.S. "Georgie" Lane, alongside club stalwart E. "Sammy" Ogg. The Rabbitohs had won the previous two titles and were hugely favoured to make it three in a row. They had never lost a game to University and boasted a side that included Blair, Brogan, Treweek and Root.

In front of 20,000 at the SCG, University cut Souths line on three occasions in the opening twenty minutes in movements that should have lead to tries but were lost to poor finishing. Having withstood the challenge Souths countered with eleven points of their own by the half-time break. University hit back with an early intercept try in the second half to pull the deficit back to 11-5, however the Rabbitohs held firm for the remainder of the game and claimed the premiership.

After the Final, University were hit hard for the following season when the core of their team announced they would not return for 1927. The club slid back to the bottom of the table as Lane and O'Rourke left while Ryan and Finn both retired. Lane returned in 1928 and University moved back up the table to secure a mid-way finish.

Some of University's players did achieve recognition during and after their stay with The Students. In the early seasons of the club Clive Evatt was chosen for five games for NSW, while the great Balmain and Wests player Jim Craig turned out for Sydney University after the 1921-22 Kangaroo Tour.

Frank O'Rourke - Sydney University & Leeds

A.'Frank' O'Rourke, who had been chosen for City in 1925, signed for Leeds after the 1926 Final as the international ban was lifted by the English RL authorities.

O'Rourke became one of the leading centres in England, scoring 112 tries before returning to University in 1934. He was also a member of the Leeds team that won the 1932 Challenge Cup.

Harry "Butt" Finn, 1926 fullback, played for the club from 1920 to 1926 gaining selection for NSW against New Zealand. Dr. Finn became the NSWRL's medical officer and his memory was honoured for many years by the H.C. Finn Memorial Trophy, presented to the winners of NSW v Qld series before the arrival of State of Origin.

Jim McIntyre, a hard-working forward, scored 165 points for the club and played for NSW during his three seasons with University (1926-28).

A.S. "Georgie" Lane, captain and halfback in 1926, was a fine player. Lane gained selection for NSW in 1925 and in all five interstate games in 1926. After missing the 1927 season Lane was again selected to play for NSW in 1928.

The club only ever had one Australian representative player, Ray Morris. The Wests winger had achieved state honours while with the black and whites (1931-32) before joining University for the 1933 season. After having played only five games for The Students, Morris was selected in the 1933-34 Kangaroos Tour party who left mid-season for England. However, tragedy would strike.

Ian Heads takes up the story in True Blue: "On the trip over aboard the Jervis Bay, Ray Morris, an immensely popular winger-centre contracted a serious ear infection. His condition worsened as the ship sailed into the Mediterranean, and at Malta he was taken to the Blue Cross Hospital - where he died of meningitis a day or two later as his fellow players steamed on to England. Teammates learned the shocking news while still on board the Jervis Bay."

Ross McKinnon came to Sydney University from Sydney Boys High in 1933. At the tender age of 18 he gained selection for NSW, but his career stalled in 1934 following injury. Along with University teammate Rod O'Loan, McKinnon moved to Eastern Suburbs in 1935 where they both played alongside Dave Brown and saw them win three premierships (1935-37).

McKinnon played eight Tests for Australia between 1935 and 1938, and after retiring went on to coach Easts, Canterbury and Norths. Meanwhile O'Loan, who was originally from Newcastle, scored a record seven tries in one match in 1935 - ironically against University.

Jim Comans played 35 games for The Students between 1932-36, first as a centre before moving into the forwards. Comans went on to become the man credited with cleaning up rugby league in the early 1980s after serving up lengthy suspensions to Boyd, Kneen and Cooper.

From 1929 to their demise after the 1937 season, they finished every season with the wooden spoon except for 1933 and 1934 where they avoided it by one position. In this period they won only 15 games, with only two lone wins recorded after 1933. Despite their keenness to succeed everyone could see that University would never be competitive and at the completion of the 1937 season they voluntarily withdrew from the NSWRL premiership.

Sydney University still has an active rugby league club and for many years played in the NSWRL's Second Division after it was established in 1963. During this period University played against Penrith and Cronulla (as Cronulla-Caringbah) before they themselves entered the NSWRL's 1st Grade competition. The club is also remembered by a trophy that they donated in 1922 for presentation to the winner each year of the NSW high schools competition - the University Shield.