Maryborough Rugby League - History by Ted Weber



Maryborough Rugby League Football team, ca. 1914



Maryborough has a great record in being a key player in establishing new sports as well as inspiring established sports to play lead roles in the community.  Longevity is shown by the number of sports which have reached 100 years and continue to hold their positions within the community.  It has been a major player in growing sport in the Wide Bay Region.  Maryborough can proudly boast that its efforts have been rewarded with many sports people going to represent State, Australia and the Olympics.

Rugby League has had a chequered career spanning the period between 1910-2010 experiencing the highs and lows with two World Wars, a Depression and many internal disputes which threatened its existence but survived to become an integral part of the community.  During the difficulties the League never failed to organise competitions where many other centres went into recess.

The focus should be on the two men: Robert “Cope” Ferguson and George “Didd” Doyle who responded to a letter from the Secretary of the Queensland Rugby League, Harry Sunderland in 1909 to establish the game in Maryborough.  The trial game on September 18^th 1909 between Brisbane and Maryborough was a huge success with around 500 people attending the game.

The new game of rugby league was greeted with great enthusiasm with the first competition beginning in 1910.  Howard, then a mining town north of Maryborough sponsored a team along with Wallaroos, Natives and Glebe in a senior competition along with three junior teams.  The League’s income was £127/17/2, expenditure £113/13/7 leaving a balance of £14/3/7.  Admission – Males 6d (5c) Ladies free.  The inaugural Premiership was won by Howard Rangers. 

The first decade was beset by World War I, which robbed the League of many of its young players who rushed to join the service.  As the game was new, it was beset by a number of internal conflicts: Referees resigning over its treatment by Committee members; Teams disqualified over refusing to play under a referee, claiming he was biased against them.

Such was the enthusiasm and impact of the War, a new team Patriots was formed in 1917.  Its colours were red, white and blue, and it lasted to 1923.  1922 Rugby League in Maryborough hit a rough patch, poor attendance and lack of interest resulted in the game struggling for survival.  It was suggested that transferring the competition from Saturday to Sunday could be the answer.  A trial match in 1923 proved that would be a good move.  Despite objections from the Minister’s fraternal, the move to Sunday proved very successful.

The success in 1924 was capped with its first international visit by the Great Britain Touring side.  1926 was a big year with the Granville Bridge opening which allowed the suburb a better way to travel, and players, teams and spectators to participate in the game of rugby league.  Towards the end of the twenties saw the employment of State and International player, Norm Potter, as Coach at the grand salary of twelve pounds per week.

The 1930’s was beset by a depression and a war of words between Maryborough and Bundaberg over an intercity match played in Maryborough in 1931.  Bundaberg was defeated for the first time by Maryborough and wanted revenge and after a long campaign in the Bundaberg media failed to sway the Wide Bay Board to rerun the event.

The1940’s saw League’s very existence threatened by World War II with the war on its doorstep but the League was fortunate to maintain a competition when the number of clubs dwindled due to war.  Fortunately for Maryborough, during the period 1941 to 1946, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) established a training base at the airport.  The RAAF entered two teams in the competition.

The competition in the 50’s and 60’s was fiercely contested and produced some good football, but League was at a cross road coming into the 70’s and Officials were looking to find a solution to the problem.  It came when Isis, troubled by its treatment in the Bundaberg League, was accepted as a fifth Club and in 1973 overtures were made to form a club in Hervey Bay which was successful giving the league a six team competition.  Women achieved a breakthrough in Club administration when Rovers appointed Nancy Wills as Secretary.

The eighties saw a decline in support with Isis unable to continue because of financial problems the advent of Group football with Bundaberg.  The nineties continued the decline in support with infighting over home and away matches and a continuous search for people to take a leadership role by nominating for positions at Annual General Meetings.

Over the last decade, Clubs were reduced in numbers with some searching to join other Leagues and while they fought with the Maryborough Rugby League for home and away, they never received the same consideration when joining other Leagues.  On the brighter side, Maryborough played a game against Brisbane Metropolitan team in a re-enactment of the first game, a match which was responsible in establishing Rugby League in Maryborough in 1909.

Ted Weber spoke at the Maryborough Library monthly Local History Talk.  Ted discussed his book about the local history of rugby league titled “Hard Yards: Rugby League Recollections Maryborough 1910-2010”.