Northern Union rules arrives in town – Brisbane club rugby league in 1908
The 1908 Brisbane club rugby league season under the new-fangled Northern Union rules is now live on Redcap’s BRL. See how Toombul won their medals in the year before the official formation of an organised rugby league competition in the city.
Before the official formation of a Brisbane club rugby league competition in 1909, there was an ad-hoc series of games played in the city under the ‘Northern Union’ rules between July and September 1908.
Toombul demonstrated themselves the strongest team and with the football season drawing to a close they were drawn to play a ‘combined thirteen’ of players from the other nascent clubs at the Exhibition Ground on 12 September.
Toombul won 37-0 with their captain Geordie Paul and man of the match A. Dutton, who would both go onto to play in the QARL the following season, receiving gold medals, while their teammates received medals of silver.
The Brisbane Courier described Toombul’s performance as a “splendid exposition” and the show was veering toward the road.
More seasons coming soon…
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