On Tuesday 27 August 1895, as a result of an emergency meeting in Manchester, prominent Lancashire rugby clubs declared that they would support their Yorkshire colleagues in their proposal to form a Northern Union.
Around 1881 -1882 Rugby was played in an ad hoc way between three clubs. In June 1883 the first game under the control of the WARU was played between Pirates and Swan.
In 1922 Australian Northern Union had changed its name to Rugby League and it wasn’t long before it was changed around the globe. Rugby League from some accounts was first played in Western Australia in 1926.
The 1946 Great Britain side “Indomitables” visited WA in April 1946 .... rugby league was 2 years off being launched in Western Australia.
It was after the 1947 Rugby Union Grand Final that Bob Chester and Jim Carroll talked about taking an exhibition game to Bunbury.
A Brief History of the Early Days of Rugby League in WA. With the numbers of returned W.A servicemen who had been exposed to Rugby League during the war years there was a very fertile field for players to be drawn upon
These brave and pioneering men took the initial steps to establish the game of Rugby League in WA.
Five first grade clubs involved in 1948 -Fremantle, South Perth, Cottesloe .Perth and Palmyra . By 1949 two more clubs had entered Eastern Suburbs and Applecross.
Fremantle was originally a Rugby Union Club and in 1948 after a series of meetings moved to Rugby League.
In January 1948 a special meeting of the South Perth Rugby Club was held at the Mends Street Hall on Mill Point Road.
Initial Meetings were held at Alex Mathesons house and he described the early days at the Cottesloe club as 'tough'.
Perth Rugby League Club adopted the Myrtle Green and Cardinal Red colours of South Sydney, and joined the WARL in 1948.
Palmyra joined the League in 1948 as the fifth foundation club but unfortunately only lasted 3 fixtures and did not join again until 1952.
The First Game was planned -But where were the goal posts coming from? With less than a week’s preparation this was a big task.
On the 17th April 1948 at 12.15pm 35 brave men ran onto the Esplanade.
The WARFL side played their first ever State game against South Australia on the 24th July 1948 at the WACA.
Storms in the Bight results in the game scheduled for Subiaco Oval on Monday 16th August 1948 being cancelled.
South Perth defeats Fremantle 19-5 to claim first WARFL premiership.
A World War two Bomber pilot stars in the first WARL Premiership.
A truly Historical visit in 1949 by Balmain to Western Australia to play four games against the senior State team.
In 1950 a young 22-year-old Cottesloe Centre in Tom Myles was awarded the the first Brice Trophy.
The first junior rugby league game in WA was between Applecross and Eastern Suburbs in 1949 and ended in a 3 all draw with one try apiece.
A vacant paddock and the promise of free milk was the catalyst to start a junior rugby league team out of the Hurlingham State Housing Estate.