Eastwood Rugby Club

Eastwood Rugby is a rugby union club playing in the Sydney Premier Rugby competition. The Eastwood District extends from the Parramatta River at Meadowbank to the Hawkesbury River at Wisemans Ferry. The Club currently plays at TG Millner Field. On November 25 2020, the Club announced that it had secured approval for its new home ground at the Old Pony Club in Fred Caterson Reserve, Gilbert Rd Castle Hill [1]

Eastwood Rugby
Full nameEastwood District Rugby Union Football Club
Nickname(s)The Woodies, Woods
Founded1947
LocationNorthern Districts/Hills District, Sydney
Ground(s)TG Millner Field, Marsfield, New South Wales
Coach(es)1st Grade: Ben Batger
League(s)Sydney Rugby Union, Shute Shield
20205th
Team kit
Official website
www.eastwoodrugby.com.au

Honours
Premiership Titles: 1999, 2002, 2003, 2011, 2014, 2015

Club history

Rugby has been played in the Northern Districts of Sydney since the latter part of the 19th century. In the late 1890s a number of local sides existed playing at a variety of venues, the main one being Brush Farm.

With the outbreak of the Great War, senior rugby was suspended with many of the players enlisting, a number paying the supreme sacrifice.

Following W.W.1, the strength of Rugby in Eastwood and in Epping was centred around the respective Young Men's Institutes which fielded junior and senior sides in the Suburban Competition (this competition was next in importance to the District Competition). Epping won the Kentwell Cup in 1926 and Eastwood won the Burke Cup in 1927. At this time, Epping played at Epping Oval and Eastwood played at Eastwood Oval.

Following further success in the 1930s, momentum was building to seek admission into the District Competition. The outbreak of the Second World War caused a deferral of this plan until 1946 when a successful application was made for inclusion in the District Competition from the beginning of the 1947 Season. This was following the amalgamation of the Eastwood and Epping Clubs. As a result, the Eastwood District Rugby Union Football Club was formed and it has played in the Sydney District Competition ever since. In 1963, EDRUFC moved its home ground to TG Millner.

The Club has won a number of minor grade and Colts competitions over the years but did not win the 1st-grade major premiership trophy until 1999. In an historic win, the Club won the Shute Shield for the first time by defeating Sydney University in the Grand Final.

Since formation, the Club has produced numerous players who have played International rugby. Eastwood has a strong junior base which has won many NSW Junior Rugby Union State Championships.

Junior Clubs
  • Northern Barbarians (formerly Beecroft-Cherrybrook)
  • Central Eastwood (formerly Hillview and Epping Juniors)[2][3]
  • Dural Rugby
  • North Rocks Rugby
  • Redfield Rugby (Minis only)
  • Ryde Rugby

International representatives

Current provincial representatives

Super Rugby

  • Tim Anstee
  • Lachie Anderson
  • Ed Craig

References
  1. https://eastwoodrugby.com.au/2020/11/25/new-home-ground-for-the-woods/
  2. https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/junior-rugby-clubs-throwing-games-as-fears-deepen-over-player-sizes-and-safety-20160616-gpksh1.html
  3. http://duralrugbyclub.com.au/minis/season-information/
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