Rugby union in New South Wales
| Rugby Union in New South Wales | |
|---|---|
Waratahs vs Brumbies at ANZ Stadium, 2012. | |
| Governing body | New South Wales Rugby Union |
| State team | New South Wales Waratahs |
| First played | 1860s |
| Registered players | 35,043 |
Club competitions | |
Audience records | |
| Single match | 109,874 (2000) Australia v New Zealand Stadium Australia, Sydney |
Rugby union in New South Wales has been played since the 1860s when it was established in the schools of the capital Sydney. Sydney University is considered "the birthplace" of rugby in Australia, having founded a club in 1865. Sydney hosted the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final. In recent decades, Rugby union has struggled to shake its reputation of being a private school game and suffers from the immense popularity of the rival code of Rugby league there.