The 1903 Metropolitan Rugby Union season was the 30th season of the Sydney Rugby Premiership. It was the fourth season run for clubs that represented a district. Eight clubs (seven representing a district, the remaining club representing Sydney University) competed from May till August 1903. The season culminated in the fourth district premiership, which was won by Eastern Suburbs. Eastern Suburbs were crowned premiers by virtue of finishing the season on top of the table.
Teams Eight clubs contested the season; seven clubs representing a district and one club representing Sydney University.
Balmain Formed on 26 March 1900 Ground: Birchgrove Oval Captain: R HutchensonEastern Suburbs Formed on 22 March 1900 Ground: Hampden Park Captain: Percy MacnamaraGlebe Formed on 15 March 1900 Ground: Wentworth Park Captain: William HoweNewtown Formed on 22 March 1900 Ground: Erskineville Oval Captain: Edward LarkinNorth Sydney Formed on 23 March 1900 Ground: North Sydney Oval Captain: Jack O'DonnellSouth Sydney Formed on 26 March 1900 Ground: RAS Showground Captain: J BourkeSydney University Formed on 19 August 1865 Ground: University Oval Captain: John ManningWestern Suburbs Formed on 22 March 1900 Captain: Stanley Wickham
Season summary The success of Eastern Suburbs in the 1903 Sydney Rugby Premiership was popular with the football public. This was mostly due to the fact that the club were first-time winners and played the game in a sporting fashion. The team displayed excellent defence, letting in only eight tries during the season. Eastern Suburbs opened the season by defeating Glebe by 4 points to 3, and that victory proved a highly important one to both teams, as, at the close, there was one competition point between them. From start to finish of the season, Eastern Suburbs either held the leading position or shared the lead with another club.
Glebe, who finished second, were the only team who scored at least one try in every match. The club finished strongly by winning the last 6 rounds of the season. As a pack they were superior to that of any other team, excepting Eastern Suburbs. At no time did they equal the best of their form in other seasons.
After a bit of a slow start to the season, Newtown began to display outstanding brilliance in attack. This led them to move quickly up the ladder and finish the season in a strong third place. Newtown were the most brilliant all-round team in the competition, yet lacked that solidity.
At the conclusion of the season, the Rugby world saw the shock death of another of their players. Wallace Millican, three-quarter for Newtown, died of blood poisoning on 30 August after spending most of the week confined to his bed. Millican was 21 years old and hugely popular amongst the Newtown followers.
Ladder
TeamPldWDLBPFPAPDPts1 Eastern Suburbs13101208941 +48212 Glebe1392208948 +41203 Newtown13724011465 +49164 North Sydney1361607787 -10135 Sydney University13526010165 +36126 Western Suburbs1342705696 -40107 South Sydney1340905073 -2388 Balmain131210056157 -1014
Ladder Progression
Numbers highlighted in blue indicates the team finished first on the ladder in that round. Numbers highlighted in red indicates the team finished in last place on the ladder in that round
Team123456789101112131 Eastern Suburbs246899111313151719212 Glebe02456881012141618203 Newtown02234681012141616164 North Sydney22357991113131313135 Sydney University23555577991010126 Western Suburbs2333557777810107 South Sydney00000222244688 Balmain0013444444444
Statistics
Points PlayerPlTGFGPts1 Reg Harris12281272 Percy Macnamara13360243 Albert Cotter5251224 WA Hay12180205 HA Morton11080206 Walter Davis11600187 Walter Ogaard12600188 Sid Riley10500159 William Burleigh125001510 Victor Futter1250015
Tries PlayerPlT1 Walter Davis116 Walter Ogaard1263 Sid Riley1054 William Burleigh1255 Victor Futter1256 Patrick Carew1147 L Seaborn1048 William Hardcastle649 E Quinsey13410 Nigel Barker134
Lower Grades The MRFU also conducted Second Grade and Boroughs competitions this season.
Second Grade Ten teams participated in the Second Grade competition: the eight First Grade clubs entered a team each, in addition two Boroughs clubs, Willoughby and Manly, were permitted to each enter a team. The season concluded with Newtown undefeated at the top of the table by a margin of 8 points. They were therefore declared premiers.
Boroughs Competition Seventeen teams participated in the Boroughs Competition. The teams were split into two divisions of nine teams. In Division A was North Sydney, Willoughby, Mosman, Manly, East Sydney, Surrey Hills, Redfern, Balmain and Gipps. In Division B was Newtown, University, Waterloo, Rockdale, Glebe, Annandale, Leichhardt and Ashfield. At the end of the regular games, North Sydney finished at the top of Division A and Glebe finished at the top of Division B. The final saw Gipps beat Balmain 11 points to 6 to take the premiership.
Participating clubs ClubGrade1st2ndB.Annandale Football ClubY Ashfield Football ClubY Balmain District Football ClubYYY East Sydney Football ClubY Eastern Suburbs District Rugby Football ClubYYGipps Football ClubY Glebe District Football ClubYYYLeichhardt Football ClubYManly Football ClubYY Mosman Football ClubY Newtown District Football ClubYYY North Sydney District Rugby Football ClubYYY Redfern Football ClubYRockdale Football ClubY South Sydney District Football ClubYYSurry Hills Football ClubY Sydney University Football ClubYYYWaterloo Football ClubY Western Suburbs District Rugby Football ClubYYWilloughby Football ClubYY
Footnotes
References
Sydney Club Rugby History. "Eastern Suburbs Club Premiers", Referee (Sydney, NSW: 1886 - 1939). 1903-08-26. p. 8.