Balmain District Rugby League Club Formed

23rd January 1908

A meeting was held in the Balmain Town Hall on Thursday night for the purpose of forming a Balmain Rugby Football Club to affiliate with the New South Wales League. Mr. J. Storey, M.L.A., occupied the chair, and there was a large attendance of around 600 people. The chairman said that Balmain had not received justice in regard to football, and that the players had been slighted by the union. Football had been partly ruined in Balmain by the absence of local games, the outcome of the action of the union. Birchgrove Park was one of the finest grounds in Australia, and he saw no necessity for the games being taken away from the local centre as they had been.

Mr. H. Davis considered that the manner in which the union had treated Balmain in the past was such as to cause the players to welcome the new league with open arms.

Mr. H. Hoyle had no doubt as to the success of the new movement. The league's desire was to deal out equity. In two years, there would be no Rugby Union. (Applause.) The sole object of the league was to keep the game clean.

Mr. J. Giltinan moved, -"That we form a club to affiliate with the New South Wales League." Mr. H. Hutcheson seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously.

The election of officers resulted as follows - President Mr Cecil Turner; vice-president, Messrs. J. M.Gibb, T. McCabe, E. McLaren, E, McClymont, W. Stewart, F. Napier, D. Murphy, G. Holmes, D. Duff; secretary, Mr. H. Davis; treasurer, Mr R. Hutcheson. A provisional committee of five was also appointed. Sixteen prominent players from Rugby joined the Balmain club.

Balmain will also play in their rugby district colours and jersey. But they will play in narrow hoops to distinguish themselves.