Waratah Shield

The Waratah Shield is a rugby union knock-out competition for high school teams from New South Wales, Australia. First contested in 1963, it is organised by New South Wales Rugby Union in conjunction with NSW Schools' Rugby Union and NSW Combined High Schools and attracts around 100 entries each year. St Edmund's College, Canberra is the most successful school with fourteen victories. The competition was open to all high schools in NSW, until 2004, the ACT was released due to their dominance.[1]

Notable players

Many notable rugby players, including Wallaby greats, took part in the Waratah Shield in their youth. Many came from St Edmund's College in Canberra, shield winners 14 times. They include Ricky Stuart in their first title win in 1984 at the Sydney Cricket Ground which brought him to the attention of the sporting public,[1] Matt Giteau, David Furner, George Gregan, Matt Henjak, Anthony Fainga'a and Saia Fainga'a. Other notable players include Joe Roff also from Canberra who played in Marist College, Canberra's 1992 and 1993 victories, George Smith, Gordon Bray, Mark Ella, Gary Ella, Glen Ella and Lloyd Walker among others.

Number of victories

A total of 18 schools have won the Waratah Shield since it began in 1963. St. Edmund's College, Canberra is the most successful school in the history of the Waratah Shield with a total of 14 victories, seven more than the next most successful schools, St Augustine's College, Brookvale, with eight titles.

School	Victories	Years won
St. Edmund's College, Canberra	14	1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
St Augustine's College, Brookvale	8	2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
Matraville Sports High School	5	1972, 1976, 1977, 1983, 2007
Randwick Boys High School	4	1963, 1975, 1978, 1982
St Stanislaus' College	4	1974, 1980, 1981, 1995
Epping Boys High School	3	1967, 1968, 1969
Marist College, Canberra	3	1988, 1992, 1993
Manly Boys High School	2	1966, 1970
North Sydney Boys High School	2	1971, 1973
Hurlstone Agricultural College	1	1964
Homebush Boys High School	1	1965
James Ruse Agricultural High School	1	1979
The Scots College	1	1990
Oakhill College	1	1994
St Patrick's College, Strathfield	1	1996
Westfields Sports High School	1	2005
Barker College	1	2006
The Hills Sports High School	1	2010

Waratah Shield premiers

The following table sets out winners and notable players over the history of the Waratah Shield.[2]

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score	Notable players
1963	Randwick Boys High School
1964	Hurlstone Agricultural College[3]
1965[4]	Homebush Boys' High School	Oakhill College	8–3	Gordon Bray
1966	Manly Boys' High School
1967	Epping Boys' High School
1968[5]	Epping Boys' High School	Manly Boys' High School
1969[6]	Epping Boys' High School	Matraville Sports High School
1970	Manly Boys' High School
1971[7][8]	North Sydney Boys' High School	Randwick Boys High School
1972	Matraville Sports High School
1973[9]	North Sydney Boys' High School	Randwick Boy's High School	6–3
1974[10][11]	St Stanislaus' College, Bathurst	Lyneham High School, Canberra	16–10
1975[12]	Randwick Boys' High School	St Stanislaus' College, Bathust	17–13
1976[13]	Matraville High School	North Sydney High	12–3	Gary Ella, Mark Ella, Glen Ella[14] Llord Walker[15]
1977[16]	Matraville High School	Randwick Boys' High School	25–3	Mark Ella
1978[17]	Randwick Boys' High School	Chevalier College	7–0
1979[18]	James Ruse Agricultural High School	Birrong Boys High	15–7
1980[19]	St Stanislaus' College, Bathurst	North Sydney Boys High	26–15
1981[20]	St Stanislaus' College, Bathurst	Matraville High School		James Grant
1982[21][22]	Randwick Boys' High School	St Edmund's College, Canberra	10–6
1983[23][24]	Matraville High School	St. Stanislaus' College, Bathurst	13–9
1984[25][26]	St Edmund's College, Canberra	Cranbrook School, Sydney	14–4	Ricky Stuart
1985[27]	St Edmund's College, Canberra	Oakhill College	22–4
1986[28]	St Edmund's College, Canberra	Killarney Heights High School	38–0	David Furner, Matt Pini
1987[29][30]	St Edmund's College, Canberra	Randwick Boy's High	11–3
1988[31][32]	Marist College, Canberra	Oakhill College	13–3
1989[33][34]	St Edmund's College, Canberra	St Stanislaus' College, Bathurst	9–6	George Gregan
1990[35][36]	The Scots College	St Edmund's College, Canberra	6–0
1991[37][38]	St Edmund's College, Canberra	Scots College, Sydney	25–18
1992[39]	Marist College, Canberra	St Stanislaus College, Bathurst	38–8	Joe Roff
1993[40]	Marist College, Canberra	Oakhill College	29–14
1994[41][42]	Oakhill College	Marist College, Canberra	24–20
1995[43]	St Stanislaus' College, Bathurst	Daramalan College, Canberra	22–15
1996[44][45]	St Patrick's College, Strathfield	Marist College, Canberra	24–23
1997	St Edmund's College, Canberra	St Patrick's College, Strathfield	50–7
1998[46]	St Edmund's College, Canberra	Cromer High School	45–22	George Smith
1999[47]	St Edmund's College, Canberra	St Patrick's College, Strathfield	27–15	Matt Giteau, Matt Henjak
2000	St Edmund's College, Canberra
2001	St Edmund's College, Canberra
2002[48][49]	St Edmund's College, Canberra	St. Stanislaus' College, Bathurst	41–22
2003[50]	St Edmund's College, Canberra	Prairiewood High School	51–0	Anthony Fainga'a, Saia Fainga'a
2004[51][52]	St Edmund's College, Canberra	Rankwick Boys High School
2005[53][54]	Westfields Sports High School	Barker College
2006[55]	Barker College
2007[56]	Matraville Sports High School
2008[57]	St. Augustine's College, Brookvale	St. Stanislaus' College, Bathurst	26–16
2009[58]	St. Augustine's College, Brookvale	St. Stanislaus' College, Bathurst	18–13
2010[59]	The Hills Sports High School	St. Augustine's College, Brookvale	38–18
2011[60]	St. Augustine's College, Brookvale	The Hills Sports High School	20–13
2012[61][62]	St. Augustine's College, Brookvale	Oakhill College	27–17
2013[63]	St. Augustine's College, Brookvale	Oakhill College	64–21
2014[64]	St. Augustine's College, Brookvale	Oakhill College	20–13
2015[65]	St. Augustine's College, Brookvale	Hills Sport High School	26–16
2016[66]	St. Augustine's College, Brookvale	Oakhill College	13–10
2017[67]	St. Augustine's College, Brookvale	Hills Sport High School	forfeit

See also

• Rugby union trophies and awards

References

1. Sheehan, Paul (23 May 2005). "Boys' lesson in defeat, if not class". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
2. "Waratah Shield Premiers" (pdf). 2011 Waratah Shield & Cup Handbook. NSW Rugby Union. 2011. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
3. "Photograph of First Grade Team with Waratah Shield". 1964. p. 37. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
4. The Magazine of the Homebush Boys' High School 1965 (PDF). 1965. p. 53.
5. "Today's sport". The Sydney Morning Herald. 17 August 1968. p. 22.
6. "Rugby – Saturday". The Sydney Morning Herald. 25 July 1969. p. 17.
7. "Objection to school game". The Sydney Morning Herald. 3 August 1971. p. 2.
8. "Rugby fan smashes demonstrator's nose". The Sydney Morning Herald. 4 August 1971. p. 3.
9. "Randwick beaten 6–3 71". The Sydney Morning Herald. 18 August 1980.
10. "Gordon ensure continuity". The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 August 1974.
11. "The Canberra Times ACT Sporting Section". The Canberra Times. 19 August 1974. p. 12.
12. "The Canberra Times ACT Sporting Section". The Canberra Times. 19 August 1975. p. 15.
13. "Union Boys turn on style". The Sydney Morning Herald. 23 August 1979. p. 21.
14. 1962–2002 40 Glorious Years – A History of Clovelly Junior Rugby Club (PDF). 2002. p. 17. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
15. "Past Players". Retrieved 4 August 2016.
16. "Ella stars in school RU". The Sydney Morning Herald. 22 August 1977. p. 17.
17. "RU shield goes to Randwick". The Sydney Morning Herald. 21 August 1978. p. 30.
18. "The Canberra Times ACT Sports Detail". The Canberra Times. 20 August 1979. p. 15.
19. "Teacher's Pets". The Sydney Morning Herald. 18 August 1980. p. 35.
20. "'Ginger Meggs' has the right spirit". The Sydney Morning Herald. 4 September 1978. p. 34.
21. "The Canberra Times ACT Sport Section". The Canberra Times. 23 August 1982. p. 16.
22. "The Canberra Times ACT School and Junior Sport". The Canberra Times. 24 August 1982. p. 17.
23. "The Canberra Times ACT Sport results, detail". The Canberra Times. 12 August 1983. p. 18.
24. "The Canberra Times ACT Sport results, detail". The Canberra Times. 17 August 1983. p. 39.
25. "The Canberra Times ACT Sport result, details". The Canberra Times. 19 August 1984. p. 8.
26. "The Canberra Times ACT Sport". The Canberra Times. 19 August 1984. p. 2.
27. "The Canberra Times ACT Sport". The Canberra Times. 18 August 1985. p. 1.
28. "The Canberra Times ACT Sports Section". The Canberra Times. 18 August 1986. p. 10.
29. "The Canberra Times ACT Sports results and details". The Canberra Times. 24 August 1987. p. 23.
30. "The Canberra Times ACT School and Junior Sport". The Canberra Times. 25 August 1987. p. 19.
31. "The Canberra Times ACT Sport results and details". The Canberra Times. 29 August 1988. p. 23.
32. "The Canberra Times ACT Sport". The Canberra Times. 30 August 1988. p. 24.
33. "The Canberra Times ACT Sport results and detail". The Canberra Times. 11 September 1989. p. 23.
34. "The Canberra Times ACT Junior Sport". The Canberra Times. 12 September 1989. p. 22.
35. "The Canberra Times ACT Sport results and detail". The Canberra Times. 18 September 1990. p. 20.
36. "The Canberra Times ACT Sport". The Canberra Times. 17 September 1990. p. 24.
37. "The Canberra Times ACT Sport results and detail". The Canberra Times. 9 September 1991. p. 18.
38. "The Canberra Times ACT Sport". The Canberra Times. 9 September 1991. p. 18.
39. "The Canberra Times ACT Sport". The Canberra Times. 15 September 1992. p. 23.
40. "The Canberra Times ACT Sport". The Canberra Times. 13 September 1993. p. 23.
41. "The Canberra Times ACT Sport results and detail". The Canberra Times. 12 September 1994. p. 23.
42. "The Canberra Times ACT Sport". The Canberra Times. 12 September 1994. p. 25.
43. "The Canberra Times ACT Sport". The Canberra Times. 12 September 1995. p. 23.
44. Gerg Growden (13 September 1996). "The call goes out for Dougie". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 47.
45. "YouTube of 1996 Final".
46. Phil Wilkins (14 September 1998). "Last year's semi-final nightmare returns to haunt Cromer". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 30.
47. Phil Wilkins (30 September 1999). "Combined's dynamite duo unite to demolish tired GPS". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 28.
48. "The Canberra Times ACT". The Canberra Times. 14 September 2002.
49. Ben Kimber (16 September 2002). "Firsts show GPS's state of strength". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 22.
50. "Eddies takes out a seventh straight Waratah Shield". The Canberra Times. 15 August 2003.
51. "NSW Rugby Union Annual Report 2004" (PDF). p. 31. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
52. "Adjournment Speech by House of Representative, Ms Annette Ellis – Hansard Thursday 10 February 2005". p. 99. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
53. "Westfields Sports First in Australia. Prospectus 2012" (PDF). p. 7. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
54. "NSWCHSSA Rugby Knock Results 2005". Retrieved 9 August 2016.
55. "NSWRU Annual Report 2006" (PDF). December 2006. p. 43. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
56. Stevte Mascord and Liam Fitzgibbon (22 September 2007). "Matraville win Arrive Alive Cup". The Daily Telegapgh. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
57. "Headmaster's Activity Report, Term 3 2008 – Waratah Shield 2008" (PDF). Retrieved 9 August 2016.
58. "Saints win state-wide Waratah Shield". Peninsula Living. October 2009. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
59. "The Hills Sports High School – Rugby Union". Retrieved 10 August 2016.
60. "Waratah Shield Final result". NSW Schools Rugby Union. 12 September 2011. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
61. "Review: Waratah Shield Final". Green and Gold Rugby. 30 August 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
62. "YouTube of 2012 Final".
63. "St. Augustine's College win Waratah Shield for fifth time". Green and Gold Rugby. 29 August 2013. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
64. St Augustine's College, Sydney 100 Years Reember Them 1915 – 2015 Student Diary 2015 (PDF). January 2016.
65. St Augustine's College, Sydney Communitas November, 2015 (PDF). November 2015.
66. "Tolle Lege take and read." (PDF). 27. 7 September 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2016. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
67. "COMMUNITAS December 2017" (PDF). Retrieved 26 June 2020. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

Easternal links

• Australian Schools Rugby Union
• NSW Schools Rugby Union