The Waratah Shield is a rugby union knock-out competition for high school teams from New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory , Australia. First contested in 1963, it is organised by New South Wales Rugby Union in conjunction with NSW Schools' Rugby Union and NSW Combined High Schools and attracts around 100 entries each year.
St Edmund's College, Canberra is the most successful school with fourteen victories, until 2004, when the ACT was released due to their dominance.[ 1] The NSW Schools Rugby Union asked ACT schools to 'show cause' as to why they should stay in the competition.[ 2] The injustice of the exclusion was the subject of an adjourment statement from House of Representative Member for Canberra Annette Ellis in the Australian Parliament.
The Shield was not contested from 2018 until it was relaunched in 2022. Finals have been live streamed on NSW Rugby TV. Replays [ 3] and highlights from the 2023 Final [ 4] are also available.
Notable players
Many notable rugby players, including Wallaby greats, took part in the Waratah Shield in their youth.
Many came from St Edmund's College in Canberra, shield winners 14 times. They include Ricky Stuart in their first title win in 1984 at the Sydney Cricket Ground which brought him to the attention of the sporting public,[ 1] Matt Giteau , David Furner , George Gregan , Matt Henjak , Anthony Fainga'a and Saia Fainga'a . Other notable players include Joe Roff also from Canberra who played in Marist College, Canberra's 1992 and 1993 victories, George Smith , Gordon Bray , Mark Ella, Gary Ella, Glen Ella and Lloyd Walker among others.
Number of victories
A total of 18 schools have won the Waratah Shield since it began in 1963. St. Edmund's College, Canberra is the most successful school in the history of the Waratah Shield with a total of 14 victories, seven more than the next most successful schools, St Augustine's College, Brookvale, with eight titles.
School
Victories
Years won
St. Edmund's College, Canberra
14
1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
St Augustine's College, Brookvale
8
2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
Matraville Sports High School
5
1972, 1976, 1977, 1983, 2007
Randwick Boys High School
4
1963, 1975, 1978, 1982
St Stanislaus' College
4
1974, 1980, 1981, 1995
Epping Boys High School
3
1967, 1968, 1969
Marist College, Canberra
3
1988, 1992, 1993
Manly Boys High School
2
1966, 1970
North Sydney Boys High School
2
1971, 1973
Hurlstone Agricultural College
1
1964
Homebush Boys High School
1
1965
James Ruse Agricultural High School
1
1979
The Scots College
1
1990
Oakhill College
1
1994
St Patrick's College, Strathfield
1
1996
Westfields Sports High School
1
2005
Barker College
1
2006
The Hills Sports High School
1
2010
Hunter Valley Grammar School
1
2022
Central Coast Grammar School
1
2023
Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School
1
2024
Waratah Shield premiers
The following table sets out winners and notable players over the history of the Waratah Shield.[ 5]
Year
Champions
Runners-up
Score
Notable players
1963
Randwick Boys High School
1964
Hurlstone Agricultural College
1965[ 7]
Homebush Boys' High School
Oakhill College
8–3
Gordon Bray
1966
Manly Boys' High School
1967
Epping Boys' High School
Normanhurst Boys High School
9 -6
1968[ 8]
Epping Boys' High School
Manly Boys' High School
1969[ 9]
Epping Boys' High School
Matraville Sports High School
1970
Manly Boys' High School
1971[ 10] [ 11]
North Sydney Boys' High School
Randwick Boys High School
1972
Matraville Sports High School
1973[ 12]
North Sydney Boys' High School
Randwick Boy's High School
6–3
1974[ 13] [ 14]
St Stanislaus' College, Bathurst
Lyneham High School , Canberra
16–10
1975[ 15]
Randwick Boys' High School
St Stanislaus' College, Bathust
17–13
1976[ 16]
Matraville High School
North Sydney High
12–3
Gary Ella, Mark Ella , Glen Ella[ 17] Lloyd Walker[ 18]
1977[ 19]
Matraville High School
Randwick Boys' High School
25–3
Mark Ella
1978[ 20]
Randwick Boys' High School
Chevalier College
7–0
1979[ 21]
James Ruse Agricultural High School
Birrong Boys High
15–7
1980[ 22]
St Stanislaus' College, Bathurst
North Sydney Boys High
26–15
1981[ 23]
St Stanislaus' College, Bathurst
Matraville High School
James Grant
1982[ 24] [ 25]
Randwick Boys' High School
St Edmund's College, Canberra
10–6
1983[ 26] [ 27]
Matraville High School
St. Stanislaus' College, Bathurst
13–9
1984[ 28] [ 29]
St Edmund's College, Canberra
Cranbrook School, Sydney
14–4
Ricky Stuart
1985[ 30]
St Edmund's College, Canberra
Oakhill College
22–4
1986[ 31]
St Edmund's College, Canberra
Killarney Heights High School
38–0
David Furner , Matt Pini
1987[ 32] [ 33]
St Edmund's College, Canberra
Randwick Boy's High
11–3
1988[ 34] [ 35]
Marist College, Canberra
Oakhill College
13–3
1989[ 36] [ 37]
St Edmund's College, Canberra
St Stanislaus' College, Bathurst
9–6
George Gregan
1990[ 38] [ 39]
The Scots College
St Edmund's College, Canberra
6–0
1991[ 40] [ 41]
St Edmund's College, Canberra
Scots College, Sydney
25–18
1992[ 42]
Marist College, Canberra
St Stanislaus College, Bathurst
38–8
Joe Roff
1993[ 43]
Marist College, Canberra
Oakhill College
29–14
1994[ 44] [ 45]
Oakhill College
Marist College, Canberra
24–20
1995[ 46]
St Stanislaus' College, Bathurst
Daramalan College , Canberra
22–15
1996[ 47] [ 48]
St Patrick's College, Strathfield
Marist College, Canberra
24–23
1997
St Edmund's College, Canberra
St Patrick's College, Strathfield
50–7
1998[ 49]
St Edmund's College, Canberra
Cromer High School
45–22
George Smith
1999[ 50]
St Edmund's College, Canberra
St Patrick's College, Strathfield
27–15
Matt Giteau , Matt Henjak
2000
St Edmund's College, Canberra
2001
St Edmund's College, Canberra
2002[ 51] [ 52]
St Edmund's College, Canberra
St. Stanislaus' College, Bathurst
41–22
2003[ 53]
St Edmund's College, Canberra
Prairiewood High School
51–0
Anthony Fainga'a , Saia Fainga'a
2004[ 54] [ 55]
St Edmund's College, Canberra
Rankwick Boys High School
2005[ 56] [ 57]
Westfields Sports High School
Barker College
2006[ 58]
Barker College
2007[ 59]
Matraville Sports High School
2008[ 60]
St. Augustine's College, Brookvale
St. Stanislaus' College, Bathurst
26–16
2009[ 61]
St. Augustine's College, Brookvale
St. Stanislaus' College, Bathurst
18–13
2010[ 62]
The Hills Sports High School
St. Augustine's College, Brookvale
38–18
2011[ 63]
St. Augustine's College, Brookvale
The Hills Sports High School
20–13
2012[ 64] [ 65]
St. Augustine's College, Brookvale
Oakhill College
27–17
2013[ 66]
St. Augustine's College, Brookvale
Oakhill College
64–21
2014[ 67]
St. Augustine's College, Brookvale
Oakhill College
20–13
2015[ 68]
St. Augustine's College, Brookvale
Hills Sport High School
26–16
2016[ 69]
St. Augustine's College, Brookvale
Oakhill College
13–10
2017[ 70]
St. Augustine's College, Brookvale
Hills Sport High School
forfeit
2018
Not contested
2019
Not contested
2020
Not contested
2021
Not contested
2022
Hunter Valley Grammar School
Randwick Boys High School
22-12
2023
Central Coast Grammar School
Randwick Boys High School
25-18
(*18-18 at full time, match won in extra time)
2024
Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School
Central Coast Grammar School
7-0
See also
References
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External links