Brothers Old Boys
Encyclopedia
The Brothers Old Boys are an Australian rugby union
club, based in Brisbane
,
Queensland
. The team currently competes in the Queensland Premier Rugby
competition against nine of the states best Rugby Union clubs. The club was established in 1905 and has won 27 premierships since. They have produced over 209 Queensland
and 75 Wallaby
players over the years.
, Nudgee College
and St. James' College who wanted a Rugby club that 'old boys' (past students) could all play for. It was further decided at this meeting to "play in the school colours, blue and white hoops". These were the St Joseph's College Gregory Terrace colours of the time. In 1905 the team played in plain hoops but the Scottish supplier incorrectly sent navy and white irregular stripes ("butcher stripes") for the 1906 season and the club has maintained this jersey ever since.
In 1907 after only the second year in the Brisbane Premier Rugby
competition, Brothers won their first premiership defeating Valleys 18 - 8. Brothers next string of success was titled the "First Golden Era" when they won Premierships in 1911,12,13,15, and 1919. During this period the club was so strong that in 1914 they fielded two teams in the competition Brothers 'A' & 'B'. The end of the 1919 season saw the demise of Rugby Union in Queensland, Rugby League
became the 'code of choice' and Brisbane Premier Rugby came to a halt.
Brothers become the first club in Brisbane to have their own ground at Crosby Park, Albion. The original arrangement began with the QRU as lease holder in 1949 but Brothers took over the lease in their own right in 1951. Prior to the move the players would train under lights at the local public New Farm Park
.
The success of the late forties and early 1950s was not repeated for more than a decade, except for a premiership win in 1959. Following the 1959 premiership win things reached possibly the lowest point ever for the club. The year 1963 saw the club struggle to field a competitive team but things began to turn around in 1964 with Premierships in 1966 & 1968.
, former Queensland Reds
captain and Australian Vice Captain Elton Flatley
and fellow current Reds players David Croft and Sean Hardman
along with the recently retired Glen Panoho. In 2005 the club celebrated its Centenary and the following year after a long 16 years absence reached the Grand Final, losing 23-22 to Wests
in the 2006 Grand Final. Once again in 2008, Brothers would lose another Grand Final, this time to Easts by the bearest of margins falling short 21 points to Easts 22. The defeat would not last long in the memories for the club as they made back-to-back grand finals and in September 2009, after a long awaited 22 year drought, Brothers won their 27th premiership by defeating Souths 26-19.
(nicknamed 'The Red Heavies') first began in senior competition on June 8 1912, with Brothers running out victors 24 - 0. The tradition of hard, close fought games between these two clubs remains a feature of the Brisbane club scene and there have been many memorable tussles over the years, particularly in grand finals. The most famous being the 24-all draw in 1979 that resulted in a rematch where Brothers lost 16-13 in a tight match. The latest bragging rights are still with University after a 19-10 win in the 1990 final, the last time the teams have met in a grand final.
(1) Brothers played in the BRL under the name Merthyr Football Club
is a challenge match between the Brisbane and Sydney club premiers. Brothers have won played in the fixture eight times, winning it on four occasions (1974, 1984, 1985 and 2010).
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club, based in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
,
Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. The team currently competes in the Queensland Premier Rugby
Queensland Premier Rugby
Queensland Premier Rugby is a club rugby union competition in Queensland, Australia. Ten clubs compete in the competition, eight of which are from Brisbane, with a club each from the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast also competing. The competition has been contested in its present form since 1929...
competition against nine of the states best Rugby Union clubs. The club was established in 1905 and has won 27 premierships since. They have produced over 209 Queensland
Queensland Reds
The Queensland Reds represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996 they were a representative team selected on merit from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland...
and 75 Wallaby
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
players over the years.
First golden era
The Brothers Old Boys Rugby Union Club was formed at a meeting held in 1905 by old boys of Gregory TerraceSt. Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace
St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace is a Greater Public Schools private, Roman Catholic, day school for boys only, located in Spring Hill, an inner suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia...
, Nudgee College
St. Joseph's Nudgee College
St Joseph's Nudgee College is a private, Roman Catholic, day and boarding school for boys, located in Boondall, a northern suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia....
and St. James' College who wanted a Rugby club that 'old boys' (past students) could all play for. It was further decided at this meeting to "play in the school colours, blue and white hoops". These were the St Joseph's College Gregory Terrace colours of the time. In 1905 the team played in plain hoops but the Scottish supplier incorrectly sent navy and white irregular stripes ("butcher stripes") for the 1906 season and the club has maintained this jersey ever since.
In 1907 after only the second year in the Brisbane Premier Rugby
Queensland Premier Rugby
Queensland Premier Rugby is a club rugby union competition in Queensland, Australia. Ten clubs compete in the competition, eight of which are from Brisbane, with a club each from the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast also competing. The competition has been contested in its present form since 1929...
competition, Brothers won their first premiership defeating Valleys 18 - 8. Brothers next string of success was titled the "First Golden Era" when they won Premierships in 1911,12,13,15, and 1919. During this period the club was so strong that in 1914 they fielded two teams in the competition Brothers 'A' & 'B'. The end of the 1919 season saw the demise of Rugby Union in Queensland, Rugby League
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
became the 'code of choice' and Brisbane Premier Rugby came to a halt.
Second golden era
Rugby Union was re-introduced in Queensland in 1929 and Brothers returned to the QRU in 1930, but it wouldn't be until 1945 that it tasted success. They secured their first trophy in the senior competition since the recommencement of competition with a 13 - 6 victory over University in the final of the mid-season Tom Welsby Cup in 1945. Brothers went on that year to contest the premiership final but went down to none other than arch rivals University. It was the start of a bright period for the club, a "second golden era" that saw premiership wins in 1946, 1949, 1950, 1951 and 1953.Brothers become the first club in Brisbane to have their own ground at Crosby Park, Albion. The original arrangement began with the QRU as lease holder in 1949 but Brothers took over the lease in their own right in 1951. Prior to the move the players would train under lights at the local public New Farm Park
New Farm Park, Brisbane
New Farm Park is a significant historic park in the suburb of New Farm, Brisbane, Australia, located at the southern end of the New Farm Peninsula on the Brisbane River. It covers , and it currently includes grounds, tennis courts, and basketball courts...
.
The success of the late forties and early 1950s was not repeated for more than a decade, except for a premiership win in 1959. Following the 1959 premiership win things reached possibly the lowest point ever for the club. The year 1963 saw the club struggle to field a competitive team but things began to turn around in 1964 with Premierships in 1966 & 1968.
Third golden era
The 70's marked the start of a "third golden era" for the club as "A" Grade premierships continued in 1971, 73, 74, 1975, 1978 and then an unbroken record of 5 in a row from 1980 to 1984. This gave the club 10 premierships in a 14-year period from 1971 to 1984. The resurgence of Brothers in this period contributed greatly to the Queensland Rugby revival. Brothers only other success in the 1980s came in 1987.1990s to present day
The Premiership successes had been missing from the club since 1987, and the first and only grand final appearance in the 90's came in a loss to rivals University in the 1990 Grand Final. Brothers continued to produce quality players such as past Wallaby captain John EalesJohn Eales
John Eales AM is an Australian former rugby union player and the most successful captain in the history of Australian rugby.-Early life:...
, former Queensland Reds
Queensland Reds
The Queensland Reds represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996 they were a representative team selected on merit from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland...
captain and Australian Vice Captain Elton Flatley
Elton Flatley
Elton Flatley is a former Australian international rugby union footballer. At his best position of fly-half, Flatley was often able to dictate the game by kicking tactically or throwing simple passes in order to retain possession.Flatley tended to play internationally at centre...
and fellow current Reds players David Croft and Sean Hardman
Sean Hardman
Sean Hardman is an Australian rugby union player who plays Hooker for the Queensland Reds in the international Super 14 competition.-Career:...
along with the recently retired Glen Panoho. In 2005 the club celebrated its Centenary and the following year after a long 16 years absence reached the Grand Final, losing 23-22 to Wests
Wests Rugby
Wests are an Australian rugby union club, established in 1951 and based in Toowong, Queensland. They wear green and yellow jerseys and compete in the Queensland Premier Rugby competition. The bulk of their players come from the Western Suburbs of Brisbane, fighting for players from local rivals GPS...
in the 2006 Grand Final. Once again in 2008, Brothers would lose another Grand Final, this time to Easts by the bearest of margins falling short 21 points to Easts 22. The defeat would not last long in the memories for the club as they made back-to-back grand finals and in September 2009, after a long awaited 22 year drought, Brothers won their 27th premiership by defeating Souths 26-19.
Rivalry with 'The Red Heavies'
The long tradition of clashes with UniversityUniversity of Queensland Rugby Club
The University of Queensland Rugby Club is an Australian rugby union club, based at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Queensland. They currently compete in the Queensland Premier Rugby competition...
(nicknamed 'The Red Heavies') first began in senior competition on June 8 1912, with Brothers running out victors 24 - 0. The tradition of hard, close fought games between these two clubs remains a feature of the Brisbane club scene and there have been many memorable tussles over the years, particularly in grand finals. The most famous being the 24-all draw in 1979 that resulted in a rematch where Brothers lost 16-13 in a tight match. The latest bragging rights are still with University after a 19-10 win in the 1990 final, the last time the teams have met in a grand final.
Queensland Premier Rugby Grand Finals
(* Brisbane Rugby League)- Premiers
- 1907 Brothers 18-8 South Brisbane
- 1911 Brothers 21-10 Valleys
- 1912 Brothers 20-0 Eastern Suburbs
- 1913 Brothers 12-0 Past Grammar
- 1915 Brothers 6-0 Valleys
- 1919 Brothers 20-9 University
- 1926* Brothers 6-5 Coorparoo
- 1946 Brothers 11-6 GPS
- 1949 Brothers 13-8 University
- 1950 Brothers 21-10 University
- 1951 Brothers 17-6 GPS
- 1953 Brothers 11-9 University
- 1959 Brothers 13-11 University
- 1966 Brothers 36-9 University
- 1968 Brothers 17-6 University
- 1971 Brothers 17-3 Easts
- 1973 Brothers 20-10 GPS
- 1974 Brothers 27-19 GPS
- 1975 Brothers 23-9 GPS
- 1978 Brothers 19-15 University
- 1980 Brothers 19-0 Souths
- 1981 Brothers 36-13 Teachers-Norths
- 1982 Brothers 25-16 University
- 1983 Brothers 30-15 University
- 1984 Brothers 18-3 Easts
- 1987 Brothers 20-19 Souths
- 2009 Brothers 26-19 Souths
- Runners-Up (* Brisbane Rugby League)
- 1909 Valleys 19-3 Brothers
- 1910 Valleys 6-0 Brothers
- 1914 Past Grammar 11-8 Brothers
- 1917* Valleys 13-5 Merthyr (1)
- 1918* Valleys 12-8 Merthyr (1)
- 1920* Western Suburbs 16-8 Brothers
- 1924* Valleys 11-8 Brothers
- 1928* University 9-7 Brothers
- 1932 University 8-6 Brothers
- 1935 Eagle Junction 19-14 Brothers
- 1941 University 23-6 Brothers
- 1945 University 15-10 Brothers
- 1947 University 8-6 Brothers
- 1952 University 11-3 Brothers
- 1960 University 11-6 Brothers
- 1969 University 22-14 Brothers
- 1977 Wests 15-10 Brothers
- 1979 University 16-13 Brothers (Replayed after 24-24 draw)
- 1986 Souths 31-13 Brothers
- 1990 University 19-10 Brothers
- 2006 Wests 23-22 Brothers
- 2008 Easts 22-21 Brothers
- 2011 Sunnybank 35-24 Brothers
(1) Brothers played in the BRL under the name Merthyr Football Club
National Club Champions
The Australian Club ChampionshipAustralian club championship rugby union
The Australian club championship is a rugby union challenge match between the Brisbane and Sydney club premiers. The fixture was played on a regular basis from 1982 to 1991 and again since 2007, and also on an ad-hoc basis in various other years...
is a challenge match between the Brisbane and Sydney club premiers. Brothers have won played in the fixture eight times, winning it on four occasions (1974, 1984, 1985 and 2010).
International Captains
- Jimmy FlynnJimmy Flynn (rugby)James P. "Jimmy" Flynn was an Australian rugby union player, a state and national representative centre and half-back. His representative career lasted from 1912 to 1914 and he captained the national side on one occasion in 1913, the youngest player to ever do so...
- Tom GormanTom Gorman (rugby league)Tom Gorman was an Australian rugby league player. He was a Centre three-quarter for the Australian national team. He played in 10 Tests between 1924 and 1930 as captain on 7 occasions....
- Des ConnorDes ConnorDesmond Michael Connor is an Australian former rugby union halfback who represented internationally for both the Australian and New Zealand national rugby union teams...
- Tony ShawTony Shaw (rugby)Anthony Alexander Shaw was born 23 March, 1953 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.Shaw was a rugby flanker who played 36 tests for the wallabies between 1973 and 1982, including some matches as a lock or number eight. He captained the Aussies for 15 of his international matches. He is Australian...
- Paul McLean
- Rod McCallRod McCallRoderick James McCall is a former Australian rugby union lock. McCall played for Australia from 1989 to 1995, including winning the 1991 Rugby World Cup. He played 40 times in total for Australia...
- John EalesJohn EalesJohn Eales AM is an Australian former rugby union player and the most successful captain in the history of Australian rugby.-Early life:...
Notable Internationals
- Chris Handy
- Elton FlatleyElton FlatleyElton Flatley is a former Australian international rugby union footballer. At his best position of fly-half, Flatley was often able to dictate the game by kicking tactically or throwing simple passes in order to retain possession.Flatley tended to play internationally at centre...
- Sean HardmanSean HardmanSean Hardman is an Australian rugby union player who plays Hooker for the Queensland Reds in the international Super 14 competition.-Career:...
- David Croft
Major Sponsors
- Imagetec
- Canterbury
- Westpoint Autos
- Ray White - Ascot
- O'Loughlin Executive Search
External links
- Brothers' Old Boys' Rugby Club - Official website
- Brothers Rugby Club, Sydney - Brothers Rugby Club, Sydney