SECOND GRADE & RESERVE GRADE RUGBY in SYDNEY
When the "District scheme" was introduced in Sydney in 1900, a Second Grade competition was also established for the second XVs of the "district" clubs.
Over the years, Second Grade started to include teams from clubs that were not in First Grade (i.e. so-called "non-district" clubs).
In 1921, the competition was split. With a new division ("Reserve Grade") set-up for the second XV teams of the First Grade clubs. The other ("non-district") clubs continued playing in "Second Grade".
For the first two years (1921 & 1922) these two competitions ran separately. Manly won the Reserve Grade in both years and Randwick (1921) and YMCA (1922) won the Second Grade. Randwick was not a "district" club at that time.
In 1923, the two competitions were still separate, but a final was introduced between the winners of the two divisions to decide the overall Second Grade premier. This continued from 1923 to 1927. The reserve grade teams were placed in the "A" Division of Second Grade and the non-district clubs were in the "B" Division of Second Grade.
The Kentwell Cup was introduced and awarded to the winner of the "B" Division from 1923.
The Bruce Grahame Memorial Shield was planned as the trophy for the winner of the final between the two divisional winners. It was presented for this purpose for the first (and only) time in 1927 to Mosman (of "B" Division) who beat Western Suburbs ("A" Division) 11-9.
After 1927, there were no further Second Grade inter-divisional finals played. Although the Bruce Grahame Shield and the Kentwell Cup were both presented to Manly Life Savers as winners of the Second Grade in 1928.
Of the five finals held between 1923 and 1927, the "B" Division teams won four (one on forfeit).
From 1928, Reserve Grade (formerly "A" Division of Second Grade) permanently became its own competition (continuing to this day) with the Caird Shield presented to the winner.
In 1929, "Second Grade" became the "Non-District" competition and in 1930 was renamed the "Sub-District" competition. The Kentwell Cup and the Bruce Grahame Shield continued famously as "Subbies" First Division trophies for First Grade and Club Champions respectively.
SECOND GRADE PREMIERS
Winners Runners-up Score
Second Grade
1900 - Glebe, Newtown
1901 - University, Glebe, 9-6
1902 - Glebe
1903 - Newtown
1904 - University & Glebe (joint), draw
1905 - Eastern Suburbs, Glebe, 3-0, RAS Showground
1906 - Marrickville
1907 - Newtown
1908 - GlebeUniversity,16-0
1909 - Sydney (undefeated), Newtown, South Sydney & Randwick (3 clubstied for second place)
1910 - Glebe, Sydney Training College, 21-3
1911 - Sydney Training College
1912 - Eastern Suburbs, Newtown, 3-0, University Oval
1913 - Eastern Suburbs, Randwick, 17-11, Rushcutters Bay
1914 - Eastern Suburbs
1915 to 1918 NO COMPETITION
Second Senior Grade
1919 - University
Second Grade
1920 - Manly, Sydney Teachers College
1921 - Randwick, YMCA
1922 - YMCA, Randwick
Second Grade ["A" ("Reserve") Division v "B" ("Second") Division] 1923-1927
1923 - Manly ("A" Div), Mosman ("B" Div)
1924 - Manly Lifesavers ("B" Div), University ("A" Div)
1925 - Coogee ("Second" Div), North Sydney ("Reserve" Div)
1926 - Coogee ("Second" Div), Manly ("Reserve" Div), On forfeit
1927 - Mosman ("B" Div), Western Suburbs ("A" Div), 11-9
Second Grade
1928 - Manly Lifesavers, Randwick
"B" Division of Second Grade (1923-1927)
1923 - Mosman, Hunter's Hill
1924 - Manly Life Savers, Mosman
1925 - Coogee, Mosman
1926 - Coogee, Mosman & Manly Lifesavers
1927 - Mosman, Coogee
See below for "A" Division of Second Grade (Reserve Grade) winners.
RESERVE GRADEPREMIERS ("Caird Shield" from 1928)
Year, Winners, Runners-up, Score
1921 - Manly, Glebe-Balmain
1922 - Manly, North Sydney
"A" Division of Second Grade 1923-1927
1923 - Manly, University
1924 - University, Manly
1925 - North Sydney, Western Suburbs
1926 - Manly, University. 13-9
1927 - Western Suburbs, North Sydney, 17-8
Caird Shield - Reserve Grade
1928 - Northern Suburbs, Manly & Randwick
1929 - Manly, Northern Suburbs, 18-14
1930 - Randwick, Northern Suburbs
1931 - Northern Suburbs, Randwick
Grand Finals introduced
1932 - Drummoyne, Manly,12-9
1933 - Northern Suburbs, Manly, 17-8
1934 - Northern Suburbs, Randwick, 14-9
1935 - Northern Suburbs, Western Suburbs, 16-15
1936 - Manly, Western Suburbs, 22-12
1937 - University, Manly, 14-9
1938 - Manly, St George, 16-8
1939 - Drummoyne, Western Suburbs, 8-0
1940 - Manly, University, 16-13
1941 - Western Suburbs, Randwick, 14-11
1942 - Eastern Suburbs, Northern Suburbs, 13-3
1943 - Manly, Drummoyne, 17-5
1944 - Randwick, Drummoyne, 16-0
1945 - Eastern Suburbs, Randwick, 17-3
1946 - Randwick, Manly, 11-9
1947 - Eastern Suburbs, Drummoyne, 12-9
1948 - Manly, Eastern Suburbs, 12-0 or 14-0
1949 - Eastern Suburbs, Manly, 11-3
1950 - Manly, Gordon, 19-5
1951 - Manly, Eastern Suburbs, 19-8
1952 - St George, Gordon, 11-6
1953 - Eastern Suburbs, Manly, 18-3
1954 - Drummoyne, Randwick, 12-6
1955 - Eastern Suburbs, Gordon, 8-0
1956 - Eastern Suburbs, Randwick, 17-8
1957 - Eastern Suburbs & Randwick (joint), 9-9
1958 - Randwick, Eastern Suburbs, 9-0
1959 - Randwick, University, 14-12
1960 - University, Randwick, 21-11
1961 - Gordon, Drummoyne, 6-0
1962 - University, Gordon, 14-11
1963 - Northern Suburbs, Randwick, 23-15
1964 - Northern Suburbs, Randwick, 11-8
1965 - Manly, Northern Suburbs, 11-9
1966 - Randwick, Drummoyne, 8-0
1967 - Manly, Eastern Suburbs, 21-6
1968 - Eastern Suburbs, Gordon, 8-6
1969 - Eastern Suburbs, Manly, 21-9
1970 - Eastern Suburbs, Manly, 19-6
1971 - Eastern Suburbs, Gordon, 11-9
1972 - Gordon, Eastern Suburbs, 13-10
1973 - Northern Suburbs, St George, 14-3
1974 - Gordon, Manly, 12-4
1975 - Eastern Suburbs, Gordon, 19-3
1976 - Gordon, Eastern Suburbs, 22-6
1977 - Northern Suburbs, Eastern Suburbs, 9-7
1978 - Randwick, Eastern Suburbs, 26-13
1979 - Eastern Suburbs, Randwick, 21-4
1980 - Randwick, Gordon, 22-7
1981 - Gordon, Randwick, 13-12
1982 - Manly, Eastwood, 23-3
1983 - Eastwood, Randwick, 25-9
1984 - Randwick, Western Suburbs, 16-6
1985 - Randwick, Manly, 10-9
1986 - Warringah, Manly, 12-3
1987 - Warringah, Manly, 13-7
1988 - Warringah, Eastwood, 12-9
1989 - Warringah, Randwick, 25-18
1990 - Warringah, Eastern Suburbs, 6-0
1991 - Randwick, Western Suburbs, 10-7
1992 - Randwick, Manly, 35-18
1993 - Northern Suburbs, Western Suburbs, 11-6
1994 - Randwick, Sydney University, 27-3
1995 - Canberra (Kookaburras), Randwick, 15-7
1996 - Randwick, Eastwood, 20-3
1997 - Eastern Suburbs, Canberra (Kookaburras), 17-0
1998 - Northern Suburbs, Warringah, 15-13
1999 - Canberra Vikings, Randwick, 27-8
2000 - Manly, Randwick, 28-12
2001 - Eastwood, Manly, 28-14
2002 - West Harbour, Randwick, 24-14
2003 - Sydney University, Randwick, 44-7
2004 - Randwick, Sydney University, 41-37 (for Shute Shield)
2005 - Sydney University, Manly, 3-14
2006 - Sydney University, Manly, 35-20
2007 - Manly, Northern Suburbs, 27-10
2008 - Northern Suburbs, Gordon, 16-14
2009 - Eastern Suburbs, Gordon, 32-29
2010 - Warringah, Randwick, 19-3
2011 - Southern Districts, Eastwood, 24-16
2012 - Sydney University, West Harbour, 45-28, Concord
2013 - Sydney University, Eastwood, 41-22, Concord
2014 - Manly, Sydney University, 34-13, Concord
2015 - Sydney University, Randwick, 35-34, Concord
2016 - Randwick, Eastern Suburbs, 28-12, North Sydney Oval