Norths/QUT

Norths/QUT is a Brisbane rugby union club based in Brisbane, Queensland. They currently compete in the Queensland Premier Rugby competition.

The club's players are also available for selection to the Australian Rugby Championship franchise Ballymore Tornadoes.

History

Rugby in the North Brisbane area first took shape in 1929, with the Eagle Junction Club competing for many years before disappearing from the Brisbane Rugby scene in the 1950's.

This void was filled in 1962 when the Teachers Training College at Kedron fielded teams in the Brisbane Senior competition. The first premiership was won in 1963. Hugh Courtney, then Principal of the College, maintained Teachers Rugby Club throughout the 60's and the early 70's. An amalgamation in 1974 with the new entity Norths saw the emergence of the Teachers Norths Rugby Club.

Teachers Norths enjoyed a successful decade in the 70's, winning a 1st Grade premiership in 1976. The Club also produced a number of Australian and Qld players.

Wallabies produced by the Club included Dick Marks, John Cornes, Geoff Richardson, Laurie Lawrence, Rod Hauser, Greg Cornelson, Tom Barker, Peter Horton, Michael O'Connor and Chris Roche. In addition, a number of players distinguished themselves at Queensland State level, including Greg Dux, Damien Barker, Peter Trehern, Michael Want and Nevil Cotteral.

Chris Roche was the first person in the history of the Rothmans Medal (the forerunner to the XXXX Medal) to win the medal twice. Nev Cotteral from Norths also was a winner of this award.

Three Norths Players have been named in the top 100 Wallabies of all time, being Greg Cornelson, Michael O'Connor and Chris Roche.

During most of the late 70's, the Teachers Norths club had no fewer than 5 Wallabies at any one time. We contested all finals series during this period and reached the Grand Final in 1982. The nature of the teaching profession saw a huge turn-over of players, with players graduating and moving to teaching positions outside Brisbane. Teachers Norths fortunes were in decline at the time of moving to the present club facilities at Shaw Rd in 1984.

A further merger with Redcliffe Rugby Club saw the emergence of the North Brisbane Club in 1991. Despite lean pickings on the field during the 90's the club was still represented from time to time at State level (Penni Vola Vola, Rob McCartney, Isei Nasiganiyavi and Ilie Tabua) and Eddie Harris went on to win the coveted Rothmans medal towards the end of the 90's. Norths sides coached by John Roderick, Gary Hutchinson and Tom Barker - performed admirably during these difficult times.

The recent alliance with the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) only adds to the list of changes over the course of our history. QUT had previoucly competed as QIT (Queensland Institute of Technology) with little success, winning only a U19 Premiership in 1974. This alliance, cemented only at the beginning of 2001, adds stability to the club and generates hope for a better future.

It has been turbulent - we have seen good times and bad. But there have been many people who have acted in the past to keep the club alive and we appreciate all those who have served at our club, either as a player, volunteer, coach or administrator.

2005 saw the return of Chris Roche as the Club's Coaching Director and through the efforts of the team of coaches and players that Chris assembled around him, and those of the Committee, Norths -QUT have started a remarkable resurgence and will once again soon challenge for supremacy in the Brisbane Premier Club Competition, with the assistance and return of key players such as David Nash, Luke Ratcliffe, Michael Jew, Rick Mitchell, Kirk Topia, and Christoful Snyman.

This year in 2008 North Brisbane Rugby Club's 3rd Grade AKA Thirsty 3rds are seen as the dominant force and team to watch to make a grand final, as told by Reserve Grade Coach Lew Price. " Norths 3rd Grade and 4th Grade are the eqivilant, even possibly better than this years Reserve Grade team in skill and fitness. They are the teams to play for this year"

External links

* [http://www.northbrisbanerugbyclub.com.au/ Official site]