Berry-Shoalhaven Heads Magpies
Encyclopedia
The Berry-Shoalhaven Heads Magpies are an Australia
n rugby league
football team based in Berry
, a country town of the South Coast
region. The Magpies are a foundation club of the Group 7 Rugby League
and are members of Country Rugby League.
along with seven other foundation clubs, three of which still compete in the league, Kiama
, Gerringong
, and Jamberoo
.
The club has been one of the most successful in the league in term of premierships won with 12 overall, only Gerringong
having won more (16 titles). They Magpies have also twice completed a hat-trick of first grade premierships (and is currently the only club to have done this). The streaks were from 1935-37 and 1952-54. They again won the premiership in 1966 and 1967, but have not won it since. The Magpies took a brief stint in 2002 out of first grade before returning with vengeance stronger in 2003.
They have made the grand final twice in recent years only to lose at home convincingly by minor premiers, Milton-Ulladulla Bulldogs
, 52-10 on home soil in 2004 after winning a mid-week fifth-place playoff to make semifinals. Then again in 2007, the Magpies lost to minor premiers, Albion Park-Oak Flats Eagles
44-10.
More recently, in 2010, the club had a visit by Collingwood president and Channel Nine
media personality Eddie McGuire
in an effort to link the two Magpie clubs. With McGuire, was other media personality and Collingwood fan Peter Donegan. Interestingly, former Berry president Michael O'Dwyer worked for Capital TV while they worked for Network Ten
in Melbourne, and has since worked closely with the two for several years.
was presented with a Magpies jumper and has been quoted saying, "my Group 7 team will always be Berry-Shoalhaven Heads".
.
Source: Group 7 History
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
football team based in Berry
Berry, New South Wales
Berry is a small Australian town in the Shoalhaven region of the NSW South Coast in the state of New South Wales, located south of the state capital, Sydney. The indigenous people of the area were the Wodi Wodi people. In the 1810s, George William Evans, Government Surveyor, reported on the Berry...
, a country town of the South Coast
South Coast, New South Wales
The South Coast refers to the narrow coastal belt from Sydney in the north to the border with Victoria in the south in the south-eastern part of the State of New South Wales, Australia. It is bordered to the west by the coastal escarpment of the Southern Tablelands, which is largely covered by a...
region. The Magpies are a foundation club of the Group 7 Rugby League
Group 7 Rugby League
South Coast Group 7 Rugby League is the divisional boundary drawn from the Southern Illawarra and South Coast regions of New South Wales, Australia and is governed by the NSWCRL...
and are members of Country Rugby League.
History
The Berry-Shoalhaven Heads Magpies have a very rich history in Rugby League in the South Coast. The club was founded in 1914 as apart of South Coast Rugby LeagueGroup 7 Rugby League
South Coast Group 7 Rugby League is the divisional boundary drawn from the Southern Illawarra and South Coast regions of New South Wales, Australia and is governed by the NSWCRL...
along with seven other foundation clubs, three of which still compete in the league, Kiama
Kiama Knights
The Kiama Knights are an Australian rugby league football team based in Kiama, a coastal town of the Illawarra and South Coast regions. The club was formed in 1914 as one of the founding members of South Coast Rugby League, and continue to participate in this league's local competition.-History:On...
, Gerringong
Gerringong Lions
The Gerringong Lions are an Australian rugby league football team based in Gerringong, a coastal town of the Illawarra and South Coast regions. The club was formed in 1914 as one of the founding members of South Coast Rugby League, and continue to participate in this league's local...
, and Jamberoo
Jamberoo Superoos
The Jamberoo Superoos are an Australian rugby league football team based in Jamberoo, a country town of the Illawarra region. The club is a part of Country Rugby League and have competed in the South Coast first grade competition since its inception in 1914....
.
The club has been one of the most successful in the league in term of premierships won with 12 overall, only Gerringong
Gerringong Lions
The Gerringong Lions are an Australian rugby league football team based in Gerringong, a coastal town of the Illawarra and South Coast regions. The club was formed in 1914 as one of the founding members of South Coast Rugby League, and continue to participate in this league's local...
having won more (16 titles). They Magpies have also twice completed a hat-trick of first grade premierships (and is currently the only club to have done this). The streaks were from 1935-37 and 1952-54. They again won the premiership in 1966 and 1967, but have not won it since. The Magpies took a brief stint in 2002 out of first grade before returning with vengeance stronger in 2003.
They have made the grand final twice in recent years only to lose at home convincingly by minor premiers, Milton-Ulladulla Bulldogs
Milton-Ulladulla Bulldogs
The Milton-Ulladulla Bulldogs are an Australian rugby league football team based in Ulladulla, a coastal town of the South Coast region. The club is a part of Country Rugby League and have competed in the South Coast first grade competition since the 1930s....
, 52-10 on home soil in 2004 after winning a mid-week fifth-place playoff to make semifinals. Then again in 2007, the Magpies lost to minor premiers, Albion Park-Oak Flats Eagles
Albion Park-Oak Flats Eagles
The Albion Park-Oak Flats Eagles are an Australian rugby league football team based in Albion Park, a country town of the Illawarra region. The club are a part of Country Rugby League and have competed in both the Illawarra and South Coast competitions, where it competes today...
44-10.
More recently, in 2010, the club had a visit by Collingwood president and Channel Nine
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
media personality Eddie McGuire
Eddie McGuire
Edward Joseph "Eddie" McGuire AM is an Australian television presenter and businessman known for his long association with Australian rules football and the Channel 9 television network....
in an effort to link the two Magpie clubs. With McGuire, was other media personality and Collingwood fan Peter Donegan. Interestingly, former Berry president Michael O'Dwyer worked for Capital TV while they worked for Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
in Melbourne, and has since worked closely with the two for several years.
Supporters
Eddie McGuireEddie McGuire
Edward Joseph "Eddie" McGuire AM is an Australian television presenter and businessman known for his long association with Australian rules football and the Channel 9 television network....
was presented with a Magpies jumper and has been quoted saying, "my Group 7 team will always be Berry-Shoalhaven Heads".
Colours
The team's colours are black and white and play out of Berry Showground, BerryBerry, New South Wales
Berry is a small Australian town in the Shoalhaven region of the NSW South Coast in the state of New South Wales, located south of the state capital, Sydney. The indigenous people of the area were the Wodi Wodi people. In the 1810s, George William Evans, Government Surveyor, reported on the Berry...
.
Team
- Group 7 Rugby LeagueGroup 7 Rugby LeagueSouth Coast Group 7 Rugby League is the divisional boundary drawn from the Southern Illawarra and South Coast regions of New South Wales, Australia and is governed by the NSWCRL...
Premierships: 12
-
- 11923, 1926, 1928, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1941, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1966, 1967
- Group 7 Rugby League Runners-Up: 10
- 1921, 1922, 1924, 1927, 1948, 1958, 1963, 1964, 2004, 2007
- Group 7 Second Grade Premierships: 1
- 2009
- CRL Clayton CupClayton CupThe Clayton Cup is a trophy awarded by the Country Rugby League to the NSW country rugby league team with the best overall record for that season. To be eligible, the team must win the highest level of competition in its region. Usually the winner of the Clayton Cup goes through the season undefeated...
: None
- CRL Clayton Cup
- 11923, 1926, 1928, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1941, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1966, 1967
Individuals
- Michael Cronin Medal: 2
-
- Brett Herron (1988), Paul Skewes (2007)
- Group 7 Player of the Year: 1
- Jason Berg (1996)
- Rookie of the Year: 1
- Sam Burns (2006)
- Leading Point-scorer of the Year: None
-
- Leading Try-scorer of the Year: 1
- Matt Gallagher (2008)
- Under-18s Player of the Year: 1
- Nathan Benny (2006)
- Under-21s Player of the Year: 1
- John Walker (1996)
- Kevin Walsh Scholarship: 9
- Brett Stephens (1981), Pat Hayburn (1986), Shane McDermott (1987), Phil Duncan (1993), Nathan Byrne (1994), Scott Monaghan (1995), Ben Byrne (1997), Tim O'Sullivan (1998), Mitchell Liddicoat (2009)
- Brett Herron (1988), Paul Skewes (2007)
Source: Group 7 History
External links
- Berry-Shoalhaven Heads Homepage
- Country Rugby League Homepage
- Country Rugby League
- South Coast Rugby League Homepage
- Group 7 Rugby LeagueGroup 7 Rugby LeagueSouth Coast Group 7 Rugby League is the divisional boundary drawn from the Southern Illawarra and South Coast regions of New South Wales, Australia and is governed by the NSWCRL...