Illawarra Rugby League
| Illawarra Division Rugby League | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Sport | Rugby league |
| Instituted | 1911 |
| Inaugural season | 1911 |
| Number of teams | 7 |
| Premiers | Dapto (2016) |
| Website | Illawarra Carlton League |
The Illawarra Rugby League is a rugby league competition in Wollongong, NSW. It is one of the oldest rugby league competitions in Australia, founded in 1911 with five clubs (Dapto, Helensburgh, Mount Keira, Unanderra and Wollongong).[1]. Due to sponsorship rights, the Senior competition (First Grade, Second Grade and Under 19s) is named the Illawarra Coal Rugby League. The Under 13 to Under 17 competitions are merged with the South Coast Group 7 Junior Rugby League, with the Under 6 to Under 12 competitions being run solely by the Illawarra Division. The area provides a nursery of juniors for the St George Illawarra Dragons. The season is contested by nine teams and concludes with a finals series involving the top four teams.
Only the Northern parts of the Illawarra have traditionally been included in this competition, with teams further south playing in Group 7. However, Shellharbour's decision in 2009 to field a team in the NSW Cup was coupled with a decision to play in the Illawarra Rugby League as well, blurring the boundary between the two competitions. Other Group 7 clubs are fielding teams in the lower leagues of Illawarra competitions and there's a possibility the two competitions may merge.
The Illawarra Division is one of the strongest, along with Newcastle, local competition in New South Wales. The league features many former and current NRL players and also Toyota Cup players. The Illawarra Division Senior representative team are two-time National Country champions and have won the Country Rugby League championships consistently. The Division also supplies players to the NSWRL Harold Matthews and SG Ball Cup competitions.
On 21 July 2011, whilst celebrating their centenary, Illawarra Rugby League announced their "Team of the Century". Immortals Graeme Langlands and Bob Fulton featured at fullback and five-eighth respectively, as well as Harry Wells at centre. The entire team follows:
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