THE WALLAROO FOOTBALL CLUB, Sydney’s first Rugby club was founded in 1870. Guided by Australian-born Rugby School ‘old boys’, Wallaroo was Sydney’s contemporary of London’s famous Rugby clubs Richmond (1861), Blackheath (1858), Harlequins (1866) and Wasps (1867).

A prestigious institution, leading influence and the foundation stone of the Rugby game in Australia, Wallaroo’s debut marked the first organised Rugby match played in Sydney. Throughout the late 1800s, the club won the Sydney premiership 13 times and supplied both the first NSW Waratahs captain and the first Australian Wallabies captain.

Yet in 1900, after a ‘monstrous injustice’ was done, the club was driven from the field and left defunct.

“Rugby football was established in New South Wales in 1870 when the Wallaroo Club was formed.”

— The Sydney Morning Herald, 18 April 1931

THE WALLAROO FC: SYDNEY’S FIRST RUGBY CLUB
In the late autumn of 1870 an advertisement in the Sydney papers called upon those interested in Rugby football to attend a meeting for the purpose of forming a club. Only five men put in an appearance. Nothing daunted, they launched the club under the name of the Wallaroo FC.

Wallaroo, founded in 1870, was the first football club in Australia to formally adopt Rugby Rules at its opening meeting. These were ‘Rugbeian rules’ — as with the most prominent Rugby clubs in England, they were framed directly from the laws used at Rugby School.* The Wallaroo club refused to meet a team under any other football rules than Rugby.

Throughout the 19th century, Wallaroo FC was the most powerful and influential club in Australia under Rugby football. It was a ‘cosmopolitan’ club, drawing its gentlemen members from across the Sydney area on the basis of social standing and sporting merit, rather than local residency or school affiliation — much like Blackheath, Richmond, and the other great ‘open’ Rugby clubs of London.

Keeping in mind the old “black heathen” tag of Blackheath FC, the club adopted as its name the local, charcoal-coated “devil of the rocks”—the wallaroo.

In its early years, Wallaroo FC played a restricted fixture list against military teams, Sydney University, and The King’s School. As more clubs emerged and competition intensified, Wallaroo reigned supreme, securing thirteen premierships by the end of the century.

“Our men play the Rugby game.”

Wallaroo FC also played a leading role in advancing the Rugby code in Australia—resisting the introduction of other football codes, establishing the formation of the Southern Rugby Football Union (later NSWRU), organising the first inter-colonial matches, and successfully advocating for the Waratah emblem on NSW jerseys. The club also provided both the first NSW captain (1882) and the first Australian captain (1899).**

However, after having won the 1899 premiership and being the city’s reigning premiers, just weeks before the start of the 1900 season Wallaroo FC was effectively driven out of existence. Rivals had pushed through a new residency-based system of district clubs that replaced the traditional social membership clubs.

“Mr. W. M. M. Arnold [of WFC] said he was in favor of any sort of football; but the amendment meant the killing of every club in the union. Offers would be made to players, to live in certain districts, and have free board and lodging. It would be a monstrous injustice to wipe out existing clubs.”
— Australian Town and Country Journal, 1 October 1898

Despite Wallaroo’s strong protests, and an exception being found to keep the Sydney University club (of course!), the change was forced through. The Wallaroo FC had on 30 September 1899 played their final competitive match.

“The Wallaroo stick fast to the Rugby colours.”
— ‘The Bulletin’, 20 August 1881

Note: the likely first Rugby club in Australia was the South Yarra FC founded in Melbourne in 1858 [link]

* Based on a comparison made with Wallaroo’s surviving 1871 playing rules. These rules were most likely sourced from Richmond FC or Blackheath FC. The founders of Blackheath in 1858 included Australian born Frederick Henry Moore, who also captained the club for five seasons until returning to the colonies in 1864. Although Moore later lived in Sydney and joined the exclusive “Union Club” there is no known ties to the Wallaroo FC. The first codified ‘rugby union’ rules appeared in England mid 1871 following the formation of the Rugby Football Union. These latter rules were not applicable to club Rugby outside the RFU’s member clubs. The NSWRU was founded in late 1874 whereupon the RFU’s playing laws were adopted for use by all clubs.

** Wallaroo’s James Brodie captained the first ever NSW (now Waratahs) team in 1882 vs Queensland. Wallaroo’s Frank ‘Banger’ Row captained the first ever Australian (now Wallabies) team in 1899 vs British Lions.

WallarooFC1870.com – All website text & content © Sean Fagan

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