| Leaguename: | NRL South Australia |
| Logosize: | 200px |
| Formerly: | South Australian Rugby League |
| Region: | ARL |
| Remit: | South Australia |
| Headquarters: | Hindmarsh Stadium, Holden Street, Hindmarsh, South Australia[1] |
| Chairperson: | Stuart Davis |
| General Manager: | Ken Kennedy |
| Website: | http://www.nrlsa.com.au/ |
| Countryflag: | South Australia |
NRL South Australia (abbreviated as NRLSA, formerly the South Australian Rugby League) is a not-for-profit organisation responsible for administering the game of rugby league in the state of South Australia. It was formed on 28 July 1976[2] and is an affiliated state of the Australian Rugby League Commission.
In the 1940s the Port Adelaide rugby union club split itself into four rugby league clubs, which formed the basis of the first organised rugby league competition in the state, run under the banner of the Amateur South Australian Rugby League.[2] The first South Australian representative team was formed in the early 1950s and traveled to play the South Sydney Rabbitohs in Sydney, NSW where they lost 45–10.[2]
The first iteration of the South Australian Rugby League was created in the 1950s when Australian soldiers formed a small four team competition based out of the Woomera Test Range. This body ceased to exist when the soldiers were transferred to the Northern Territory.[2]
The current SARL was incorporated on 28 July 1976 and originally featured teams from Northern Districts, South Adelaide, Port Adelaide, Glenelg, Norwood and West Lakes.[2]
Today the competition features eight senior clubs and seven junior clubs, competitions are run from Under 7's through to First Grade.
Representative teams are selected each year to compete in the Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League (ASSRL) National Championships at both 15 and 18 years of age respectively, competing against Western Australia, Victoria, Northern Territory and New South Wales Combined Independent Schools (NSW CIS) at both age levels. Players who compete representing South Australia each year are eligible to be selected into both the Australian Merit Squad and the Australian Affiliated States Merit Squad at the 15 Years championships, and the Australian Schoolboys as well as the Australian Affiliated States team at the 18 Years championships.
A South Australian representative side has played a number of games against international touring sides, including very interestingly Australian team.[3]
| Game | Date | Opponent | Result | Score | Venue | City/Town | Crowd | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 May 1914 | Loss | 101–0 | Hawthorn Oval | 2,500 | 1914 Lions Tour | |||
| 2 | 11 August 1948 | Loss | 96–5 | Hawthorn Oval | 4,000 | 1948–49 Kangaroo Tour | |||
| 3 | 18 May 1955 | Loss | 48–10 | 1,074 | 1955 Chanticleers Tour |
The NRL SA Metro is the top-level men's competition in South Australia.[4]
| Club Colours | Club Name | Club Moniker | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior | ||||
| Adelaide Plains | Brothers | Adelaide | ||
| Central Districts | Roosters | Elizabeth | ||
| Eastern | Eels | Unley | ||
| MEC | Black Swans | Murray Bridge | ||
| South Adelaide | Bulldogs | Mitchell Park | ||
| Western District | Warriors | Henley Beach | ||
| Junior Only | ||||
| Adelaide Hills | Tigers | Mount Barker | ||
| Club Colours | Club Name | Club Moniker | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eels Yellow | Eels | Adelaide | ||
| Henley Beach | Raiders | Henley Beach | ||
| Mitchell Park | Tigers | Adelaide | ||
| Northern Districts | Dragons | North Adelaide | ||
| Port Adelaide | Cougars | Port Adelaide | ||
| River City | Knights | Adelaide | ||
| TEC | Titans | Adelaide |
The NRL SAW is the top-level women's competition in South Australia.[5]
| Eastern | Eels | Adelaide | ||
| South Adelaide | Bulldogs | Glenelg | ||
| Western District | Warriors | Henley Beach |
See main article: Limestone Coast Rugby League.
The Limestone Coast Rugby League is a competition co-administered by NRL SA and NRL Victoria.[6]
| Club | Moniker | Home Ground | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Lake | Knights | Apollo Soccer Grounds | Mount Gambier, South Australia | |
| Gunditjmara | Bulls | Deakin University | Warrnambool, Victoria | |
| Naracoorte | Jets | Naracoorte United Soccer Ground | Naracoorte, South Australia | |
| Stawell | Mounties | North Park | Stawell, Victoria | |
| Warrnambool | Raiders | Friendly Societies Park | Warrnambool, Victoria |
| Colours | Club | District | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horsham | Panthers | Horsham, Victoria | |
| North Warrnambool | Warriors | Warrnambool, Victoria |
NRL SA has previously run competitions in the Spencer Gulf region, but the future of these competitions remains unclear as of 2022.
The Olympic Dam Barbarians based in Roxby Downs have played in various formats including intra club and in the Spencer Gulf competition. There have also been efforts to establish the presence of the game in areas including Coober Pedy, however there remains little competitive Rugby League in Northern SA.
| Colours | Club | District | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Dam | Barbarians | Roxby Downs | |
| Port Augusta | Goannas | Port Augusta | |
| Port Pirie | Devils/Pirates | Port Pirie | |
| Whyalla | Steelers | Whyalla |
The following South Australian junior players have played in the National Rugby League.
Northern Districts Dragons
South Adelaide Bulldogs
Central Districts Roosters