A brief history of MURFC

The Melbourne University Rugby Football Club was formed in 1908 and officially founded in 1909, as one of 5 clubs to establish the Victorian Rugby Union. The club has been a strong and active since that time, apart from a period from the start of the First World War through to the early depression years, and again during the Second World War when there was no organised rugby competition in Victoria. The club has always fielded a team in the top grade of any Victorian Competition, winning its fair share of premierships over the years. It was the dominant Victorian Club in the early thirties and the late fifties and early sixties, in each of these periods producing several Wallabies, including Sir Edward (Weary) Dunlop.

Up until the 1960’s the Club, like most other 1st Division Clubs in Victoria, fielded a first and second grade side only. Since that time, with the expansion of the University and rugby generally in Victoria, the Club expanded its player base and in addition to fielding three or four sides in the 1st Division, now has a strong Colts side, a Gents (social) team, and a base of over 150 players.

The Club went through a difficult period in the eighties and early nineties when it still did not have a permanent Clubhouse, using local hotels and the Carlton Bowling Club for home functions, realising the need for dedicated facilities to provide more professional and organised approach to its management.

Since then the Club has had a resurgence with the building of the Clubrooms at Smith Oval and the involvement of a balanced mix of players and supporters to run its activities.

Most teams now reach the finals and the Club was very unlucky not to be First Grade premiers in 1997, and 2007 . Colts teams won premiership flags in 1980, 1987 and 2008. The  Third Grade have the rare hat-trick of premierships in 2004, 2005 and 2006, and our Womens team were premiers in 2000.

The Club’s history is encapsulated in its honour boards which list 1st XV Captains going back to the official foundation of the club in 1909; Presidents, Club Captains, and Secretaries back to the early 50’s; and those who have contributed financially to the new clubhouse. The winners of the three most important Club trophies are:

• Justin Hobbs Trophy for the ‘Spirit of Attack’
• Gordon Sturtridge Trophy for outsanding service to the Club each year.
• Geoff Vaughan Trophy for the Best Front Row Player

Gordon Sturtridge was the first Melbourne University player to represent Australia (1929) and captained the 1st XV from 1928 to 1932.