89-723: Northern Suburbs Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club in Sydney, Australia , that was formed in 1900 from the merger of the Pirates and Wallaroos clubs. The club competes in the Shute Shield competition run by the New South Wales Rugby Union . The club has produced 42 Wallaby representatives. The club's home ground is the historic North Sydney Oval on the North Shore of Sydney. The ground has been
178-570: A British Isles team visited Australia and New Zealand—although a private venture, it laid the foundations for future British and Irish Lions tours; and the 1888–89 New Zealand Native football team brought the first overseas team to British spectators. During the early history of rugby union, a time before commercial air travel, teams from different continents rarely met. The first two notable tours both took place in 1888—the British Isles team touring New Zealand and Australia, followed by
267-497: A haka before each match, leading Welsh Rugby Union administrator Tom Williams to suggest that Wales player Teddy Morgan lead the crowd in singing the Welsh National Anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau , as a response. After Morgan began singing, the crowd joined in: the first time a national anthem was sung at the start of a sporting event. In 1905 France played England in its first international match. Rugby union
356-616: A Club team toured Spain and Portugal. The 90's saw quite a number of players achieving representative honours. Jim Allen, Dominic Vaughan , Mick Kearins, Rod (Rambo) Clark, Sam Domoni, Richard Tombs, Mark Bell, Nick Harvey, Darren Junee, Keith Gleeson and Graeme Bond all played for the N.S.W Waratahs with Bond also playing at the ACT Brumbies in 1999 with Troy Jaques and former 1991 N.S.W Waratah Craig Wells . The representative careers of Ben Darwin and Al Baxter also began to emerge. The year 2000 saw Northern Suburbs celebrate 100 years with
445-448: A central venue to Sydney's north shore night life and a strong financial building block for the club. 2008 was a year of mixed emotions for the club. The colts teams had a disappointing year with some upheaval in the coaching staff and a reduction in player numbers compared to the year before. In hand with the reduction in young blood entering the club, Northern Suburbs were sad to see the passing away of one of their greatest treasures from
534-513: A commercial centre that complements the role of Chatswood , Lane Cove and North Sydney as one of the centres for business on the North Shore of Sydney . Until the 2010s, St Leonards contained one of Sydney's suburban skyscraper clusters, with major offices for large companies including CIMIC Group , IBM , Lenovo , Manchester Unity , Oporto , Savvytel , Toyota Australia , 2UE , 3 and Channel 31 . Fox Sports studios are located at
623-481: A concierge, pool, spa, gym and private & public car parking facilities each. Winten Property Group was responsible for the construction of both Forum buildings. The Plaza also contains offices for Cisco , Verizon Business , Getty Images among other companies. St Leonards railway station is on the North Shore railway line of the Sydney Trains network. The Pacific Highway is the major road through
712-594: A limited number of games, and Cambridge and Oxford continued their annual University Match . The first officially sanctioned international rugby sevens tournament took place in 1973 at Murrayfield, one of Scotland's biggest stadiums, as part of the Scottish Rugby Union centenary celebrations. In 1987, the first Rugby World Cup was held in Australia and New Zealand, and the inaugural winners were New Zealand. The first World Cup Sevens tournament
801-415: A lineout throw is generally awarded to the opposition at the spot on the sideline where they left the field. Exceptions include a kick out "on the full" (i.e. the ball did not land in the field-of-play before going into touch) in which case the lineout would still take place on the sideline but back in line with where the ball was kicked, or when a team takes a free kick from a penalty where they would retain
890-612: A number of heritage-listed sites, including: In the 2021 Census , there were 7,212 people in St Leonards. 36.7% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were China (without SARs and Taiwan) 9.6%, India 5.5%, Hong Kong 4.9%, Japan 4.4%, and England 3.3%. 47.5% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Mandarin 11.8%, Cantonese 7.9%, Japanese 4.9%, Hindi 2.6% and Korean 2.4%. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 49.1% and Catholic 14.9%. St Leonards has
979-534: A preferred or standard 68 metre width, this is often used unless a ground has been specifically designed to accommodate a 70-metre rugby field. 100 metres is the typical length, with a line (see below) often marked at halfway with "50" on it, representing 50 metres from each goal line. The variations have been allowed in the Laws, possibly to accommodate older grounds (perhaps even pre-metrification when yards and feet were specified) and developing nations. The field of play
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#17327805406961068-526: A sound basis for the return to First Division. In its first year back, 1990, Norths finished eighth out of 11. In 1991 North's fourth-grade players were semi-finalists and its second-grade Colts were premiers —a first-ever senior Colts win. The season also saw North's first addition to its Australian honours list since 1979—Richard Tombs was selected in the victorious Wallaby World Cup squad. But he had to wait until 1992 to play his first two tests, against Scotland, at home. The 1993 season saw seven teams reach
1157-470: A successful penalty kick or a drop goal each score 3 points. The values of each of these scoring methods have been changed over the years. According to World Rugby's Laws of the Game, a typical rugby ground, formally known as the "playing enclosure", is formed by two major zones: The referee (and their assistants) generally have full authority and responsibility for all players and other officials inside
1246-571: A venue for both codes of rugby and for cricket over more than a century. Rugby on the lower North Shore is over 130 years old. Council minutes reveal that the North Shore Football Club played on a paddock adjoining Holterman's Tower, the present location of Shore School . The club later transferred to St Leonard's Park and became known as the Pirates, a team which won the First Grade Premiership in 1898 and
1335-538: Is Chatswood Oval in Sydney, Australia, an elliptically shaped cricket ground which is the home of Gordon rugby club, that has curved dead-ball lines to maximise the available in-goal space. Where multiple sports share a field (e.g. a rugby league and a rugby union club sharing one field), lines may be overlaid on top of each other, sometimes in different colours. However, particularly for television, rugby union line markings are generally painted white. Some exceptions include
1424-457: Is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in England in the first half of the 19th century. Rugby is based on running with the ball in hand. In its most common form, a game is played between two teams of 15 players each, using an oval-shaped ball on a rectangular field called a pitch. The field has H-shaped goalposts at both ends. Rugby union is a popular sport around
1513-408: Is considered "out-of-bounds" for the ball and the players, normally resulting in the non-infringing team receiving possession of the ball at a restart. The perimeter area can be divided into two areas: For the purposes of determining if a ball is "out-of-bounds" (i.e. has left the playing area), the perimeter area extends indefinitely away from the playing area. When a ball or player goes into touch,
1602-445: Is divided by a solid "halfway" line, drawn perpendicular to the sidelines at their midpoint. A 0.5m line is marked perpendicular to the halfway lines at its midpoint, designating the spot where the kickoffs shall be taken. The areas between each goal line and the halfway line are known as "halves" as in other football codes. A pair of solid lines are also drawn perpendicular to the sidelines, 22 metres (formerly 25 yards) from each end of
1691-440: Is the third and final row of the forward positions, who are often referred to as the loose forwards. The three positions in the back row are the two flankers and the number 8 . The two flanker positions, known as the blindside flanker and openside flanker, are the final row in the scrum. They are usually the most mobile forwards in the game. Their main role is to win possession through 'turn overs'. The number 8 packs down between
1780-963: The Bunnings NPC in New Zealand, the League One in Japan and the Currie Cup in South Africa. Other transnational club competitions include the United Rugby Championship of club teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales, European Rugby Champions Cup in Europe, and Super Rugby in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Primitive forms of football included harpastum , played by
1869-449: The local government areas of Municipality of Lane Cove , North Sydney Council and the City of Willoughby . St Leonards was named after English statesman Viscount Sydney of St Leonards . Originally, St Leonards applied to the whole area from the present suburb of North Sydney to Gore Hill . The township of St Leonards in 1883 is now North Sydney. St Leonards railway station is
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#17327805406961958-456: The 1830s, "running in" with the ball in hand was allowed but subject to hacking and "collaring". Former Rugby School student Albert Pell is credited with having formed the first "football" team while a student at Cambridge University . Major private schools each used different rules during this early period, with former pupils from Rugby and Eton attempting to carry their preferred rules through to their universities. A significant event in
2047-574: The 1950s and by 1960 John Thornett and Rod Phelps had joined Norths to improve its fortunes when once again defeating Manly, 21–3, Norths won its third First Grade Premiership and fourth Club Championship and its second Golden Era was ushered in. Three years later, the Red and Blacks beat Sydney University back-to-back for the 1963 and '64 First Grade Premierships, together with the Club Championship for those years. In 1964 Norths won three out of
2136-603: The 1960s and 70s in Vale Roy Prosser. Roy still holds the club record for the highest number of First Grade games at 220. The Grand Final for 2008 saw Second Grade come from fifth on the table to claim the Premiership after being Runners Up the year before. The Second Grade Coaches Tony Horan and Grahame O'Donnell received a further reward in being promoted to coaching First Grade for the 2009 season. 2010 saw Norths, Waratahs and Wallabies front rower Al Baxter become
2225-551: The Bon Andrews Bequest was established with the $ 25,000 he left to the club. This money is used to provide educational assistance to talented young players. During the year Vince Arena created a little more history for the club by playing his 300th match for Norths, and on retirement is second only to Bon Andrews in club games. Fifth Grade won the John Thornett Cup in 2002, and First Grade Colts made it to
2314-514: The Gore Hill end. The Forum is built over the railway station and comprises three commercial office buildings, two residential towers containing 782 apartments, an independent mini-supermarket, and 34 food and retail shops. Forum Tower (118m/38 stories) was the suburb's first high-rise apartment building complex completed in August 1999 and Forum West 3 three years later. Both buildings boast
2403-712: The Grand Final with thousands of fans flooding the field in celebration. Captain Will Miller was awarded the Ken Catchpole Medal in addition to Player of the Finals Series honours. Breakout centre Irae Simone was awarded Shute Shield Rookie of the Year for his performances over the course of the season, he then went on and starred in the now Sydney Rays NRC campaign, falling short in the semi-finals and
2492-535: The John Thornett cup against Sydney University (played under lights at Sydney University Oval no.1). 1st Colts played in the Grand Final at Forshaw Rugby Park. In 2015 Head Coach, Simon Cron was awarded Coach of the Year and Will Miller was runner up in the Ken Catchpole Medal. In 2016 Norths broke a 41-year drought to claim the highly elusive Shute Shield after defeating Sydney University 28–15 at North Sydney Oval. Pandemonium ensued after Norths scored late in
2581-513: The Laws: Generally, points where the dashed lines intersect other lines will be marked with a "T" or cross shape, although the extensions of dashed lines are generally not drawn within 5 metres of the goal lines or sidelines, to allow a clear demarcation of the field of play's boundaries. The Laws require the playing area to be rectangular in shape, however variations may be permitted with the approval of relevant unions. A notable example
2670-820: The New Zealand team touring Europe. Traditionally the most prestigious tours were the Southern Hemisphere countries of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa making a tour of a Northern Hemisphere, and the return tours made by a joint British and Irish team. Tours would last for months, due to long traveling times and the number of games undertaken; the 1888 New Zealand team began their tour in Hawkes Bay in June and did not complete their schedule until August 1889, having played 107 rugby matches. Touring international sides would play Test matches against international opponents, including national, club and county sides in
2759-596: The Norths Centenary Dinner, a black-tie affair at the Wentworth Hotel with over 300 people in attendance. The 2001 rugby highlight was obviously the success of the first-grade team securing the minor premiership for the first time since 1960. The season also saw the Wallaby debuts of Ben Darwin and Graeme Bond, with Al Baxter and Francis Cullimore gaining Super 12 contracts. During the year
Northern Suburbs Rugby Club - Misplaced Pages Continue
2848-452: The R.A.S. Trophy in 1897/8/9, defeating the neighbouring Wallaroos 10-nil in the third final. The Pirates and Wallaroos combined in 1900 to form North Sydney. It was the first district club to affiliate with the metropolitan Rugby Union in the initial eight-club district competition. The date was 5 April, ahead of Wests on 11 April and Easts on 12 April. Jim Henderson, commemorated in the present premiership trophies for third and fourth grades,
2937-476: The Romans, where two opposing teams competed to throw a large ball into an opposition net, fighting for possession of the ball. Medieval Irishmen played caid , carrying an inflated bladder and using arched trees as goals. The Welsh played an inter-parish game using a wooden ball called cnapan . Frenchmen played soule and Georgians played lelo. "Football" as a game was well established by 1803 at Rugby School and by
3026-593: The Second Grade Colts. Richard Tombs won the inaugural Sydney Morning Herald 'Rugby Player of the Year Award' in 1995, with Nick Harvey being the youngest winner of the AAMI Medal. Fifth Grade won a premiership, and the club toured France, Belgium, Germany and UK at the end of the season. 1996 saw the beginning of professional rugby. Sixth Grade won the Premiership which was the final year that grade
3115-723: The State. Russ also toured to Great Britain with the Wallabies. There was also the Westralian-Kiwi Bob Thompson. The club won eight premierships during the 1970s including First Grade in 1975. Norths also toured Singapore and Malaysia in 1970 (7 games), England and Wales in 1973 (7 games), USA West Coast in 1976 (6 games) and England, the Netherlands, Belgium and France in 1977 (8 games). By 1981 when, unhappily relegated to Second Division, Norths stood fourth on
3204-714: The Third Grade Premiership in 1947, the Fourths a year later and nothing in the fifties. In 1947 Roger Cornforth played the first of his two Tests against the All Blacks. Controversially omitted from the 1947–48 Wallabies to the British Isles, this then allowed him to represent Australia at the 1948 Olympics in London at water polo. He also played against the 1950 British Lions. Peter Rothwell, Jim Cross and John Carroll added their names to North's honour roll in
3293-537: The United States , Canada and Eastern Europe , its growth occurring during the expansion of the British Empire and through French proponents ( Rugby Europe ) in Europe. Countries that have adopted rugby union as their de facto national sport include Fiji , Georgia, Madagascar , New Zealand, Samoa , Tonga , and Wales . International matches have taken place since 1871 when the first game
3382-423: The Wallabies (Australia's national team) who often have yellow markings. Local clubs may use black, yellow, or other colours on grass, with other surfaces possibly requiring different marking techniques. Unlike association football, where on-field advertising is strictly forbidden in the laws, World Rugby allows sponsors logos to be painted on the playing surface. This is another way in which clubs can make money in
3471-431: The backs and the forwards is that the backs are expected to have superior kicking and ball-handling skills, especially the fly-half, scrum-half, and full-back. The half-backs consist of two positions, the scrum-half and the fly-half , also known in the Southern Hemisphere as half-back and first five-eighth respectively. The fly-half is crucial to a team's game plan, orchestrating the team's performance. They are usually
3560-422: The ball is kicked into touch by a player who had at least one foot on or behind their own 22-metre line, the line-out formed at the spot where the ball crossed the touch-line instead of being taken in line with the spot from where it was kicked. Additional broken or dashed lines (of 5 metre dash lengths, according to the Laws ) are drawn in each half or on each side of, the field, each with specific purposes under
3649-417: The ball. Forwards play a vital role in tackling and rucking opposing players. Players in these positions are generally bigger and stronger and take part in the scrum and line-out. The forwards are often collectively referred to as the 'pack', especially when in the scrum formation. The front row consists of three players: two props (the loosehead prop and the tighthead prop) and the hooker . The role of
Northern Suburbs Rugby Club - Misplaced Pages Continue
3738-591: The case of Northern Hemisphere rugby, or provincial/state sides in the case of Southern Hemisphere rugby. Between 1905 and 1908, all three major Southern Hemisphere rugby countries sent their first touring teams to the Northern Hemisphere: New Zealand in 1905, followed by South Africa in 1906 and Australia in 1908. All three teams brought new styles of play, fitness levels and tactics, and were far more successful than critics had expected. The New Zealand 1905 touring team performed
3827-592: The club championship, was actually ahead of Warringah, Sydney Uni, St George and Hornsby. Norths went on to win the Sydney Rugby Union (second Division) Club Championship in 1986, 1987 and 1988. Finally, after winning it again in 1989, Norths won promotion back into First Division. However, also during this period the Club undertook two overseas tours. In 1984 there were 6 games against teams in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The club returned to Europe at
3916-426: The club's greatest treasure, Bon Andrews, after whom North Sydney No. 2 Oval is named. The first of North's two 'golden eras' occurred in the early 1930s. The club's initial first-grade premiership was in 1933, beating Manly 8–6, and again beating Manly in 1935 by 22–5. The inaugural fourth-grade competition in 1932, back-to-back Club Championships in 1934 and 1935 and seven other minor grade premierships, highlighted
4005-588: The clubs that had favoured the Rugby Rules formed the Rugby Football Union in 1871, and their code became known as " rugby football ". In 1895, there was a major schism within rugby football in England in which numerous clubs from Northern England resigned from the RFU over the issue of reimbursing players for time lost from their workplaces. The split highlighted the social and class divisions in
4094-496: The early development of rugby football was the production of a written set of rules at Rugby School in 1845, followed by the Cambridge Rules that were drawn up in 1848. Formed in 1863, the national governing body The Football Association (FA) began codifying a set of universal football rules. These new rules specifically banned players from running with the ball in hand and also disallowed hacking (kicking players in
4183-493: The end of the 1988, with fixtures in England, France, Belgium and Italy. Some described it as an arduous four-week tour. In the eight years out of Sydney's top division through the 1980s, Norths won 12 premierships including three in first grade as well as four club championships. In addition to those grade rugby successes, a tremendous effort was made to develop the Colts and 12 premierships were won in various grades, which formed
4272-486: The extraordinary bar profits established that year. The 1998 season proved to be the best since 1975 with a string of notable statistics. These included all five grade teams in the Grand Final, winning Second and Fifth Grade premierships. Norths won The Herald Club of the Year Award, and Michael Sykes the Club Player of the Year. Keith Gleeson won the Ken Catchpole Medal (Best & Fairest) in 1999, and at season's end
4361-486: The field are divided into eight forwards (two more than in rugby league ) and seven backs . There are typically significantly more forwards on the bench than backs with, for example, South Africa having a 7-1 split in favour of forwards in their August 2023 match against New Zealand in Twickenham. A 6-2 or 5-3 split is more common. The main responsibilities of the forward players are to gain and retain possession of
4450-401: The field of play and called the 22-metre lines, or "22"s. An area at each end, also known as the "22", is bounded by, but does not include, the sidelines, goal line and 22-metre line. In this area, a defensive player who cleanly catches a ball kicked by the other team, without the ball having already touched the ground after the kick, is entitled to claim a free kick, or " mark ". Additionally, if
4539-420: The field to accommodate fitter and faster (or heavier) players. Fixed cameras on tripods and advertising hoardings are often the main culprits for injuring players in the perimeter area. St Leonards, New South Wales St Leonards is a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney , Australia. St Leonards is located 5 km (3.1 mi) north-west of the Sydney central business district and lies across
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#17327805406964628-534: The first half of the decade. Australian caps in the 1930s were 'Big' Tom Perrin, Waratah Sid King, ex-Kiwi Bill Hemingway, dual international Wal Mackney (stroke of the rowing eight at the Berlin Olympic Games, half Mike Gibbons and Eric Hutchinson who, with brother Frank, was killed while serving in World War II. The Red and Blacks took some time to get back on top after the war, winning only
4717-420: The first laws were written by pupils at Rugby School; other significant events in the early development of rugby include the decision by Blackheath F.C. to leave The Football Association in 1863 and, in 1895, the split between rugby union and rugby league . Historically rugby union was an amateur sport, but in 1995 formal restrictions on payments to players were removed, making the game openly professional at
4806-425: The first to receive the ball from the scrum-half following a breakdown, lineout, or scrum, and need to be decisive with what actions to take and be effective at communicating with the outside backs. Many fly-halves are also their team's goal kickers. The scrum-half is the link between the forwards and the backs. They receive the ball from the lineout and remove the ball from the back of the scrum, usually passing it to
4895-537: The fly-half. They also feed the scrum and sometimes have to act as a fourth loose forward. There are four three quarter positions: two centres (inside and outside) and two wings (left and right). In the Southern Hemisphere, the inside centre is commonly referred to as the second five-eighth, while the outside centre is simply known as the centre. The centres will attempt to tackle attacking players; whilst in attack, they should employ speed and strength to breach opposition defences. The wings are generally positioned on
4984-715: The four grade premierships, a rare feat until Randwick's run in the 1980s. In all, eight premierships were won in the 1960s and three Club Championships. From the Thornett and Phelps days, Roy Prosser (for several years Australia's most capped prop), Les Austin, Andy Town, John 'Sparrow' Dowse, Hugh Rose, Reg Smith, Garrick Fay, Peter Carson and Andy Stewart kept Norths alive in the test arena. Others, including Peter Johnston, Keith Henry, playwright and actor Warwick Moss, Peter Medway, Dennis Turnbull, Graeme Ewens, five-eight Jim Allen, Wallaby David Codey who played his Colts Rugby at Norths and ex- Rugby Club president, Russ Tulloch, played for
5073-414: The goal lines, equivalent to American football's "end zones". The in-goal areas must be between 6 and 22 metres (6.6 and 24.1 yards) deep and cover the full width of the field. A ball grounded in this area by an attacking player will generally result in a try being awarded, unless there has been a previous infringement, or the player has gone out-of-bounds whilst in possession of the ball. The perimeter area
5162-708: The grand final for the first time since 1977. Milton Thaiday and Lachlan McKay were offered Super 12 contracts, and First Grade finished second in the Shute Shield, and sixth in the inaugural Tooheys New Cup. In 2003 the season kicked off for some with a tour to Japan. First Grade finished fourth in the Tooheys New Cup, and captain Mark Challender achieved the SMH's ˜Club Player of the Year' award. Kevin Horan
5251-671: The highest level for the first time. Rugby union spread from the Home Nations of the United Kingdom and Ireland , with other early exponents of the sport including Australia , New Zealand , South Africa and France . The sport is followed primarily in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, New Zealand, Australia, Pacific Islands - Fiji , Tonga , Samoa , Georgia , Oceania , Southern Africa , Argentina , and in recent times also, Italy , Japan , South America ,
5340-641: The list of premierships won in all senior grades in the First Division. There was no doubt that Norths were unlucky to be relegated in 1981. Even though the club went down, it still won the Fourth Grade Premiership. The criterion then was based on the First Grade team and Norths had a disastrous year, scoring only four wins and a draw. Norths were relegated with Hornsby, despite being just one point behind Sydney University and, in
5429-529: The most capped New South Wales front rower when he received his 100th cap in the Super 14. An end of season tour to the United States of America was a success, playing New York Athletic Club, Gentleman of Aspen Rugby Club and Las Vegas Blackjacks. In 2012 Norths 4th grade team secured the Henderson Cup in beating Manly at Concord Oval 21–0. All grade teams featured in the finals with 5th grade runners up for
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#17327805406965518-414: The most important attributes of a good full-back are dependable catching skills and a good kicking game. Rugby union is played between two teams – the one that scores more points wins the game. Points can be scored in several ways: a try , scored by grounding the ball in the in-goal area (between the goal line and the dead-ball line), is worth 5 points and a subsequent conversion kick scores 2 points;
5607-593: The oldest railway station on the North Shore railway line opening in 1890. Gore Hill Cemetery was established on the Pacific Highway in 1868 and was the main burial site for the area until its closure in 1975. It is still maintained as a heritage site by the Department of Local Government and Lands, Willoughby Municipal Council and the Heritage Council of New South Wales. St Leonards has
5696-414: The outside of the backline. Their primary function is to finish off moves and score tries. Wings are usually the fastest players in the team and are elusive runners who use their speed to avoid tackles. The full-back is normally positioned several metres behind the back line. They often field opposition kicks and are usually the last line of defence should an opponent break through the back line. Two of
5785-440: The playing area and perimeter area, although depending on how large the perimeter is, other surfaces such as dirt, artificial turf, etc. may be used outside of a "sliding" perimeter from the bounds of the playing area. For the most part, the "playing area" is where the majority of play occurs. The ball is generally considered live whilst in this area, so long as players do not infringe, with special rules applied to specific zones of
5874-442: The playing area. The playing area consists of: A typical "field of play" is generally 100 metres long by 68–70 metres wide for senior rugby, depending on the specific requirements of each ground. The Laws require the field of play to be between 94 and 100 metres (103 and 109 yards) long, with a width of between 68 and 70 metres (74 and 77 yards). As other football codes, such as association football and rugby league, have specified
5963-432: The playing enclosure. Fences or ropes (particularly at amateur clubs) are generally used to mark the extent of this area, although in modern stadia this may include the entire arena floor or other designated space. The Laws, above all, require that the playing enclosure's surface be safe, whilst also permitting grass, sand, clay, snow or conforming artificial turf to be used; the surface would generally be uniform across both
6052-719: The pre-1995 period of rugby union was marked by frequent accusations of " shamateurism ", including an investigation in Britain by a House of Commons Select committee in early 1995. Following the introduction of professionalism trans-national club competitions were started, with the Heineken Cup in the Northern Hemisphere and Super Rugby in the Southern Hemisphere. The Tri Nations , an annual international tournament involving Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, kicked off in 1996. In 2012 , this competition
6141-415: The professional era and is also often used by host nations, professional leagues and tournaments as additional revenue streams, particularly when games are broadcast. In recent years, augmented reality technology has been used to replace painting to protect the surface or save costs on painting fields, producing a similar effect for broadcast albeit sometimes with poorer results. The in-goal areas sit behind
6230-425: The right to throw-in. The perimeter area should be clear and free of obstructions and heavy, solid objects which could pose a danger to players for at least 5 metres from the playing area, according to the Laws. Players often leave the playing area whether accidentally or due to being forced off of the field, sometimes sliding or needing to slow down from a sprint. Many venues at elite levels leave larger spaces around
6319-530: The semis, with Reserve Grade and Colts Seconds and Thirds winning premierships. There was also an overseas tour to the US, playing games in Los Angeles, New Orleans and New York. 1994 saw the merger of North's two clubs (licensed and rugby). The Alfred Street properties were disposed of. The club purchased and moved to Christie Street, St Leonards location. Third and Fourth Grade won premierships that year, as did
6408-590: The shins), both of which were legal and common tactics under the Rugby School's rules of the sport. In protest at the imposition of the new rules, the Blackheath Club left the FA followed by several other clubs that also favoured the "Rugby Rules". Although these clubs decided to ban hacking soon afterwards, the split was permanent, and the FA's codified rules became known as " association football " whilst
6497-427: The sport in England. Although the rules of the game were not a factor in the split, the breakaway teams subsequently adopted some rule changes and this became the separate code of " rugby league ". The RFU's code thereafter took on the name "rugby union" to differentiate it from rugby league, but both versions of the sport are known simply as "rugby" throughout most of the world. The first rugby football international
6586-706: The suburb. Bus services through St Leonards are operated by Busways , CDC NSW , Keolis Downer Northern Beaches , Transdev John Holland and Transit Systems . A major landuse in the suburb is the Royal North Shore Hospital which is the largest hospitals in Sydney. St Leonards has developed into somewhat of a home for rugby union with the former headquarters of the Australian Rugby Union located at St Leonards (2007-2018), from neighbouring North Sydney . The Northern Suburbs Rugby Club has its clubhouse in St Leonards, featuring
6675-432: The tallest players in the team and specialise as line-out jumpers. The main role of the lock in line-outs is to make a standing jump, often supported by the other forwards, to either collect the thrown ball or ensure the ball comes down on their side. Locks also have an important role in the scrum, binding directly behind the three front row players and providing forward drive. The back row, not to be confused with 'Backs',
6764-424: The two locks at the back of the scrum. The role of the number 8 in the scrum is to control the ball after it has been heeled back from the front of the pack, and the position provides a link between the forwards and backs during attacking phases. The role of the backs is to create and convert point-scoring opportunities. They are generally smaller, faster and more agile than the forwards. Another distinction between
6853-453: The two props is to support the hooker during scrums, to provide support for the jumpers during line-outs and to provide strength and power in rucks and mauls. The third position in the front row is the hooker. The hooker is a key position in attacking and defensive play and is responsible for winning the ball in the scrum. Hookers normally throw the ball in at line-outs. The second row consists of two locks or lock forwards. Locks are usually
6942-616: The world, played by people regardless of gender, age or size. In 2023, there were more than 10 million people playing worldwide, of whom 8.4 million were registered players. World Rugby , previously called the International Rugby Football Board (IRFB) and the International Rugby Board (IRB), has been the governing body for rugby union since 1886, and currently has 116 countries as full members and 18 associate members. In 1845,
7031-492: Was I invited to the 1st grade trail' Mortlock the party even included Welsh legends Barry John and Carwyn James. Due to the high standard of these players and the reputation of Norths hospitality more followed in Scotsman David McComisky and Andrew 'Action' Jackson. The boys all left with fond memories of Norths and the 5th grade kit was a little lighter that year after they left! But was easily replaced due to
7120-410: Was North's first secretary, and the club's first cap was winger Charlie White, who played in the first-ever test-match in 1899 against the British Isles and then in the first Australia v New Zealand test in 1903. The club did not win any premierships prior to the 1914–18 war, but before competitions were suspended, its name was changed to Northern Suburbs. However, for reasons today unknown, the new name
7209-691: Was awarded a contract with NSW Waratahs. Norths' Colts 1 side also made their respective final, ironically, going down to Sydney University at Forshaw Rugby Park. In 2017 Norths featured in the 1st and 4th Grade Grand Finals at North Sydney Oval. In February Norths beat Brisbane Brothers to win the Australian Club Championship. 2018 saw 4th and 3rd Grade both play in Grand Finals at North Sydney Oval. 3rd Grade were victorious. Rugby union Rugby union football , commonly known simply as rugby union or often just rugby ,
7298-463: Was extended to include Argentina , a country whose impressive performances in international games (especially finishing in third place in the 2007 Rugby World Cup) was deemed to merit inclusion in the competition. As a result of the expansion to four teams, the tournament was renamed The Rugby Championship. Each team starts the match with 15 players on the field and typically seven or eight substitutes but this varies at amateur level. The 15 players on
7387-651: Was held at Murrayfield in 1993. Rugby Sevens was introduced into the Commonwealth Games in 1998 and was added to the Olympic Games of 2016. Both men and women's Sevens took place at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Rugby union was an amateur sport until the IRB declared the game "open" in August 1995 (shortly after the completion of the 1995 World Cup), removing restrictions on payments to players. However,
7476-599: Was included as an event in the Olympic Games four times during the early 20th century. No international rugby games and union-sponsored club matches were played during the First World War, but competitions continued through service teams such as the New Zealand Army team . During the Second World War no international matches were played by most countries, though Italy, Germany and Romania played
7565-536: Was not implemented until the 1928 season. Under the guidance of one-eyed (lost in action in France) Fred Aarons, Norths played a leading role in the resurgence of rugby in Sydney during the 1920s. The reserve grade won the club's first premiership in 1925 and, in 1929, Norths won the initial Club Championship. The year 1928 saw a young recruit arrive, one Gavin John Andrews, who is now enshrined as
7654-632: Was played between Scotland and England at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh. The Rugby World Cup , first held in 1987, is held every four years. The Six Nations Championship in Europe and The Rugby Championship in the Southern Hemisphere are other important international competitions that are held annually. National club and provincial competitions include the Premiership in England, the Top 14 in France,
7743-652: Was played on 27 March 1871 between Scotland and England in Edinburgh . Scotland won the game by one goal and one try to one goal. By 1881 both Ireland and Wales had representative teams and in 1883 the first international competition, the Home Nations Championship had begun. 1883 is also the year of the first rugby sevens tournament, the Melrose Sevens , which is still held annually. Two important overseas tours took place in 1888:
7832-439: Was run in the premier competition. In 1997 the Club lost its Patron and Honorary Life Member, George Marshall. The same year, members voted to change the club's accounting year to close on 30 June annually. 1997 also saw the arrival of Dennis Brown of New Zealand as head coach attracting such players as the 'bushwackers' dean et al. Plus a contingent of northern hemisphere players such as Fintan 'clinton napkin' Godkin, Linus 'why
7921-665: Was voted ˜Club Coach of the Year'. All four Colts teams qualified for the semis, with First and Fourths losing narrowly in both grand finals. In the Rugby World Cup, Ben Darwin and Al Baxter played for the Wallabies (Al having made his debut earlier in the season against the All Blacks), and Tonga Leaʻaetoa and Sai Latu represented Tonga. And Keith Gleeson played for Ireland. Early 2005 saw Northern Suburbs' club house undergo extensive renovations to reopen in June as Cabana Bar and Lounge. Cabana Bar has since cemented itself as
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