Sydney University Football Club

Australian rugby union club, based in Sydney

For the association football club, see Sydney Uni SFC. For the Australian rules football club, see Sydney University Australian National Football Club. For the rugby league football club, see Sydney University RLFC.

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Sydney University Football Club" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (September 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

Rugby team

Australia

Nickname(s)|

* Students
* Varsity
* Uni

Founded| 1863; 162 years ago (1863)
Location| Camperdown, Sydney, New South Wales
Ground(s)| Sydney University Football Ground[1] (Capacity: 2,500[2])
President| David Lyons
Director of Rugby| Nick Ryan
Coach(es)| Todd Louden
Captain(s)| Nathaniel Panozzo
League(s)|

* Shute Shield
* NSWSRU

2024| 7th of 12

Team kit

Official website
sydneyunirugby.com.au
Sports departments of the University of Sydney

|  |  |  |

|
|
|

Australian
football|  Baseball|  Basketball
(Women's)|  Boxing
|  |  |
Cricket|  Football|  Handball|  Rowing
|  |  |
Rugby
league|  Rugby
union|  Volleyball|  Water polo

The Sydney University Football Club, founded in 1863, is the oldest club now playing rugby union in Australia,[3] although this date is disputed by historian Tom Hickie who argues that it was 1865.[4]

Sydney Uni was a member of the inaugural Sydney club competition in 1874,[citation needed] along with the Balmain Rugby Union Football Club, Newington College and The King's School. The club currently competes in the Shute Shield competition and has the most senior premiership titles of all Sydney clubs.[citation needed]

After playing home games at the Sydney University Oval No.1 for 153 years, the club moved to the redeveloped Oval No.2 for the 2016 season. Sydney Uni Sport completed the building of a new training facility and grandstand at that ground accommodating 1,200 spectators.[1]

## Club information

[edit]

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

* Women's Rugby: Founded in 1994.
* Juniors: Founded in 2005 and comprises Balmain Junior Rugby Club, Canterbury Rugby and Petersham Juniors Rugby Club. These clubs include girls and boys teams.

## History

[edit]

Sydney University team of 1878

Having been established in 1863,[5] The club is officially known as "Sydney University Football Club" because it was the first club of any football code in NSW.[6] The club also played Australian rules football in its early history, making it the first NSW club in that code as well.[7]

The club is often referred to as "Uni", "The Students", as well as "The Birthplace of Australian Rugby" or simply "The Birthplace", marking its origins at a pioneer rugby club.[6] The first mention of students at the University playing football came in 1865 on Illustrated Sydney News, which stated:

> “A football club, the first in the colony, has recently been formed and named the Sydney Football Club.”[6]

Nevertheless, Sydney's The Referee wrote in 1918: "We believe the first recognised rugby football club formed in Sydney was the Wallaroos, in 1870,[n 1] though football was played prior to that in New South Wales and Victoria".[6]

## Honours

[edit]

The Club has won 29 Shute Shield Major Premierships and has been runners-up 12 times. The Club has won 50 Premierships and has been runners-up 24 times since 1865.

* Premiership Titles since 1900 (the Shute Shield started in 1923): (33) 1901 (shared), 1904, 1919, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1937, 1939, 1945, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1961, 1962, 1968, 1970, 1972, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2018, 2019, 2022
* Australian Club Champions: (5) 2007, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2020, 2022 (not contested), 2023
* Gregor George Cup Club Championships: (24) 1927, 1937, 1941, 1942, 1961, 1983, 1999, 2001, consecutively from 2004 to 2019 and 2022
* Jack Scott Cup: The Women's XVs team is notable in the Jack Scott Cup, winning 5 of the last 6 titles. In 2020, the Students picked up both Major and Minor Premierships after going through the regular season undefeated for the third year. The Women's team defeated Randwick 22–17 in the Grand Final.
* *2021 SEASON CANCELLED In response to COVID-19 Sydney University was leading the competition without a loss when NSW Rugby Union (NSWRU) and its affiliate unions jointly made the tough decision to cancel all winter rugby competitions in the Sydney region (and Illawarra). Seven rounds were contested by the Shute Shield teams.

## International representatives

[edit]

To date, 134* Sydney University players have been selected to play for Australia.[10] The first Australian representative was Hyram Marks in 1899. The club's most famous Wallaby would probably be Nick Farr-Jones, who had a long representative career (including World Cup success as Captain in 1991). Harry Potter became Wallaby #989 and proudly joined the ranks of SUFC Wallabies as the 112th player from our club to achieve this honour. Harry also scored a try on debut at Murrayfield, Scotland on 25 November 2024.

* *N.B. Not necessarily played for the Wallabies

* Wallabies Squad – 2025 Angus Bell, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Jake Gordon, Harry Potter, Tom Robertson and Will Skelton
* U20 Championship Squad – 2025 Eamon Doyle (Captain), Joey Fowler, Joe Mangelsdorf, Beau Morrison, Hwi Sharples and Lotu Vunipola

### Rugby World Cup Winners

[edit]

* Bob Egerton – 1991
* Nick Farr-Jones (Captain) – 1991
* Richard Harry – 1999

## Women's Rugby "Lionesses"

[edit]

The Club has produced 13 Australian Female Representatives of which 11 are Wallaroos; our most recent debutant is Piper Duck (October 2022 v Scotland during the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand).

* Wallaroos Squad – 2025 Emily Chancellor, Briana Hoy, Piper Duck, Bridie O'Gorman and Adiana Talakai

Lionesses were Joint Australian Club Champions 2025

## Super Rugby players 2025

[edit]

Will Caldwell playing for Sydney University

* Angus Bell – NSW Waratahs
* Brad Amituanai \- NSW Waratahs
* Daniel Botha – NSW Waratahs
* Ethan Dobbins – NSW Waratahs
* Ben Grant – NSW Waratahs
* Jake Gordon – NSW Waratahs
* Tom Lambert – NSW Waratahs
* Matt Philip – NSW Waratahs
* Leafi Talataina – NSW Waratahs
* Sam Carter \- Western Force
* Nick Champion de Crespigny \- Western Force
* Tom Horton \- Western Force
* Harry Johnson-Holmes – Western Force
* George Poolman \- Western Force
* Rohan Leahy \- Western Force
* Harry Potter – Western Force
* Henry Robertson – Western Force
* Tom Robertson – Western Force

## Super W players 2025

[edit]

* Emily Chancellor – Waratahs
* Siusiuosalafai Volkman -Waratahs
* Brittany Merlo \- Waratahs
* Ruby Anderson \- Waratahs
* Millie Parker \- Waratahs
* Adiana Talakai – Waratahs
* Bridie O'Gorman – Waratahs
* Piper Duck – Waratahs (Captain)
* Brianna Hoy – Waratahs
* Grace Freeman – Force
* Sera Naiqama – Force
* Lori Cramer \- Reds

* Denotes Uncapped

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ It refers to the "Wallaroo Football Club", formed in 1870.[8][9]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Sydney University No.2 Oval and Grandstand Update". Sydney University Football Club. 8 December 2015. Archived from the original on 19 August 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
2. ^ "Sydney University Football Ground". austadiums.com. Archived from the original on 13 February 2022.
3. ^ Football in Australia – Australia's Culture Portal Archived 2009-05-15 at the Wayback Machine
4. ^ Hickie, Thomas V., A Sense of Union. The History of the Sydney University Football Club, 1998, ISBN 0949853623
5. ^ First Grade records on Sydneyunirugby.com.au
6. ^ a b c d Sydney University: Australia's first rugby club?] at Saints & Heathens blog
7. ^ "Sydney University". Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2007.
8. ^ Australian Town and Country Journal. Sat 8 Oct 1892, page 39 at trove.nla.gov.au
9. ^ The History of the Buildcorp Wallaroos at wallaroos.rugby
10. ^ https://www.sydneyunirugby.com.auchrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.sydneyunirugby.com.au/files/3._SUFC_Australian__RepresentativesKS.pdf. `{{cite web}}`: Missing or empty `|title=` (help)

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sydney University Football Club.

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

University of Sydney

Faculties and
University Schools|

* School of Architecture, Design and Planning
* Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
* Business School
* Faculty of Engineering
* Sydney Law School
* Faculty of Medicine and Health
* Sydney Dental School
* Sydney Medical School
* Sydney Nursing School
* Sydney Pharmacy School
* Sydney School of Health Sciences
* Faculty of Science
* School of Physics
* School of Chemistry
* School of Mathematics and Statistics
* School of Psychology
* School of History and Philosophy of Science
* Sydney Conservatorium of Music

Residential colleges|

* St Andrew's
* St John's
* St Paul's
* Sancta Sophia
* Wesley
* The Women's College

Athletics|

* Australian football
* Baseball
* Basketball
* Boxing
* Cricket
* Handball
* Rowing
* Rugby league
* Rugby union
* Soccer football
* Water polo
* Sydney Uni Sport and Fitness

Campus|

* Centre for Continuing Education
* Chau Chak Wing Museum
* Charles Perkins Centre
* Great Hall
* Jacaranda tree
* Macleay Museum
* Nicholson Museum
* Quadrangle
* Seymour Centre
* University of Sydney Library

People|

* Alumni
* Academic staff
* List of University of Sydney people

Publications|

* Arna
* BULL
* Hermes
* Honi Soit
* Macquarie Dictionary
* Pulp
* Scholarly Electronic Text and Image Service
* Southerly
* SURG
* Sydney eScholarship
* Sydney University Press

Student life|

* Dramatic Society
* Evangelical Union
* Labor Club
* Liberal Club
* Postgraduate Representative Association
* Speleological Society
* Students' Representative Council
* Symphony Orchestra
* University of Sydney Union
* University of Sydney Revues

Related|

* Davis Lectures
* Electoral District
* Regiment
* SILLIAC
* Statue of Gilgamesh

* v
* t
* e

New South Wales Rugby Union

Member of Rugby Australia

Super Rugby team|

New South Wales Waratahs

Super W team|

Waratahs Women

NRC teams|

* NSW Country
* Sydney

Shute Shield|

* Eastern Suburbs
* Eastwood
* Gordon
* Hunter Wildfires
* Manly
* Northern Suburbs
* Parramatta
* Randwick
* Southern Districts
* Sydney University
* Warringah
* West Harbour

Regional bodies|

* New South Wales Suburban Rugby Union
* New South Wales Country Rugby Union

* v
* t
* e

Shute Shield

New South Wales Rugby Union

Shute Shield teams|

* Eastern Suburbs (Easts)
* Eastwood
* Gordon
* Hunter Wildfires
* Manly
* Northern Suburbs (Norths)
* Western Sydney
* Randwick
* Southern Districts (Souths)
* Sydney University
* Warringah
* West Harbour

Seasons|

| Colonial era|

* 1874
* 1875
* 1876
* 1877
* 1878
* 1879
* 1880
* 1881
* 1882
* 1883
* 1884
* 1885
* 1886
* 1887
* 1888
* 1889
* 1890
* 1891
* 1892
* 1893
* 1894
* 1895
* 1896
* 1897
* 1898
* 1899
* 1900

|

1901–present|

* 1901
* 1902
* 1903
* 1904
* 1905
* 1906
* 1907
* 1908
* 1909
* 1910
* 1911
* 1912
* 1913
* 1914
* 1915
* 1916
* 1917
* 1918
* 1919
* 1920
* 1921
* 1922
* 1923
* 1924
* 1925
* 1926
* 1927
* 1928
* 1929
* 1930
* 1931
* 1932
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939
* 1940
* 1941
* 1942
* 1943
* 1944
* 1945
* 1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949
* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* ~~2021~~
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025
* 2026

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template