1903 Metropolitan Rugby Union season

November 2019 20x20px Balmain 3rd 8 20x20px Eastern Suburbs Minor Premiers Premiers 20x20px Eastern Suburbs 1st 20x20px Glebe 1903 Sydney Rugby Premiership 20x20px Walter Davis (6) 20x20px Walter Ogaard (6) 20x20px Reg Harris (27) 1st 2 May to 22 August 10 Second Grade Premiers 20x20px Newtown 20x20px Eastern Suburbs Boroughs Competition 17 Gipps Premiers 20x20px Balmain 1902 Metropolitan Rugby Union season 1902 1904 Metropolitan Rugby Union season 1904 The 1903 Metropolitan Rugby Union season was the 30th season of the Sydney Rugby Premiership. It was the fourth season run for clubs that represented a district. Eight clubs (seven representing a district, the remaining club representing Sydney University) competed from May till August 1903. The season culminated in the fourth district premiership, which was won by Eastern Suburbs. Eastern Suburbs were crowned premiers by virtue of finishing the season on top of the table. Teams Eight clubs contested the season; seven clubs representing a district and one club representing Sydney University.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article120664707 FOOTBALL 1903-04-29 Referee (Sydney, NSW : 1886 - 1939) 2018-05-17 8 center|50x50pxBalmain Formed on 26 March 1900 Ground: Birchgrove Oval Captain: R Hutchensoncenter|150x150pxEastern Suburbs Formed on 22 March 1900 Ground: Hampden Park Captain: Percy Macnamaracenter|50x50pxGlebe Formed on 15 March 1900 Ground: Wentworth Park Captain: William Howecenter|50x50pxNewtown Formed on 22 March 1900 Ground: Erskineville Oval Captain: Edward Larkincenter|150x150pxNorth Sydney Formed on 23 March 1900 Ground: North Sydney Oval Captain: Jack O'Donnellcenter|50x50pxSouth Sydney Formed on 26 March 1900 Ground: RAS Showground Captain: J Bourke100px|centerSydney University Formed on 19 August 1865 Ground: University Oval Captain: John Manningcenter|50x50pxWestern Suburbs Formed on 22 March 1900 Captain: Stanley Wickham Season summary The success of Eastern Suburbs in the 1903 Sydney Rugby Premiership was popular with the football public. This was mostly due to the fact that the club were first-time winners and played the game in a sporting fashion. The team displayed excellent defence, letting in only eight tries during the season. Eastern Suburbs opened the season by defeating Glebe by 4 points to 3, and that victory proved a highly important one to both teams, as, at the close, there was one competition point between them. From start to finish of the season, Eastern Suburbs either held the leading position or shared the lead with another club.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article120665611 MR. W. COFFEY ON THE PLAY OF NEW ZEALANDERS AND AUSTRALIANS. 1903-08-26 Referee (Sydney, NSW : 1886 - 1939) 2018-05-17 8 Glebe, who finished second, were the only team who scored at least one try in every match. The club finished strongly by winning the last 6 rounds of the season. As a pack they were superior to that of any other team, excepting Eastern Suburbs. At no time did they equal the best of their form in other seasons. After a bit of a slow start to the season, Newtown began to display outstanding brilliance in attack. This led them to move quickly up the ladder and finish the season in a strong third place. Newtown were the most brilliant all-round team in the competition, yet lacked that solidity. At the conclusion of the season, the Rugby world saw the shock death of another of their players. Wallace Millican, three-quarter for Newtown, died of blood poisoning on 30 August after spending most of the week confined to his bed. Millican was 21 years old and hugely popular amongst the Newtown followers.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article120663268 FOOTBALL 1903-09-02 Referee (Sydney, NSW : 1886 - 1939) 2018-05-26 8 Ladder TeamPldWDLBPFPAPDPts120x20px Eastern Suburbs13101208941 +4821220x20px Glebe1392208948 +4120320x20px Newtown13724011465 +4916420x20px North Sydney1361607787 -1013520x20px Sydney University13526010165 +3612620x20px Western Suburbs1342705696 -4010720x20px South Sydney1340905073 -238820x20px Balmain131210056157 -1014 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article120663283 SYDNEY FIRST GRADE PREMIERSHIP, 1903. 1903-09-02 Referee (Sydney, NSW : 1886 - 1939) 2018-05-17 8 Ladder Progression Numbers highlighted in blue indicates the team finished first on the ladder in that round. Numbers highlighted in red indicates the team finished in last place on the ladder in that round Team12345678910111213120x20px Eastern Suburbs24689911131315171921220x20px Glebe0245688101214161820320x20px Newtown0223468101214161616420x20px North Sydney2235799111313131313520x20px Sydney University2355557799101012620x20px Western Suburbs233355777781010720x20px South Sydney0000022224468820x20px Balmain0013444444444 Statistics Points PlayerPlTGFGPts120x20px Reg Harris1228127220x20px Percy Macnamara1336024320x20px Albert Cotter525122420x20px WA Hay1218020520x20px HA Morton1108020620x20px Walter Davis1160018720x20px Walter Ogaard1260018820x20px Sid Riley1050015920x20px William Burleigh12500151020x20px Victor Futter1250015 Tries PlayerPlT120x20px Walter Davis11620x20px Walter Ogaard126320x20px Sid Riley105420x20px William Burleigh125520x20px Victor Futter125620x20px Patrick Carew114720x20px L Seaborn104820x20px William Hardcastle64920x20px E Quinsey1341020x20px Nigel Barker134 Lower Grades The MRFU also conducted Second Grade and Boroughs competitions this season. Second Grade Ten teams participated in the Second Grade competition: the eight First Grade clubs entered a team each, in addition two Boroughs clubs, Willoughby and Manly, were permitted to each enter a team. The season concluded with Newtown undefeated at the top of the table by a margin of 8 points. They were therefore declared premiers. Boroughs Competition Seventeen teams participated in the Boroughs Competition. The teams were split into two divisions of nine teams. In Division A was North Sydney, Willoughby, Mosman, Manly, East Sydney, Surrey Hills, Redfern, Balmain and Gipps. In Division B was Newtown, University, Waterloo, Rockdale, Glebe, Annandale, Leichhardt and Ashfield. At the end of the regular games, North Sydney finished at the top of Division A and Glebe finished at the top of Division B.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article120667699 FOOTBALL 1903-06-24 Referee (Sydney, NSW : 1886 - 1939) 2018-05-27 8 The final saw Gipps beat Balmain 11 points to 6 to take the premiership.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article120660932 THE "REFEREE" SCORE-BOOK. 1903-08-12 Referee (Sydney, NSW : 1886 - 1939) 2018-05-27 8 Participating clubs ClubGrade1st2ndB.Annandale Football ClubY20px Ashfield Football ClubY20px Balmain District Football ClubYYY20px East Sydney Football ClubY20px Eastern Suburbs District Rugby Football ClubYYGipps Football ClubY20px Glebe District Football ClubYYYLeichhardt Football ClubYManly Football ClubYY20px Mosman Football ClubY20px Newtown District Football ClubYYY20px North Sydney District Rugby Football ClubYYY20px Redfern Football ClubYRockdale Football ClubY20px South Sydney District Football ClubYYSurry Hills Football ClubY20px Sydney University Football ClubYYYWaterloo Football ClubY20px Western Suburbs District Rugby Football ClubYYWilloughby Football ClubYY Footnotes References Sydney Club Rugby History. "Eastern Suburbs Club Premiers", Referee (Sydney, NSW: 1886 - 1939). 1903-08-26. p. 8. Category:1903 in Australian rugby union Category:Rugby union competitions in New South Wales