New
South Wales v Queensland: 1882 -1907
Sean Fagan of RL1908.com
The
first rugby match between NSW and Queensland was
held in Sydney in 1882 - some eighteen years before
the six colonies joined to become the Australian
federation (January 1, 1901).
NSW won the first match, and in 1883 they travelled
to Brisbane for a re-match. The
preferred football code in Queensland at the time
was Victorian rules. However, after the home team
scored a last-minute converted try to defeat the
'Mother colony', rugby gained far more support.
Building on this interest, annual matches were
introduced.
When
NSW teams travelled to Queensland in the years
that followed they created huge interest in
the rugby game, resulting in many players and
clubs changing from Australian rules.
Ultimately
it meant that rugby union, and later rugby league,
would control the 'football' interest of NSW
and Queensland.
NSW
dominated the early years of rugby union competition
and it was not until the Queenslanders started
to introduce more country footballers to its
teams in the 1890s that this changed. During
this period the two colonies were on an even
footing.
By
the end of the decade NSW had settled on light
blue as their jersey colour, while Queensland
adopted maroon.
Between
1882 and 1907, NSW won 14 of the 26 annual series
played - with a remarkable 9 series drawn, Queensland
only came out victors in three series. Overall,
NSW won 48 of the 72 matches in the 25 years
before the arrival of rugby league in 1908.
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