Club Name:
Northern Suburbs Rugby League Football Club
Nickname:
Norths Devils
Past Names:
Past Grammars and Grammar Norths (1923 – 1932);
Northern Districts RLC (1933).
Colours:
Sky Blue, Navy and Gold
Home Grounds:
Oxenham Park 1934 to 1970, Bishop Park 1971 to Present
First Season:
1923 (Reserve Grade) 1924 (A Grade) – Past Grammars.
1933 – Northern Districts.
Chief Executive:
Jamie Dowse
QLD Cup Coach:
Mark Gliddon
Club Captain:
Matt Smith
Principal Sponsor:
Carmichael Builders
NRL Club Affiliate:
2008 to Present: Brisbane Broncos;
1998 to 2007: Melbourne Storm
The Norths Devils are one of the oldest Rugby League Clubs in Australia, possibly laying claim to being the oldest given the history that follows. The Club has a proud record of success having been crowned Club Champions fourteen (14) times, along with thirteen (13) A Grade, seventeen (17) Reserve Grade and fourteen (14) Colts/3rd Grade Premierships.
In addition to this the Devils have been runners-up in nine (9) A Grade, eight (8) Reserve Grade and twelve (12) Colts/3rd Grade Grand Finals.
Links to Rugby Union
The first incarnation of Northern Suburbs was as the Past Grammars Rugby Union Club, which was formed in 1887 as an Old Boys club for Brisbane Boys Grammar School.
The club was successful in it’s early years, winning Brisbane Rugby Union Premierships in 1892, 1898, 1899 and 1914.
With the Brisbane club rugby union competitions disbanding towards the end of the First World War, Past Grammars joined the Brisbane Rugby League in the 1923 Reserve Grade competition and then competed in the A Grade competition from 1924. Past Grammars, also known as Grammar Norths, won their first premiership in 1927, before becoming Northern Districts, and later Northern Suburbs, following the introduction of District Football by the Brisbane Rugby League in 1933.
Following the closure of Rugby Union in Queensland for approximately ten years, the sport nearly disappeared forever.
The effect of rugby league developing, compounded with the First World War, was immediate and strong with major clubs, Past Grammars, Christian Brothers and University and the entire GPS schools competitions all converting to rugby league, which effectively lead to the disbandment of the Queensland Rugby Union in 1919 through until 1928.
An apparent faction within Past Grammars took the opportunity to return to Rugby Union with the return of a Rugby Union competition in 1928. This Club continued to be named Past Grammars, however they extended the participation to the old boys of Ipswich and Toowoomba Grammar. This Club ultimately broadened further, when in 1931 it became GPS Old Boys, a club with a proud history that continues to compete until this day. The University club returned to Rugby Union in 1934, with the Christian Brothers (Past Brothers) remaining in rugby league.
