0°C | Wednesday January 21, 2026 
22 April 2025
By James Mullan
Northern Suburbs Rugby Club marked its 125th anniversary over the weekend with its first home game of the season at North Sydney Oval, commemorating more than a century of rugby history on Sydney’s North Shore.
Although the Shoremen fell 27–16 to Eastern Suburbs in a Shute Shield grand final rematch, the occasion was celebratory. Players wore heritage jerseys replicating the club’s original 1900 strip, paying tribute to early local rugby traditions predating federation.
Rugby union on the North Shore dates back even further, with council records indicating that the North Shore Football Club was active at the current site of Shore School in the late 19th century. Known then as the Pirates, the club won the First Grade Premiership in 1898 and the R.A.S. Trophy in 1897, 1898 and 1899. In 1900, the Pirates merged with the neighbouring Wallaroos to form North Sydney—later known as Northern Suburbs.
Since then, Norths have claimed seven Shute Shield titles and produced 42 Wallabies, including Al Baxter, who earned 69 Test caps and played 121 times for the Waratahs.
The club’s first dominant era came in the 1930s, with premierships in 1933 and 1935. That side featured Gavin John “Bon” Andrews, after whom North Sydney Oval No. 2 is named. A 26-year premiership drought ended in 1960, followed by back-to-back titles in 1963 and 1964. Roy Prosser, who remains the club’s all-time First Grade games record-holder with 220 appearances, was a mainstay during this period.
After a Shute Shield victory in 1975, the club struggled through the 1980s in the second division before regaining top-flight status in the 1990s. The 1998 season was particularly notable: all five grade teams reached the grand finals, with Second and Fifth Grade winning premierships. Norths were named The Herald’s Club of the Year and Michael Sykes took out Club Player of the Year honours.
The 2000s saw consistent performances and a steady stream of NSW representatives, capped by a return to premiership form in 2016. That year, Norths broke a 41-year First Grade drought by defeating Sydney University in front of 12,500 spectators at North Sydney Oval—the first time the grand final had been hosted at the ground. The team strung together 13 consecutive wins, and six of seven grades reached the semi-finals. Fourth Grade were minor premiers and the First Colts were runners-up.
Since that 2016 breakthrough, Norths have remained a consistent finals contender in First Grade, though another Shute Shield title has so far proved elusive.
Easts, who also defeated Norths in last year’s grand final, repeated the result in Saturday’s anniversary clash. The Shoremen next return to North Sydney Oval on May 3 to face Southern Districts.