NRL club's name changes

[Captain Apollo]

Eastern Suburbs Roosters -> Sydney City Roosters (1996) -> Sydney Roosters (2000).

Also originally, Eastern Suburbs were known as the Tricolours. It wasn't until the late 1950s-early 1960s they became the Roosters.

 

[RedVee]

The name changes in my lifetime (1981 to present) are:

* Balmain Tigers => Sydney Tigers => Balmain Tigers. Then the merger.
* Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs => Sydney Bulldogs => Bulldogs => Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
* Eastern Suburbs Roosters => Sydney City Roosters => Sydney Roosters.
* Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks => Sharks => Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.
* Auckland Warriors => Warriors (??) => New Zealand Warriors.

Technically ownership and licence changes and thus different clubs, but effectively the same club:
* Gold Coast-Tweed Giants => Gold Coast Seagulls => Gold Coast Gladiators => Gold Coast Chargers.
Years later, Gold Coast Titans came about, but that's a completely different club.

Back in the day, clubs only had nicknames, not emblems. The Cantabs and the Berries were Canterbury, before they chose a Bulldog as their mascot. St.George were the Dragon Slayers unofficially before taking on the Dragons as their official moniker. There are other examples too, but that's enough from me for the night..!

Don’t forget Saints.

 

[Nuke]

Don’t forget Saints.

Didn't forget. St.George Dragons and Illawarra Steelers merged to form a new club. They didn't change their name (apart from my previously-mentioned nickname of 'Dragon-Slayers' that they had, from which they chose 'Dragons' as their official emblem back in the day).

I only included Balmain in my list because they changed their name to Sydney Tigers and back to Balmain Tigers before they merged with Western Suburbs.

 

[RedVee]

Didn't forget. St.George Dragons and Illawarra Steelers merged to form a new club. They didn't change their name (apart from my previously-mentioned nickname of 'Dragon-Slayers' that they had, from which they chose 'Dragons' as their official emblem back in the day).

I only included Balmain in my list because they changed their name to Sydney Tigers and back to Balmain Tigers before they merged with Western Suburbs.

I mean - dont forget they used Saints as a nickname for a long time. I still do mostly.

 

[Nuke]

I mean - dont forget they used Saints as a nickname for a long time. I still do mostly.

Yeah, true.
I suppose my posts more refer to official name changes and not so much nicknames. I only touched on nicknames as, back in the day, teams were only known by the location of which they represented. Nicknames were just that. It was only later on that teams adopted official mascots as part of their name.

But yeah, I still call 'em Saints fairly often too!

 

[RedVee]

Yeah, true.
I suppose my posts more refer to official name changes and not so much nicknames. I only touched on nicknames as, back in the day, teams were only known by the location of which they represented. Nicknames were just that. It was only later on that teams adopted official mascots as part of their name.

But yeah, I still call 'em Saints fairly often too!

It was kinda offical, as much as any of the names were in those days. It changed (from memory) when the NSWRL took control of the names (and changed the logos?) around 1978 (I’m guessing a bit).
But there were posters around earlier of St George in armour and SAINTS as large text. I have one stashed away somewhere. Can’t remember if it was a GF buildup type thing in the paper or in Big League / RLW, or just a start of the Premiership thing.
I think I have a photo in one of my books.

 

[RedVee]

Anyway, most of the nick names were from usage. In the early days some reporters used to call us “the Illawarraites” or the “team from Illawarra”. The general usage was Dragon Slayers and/or Saints. Dragons came more into it from the 40s on.
The logo went from St G slaying the Dragon to St G with the Dragon in the late 70s.

I am amused that we went from the Slayer to the prey officially, and Souths officially are the rabbit seller (slayer?) but in general conversation they are often know as Rabbits… the prey.

 

[Nuke]

Anyway, most of the nick names were from usage. In the early days some reporters used to call us “the Illawarraites” or the “team from Illawarra”. The general usage was Dragon Slayers and/or Saints. Dragons came more into it from the 40s on.
The logo went from St G slaying the Dragon to St G with the Dragon in the late 70s.

I am amused that we went from the Slayer to the prey officially, and Souths officially are the rabbit seller (slayer?) but in general conversation they are often know as Rabbits… the prey.

I've always loved that irony too.

In real life, that cute little white bunny on their jerseys should be rotated 90° so that it's hanging, dead, from its feet..!

 

[blue bags]

Newtown BlueBags
Newtown Jet's
Canterbury Bankstown Berries
Bulldog's
North Sydney Harboursiders
North Sydney Bear's
Many Warringah seagulls
Sea Eagles
Yes Stgeorge Dragons were known as the
Illawarra club in the 1920s 30 40s
Penrith. Cumberland. Arncliffe. Cronulla
All tried to get into the big league

 

[blue bags]

I've always loved that irony too.

In real life, that cute little white bunny on their jerseys should be rotated 90° so that it's hanging, dead, from its feet..!

And the black rabbit
It's a mythical sign of DEATH
The black rabbit. Google it

 

[RedVee]

Newtown BlueBags
Newtown Jet's
Canterbury Bankstown Berries
Bulldog's
North Sydney Harboursiders
North Sydney Bear's
Many Warringah seagulls
Sea Eagles
Yes Stgeorge Dragons were known as the
Illawarra club in the 1920s 30 40s
Penrith. Cumberland. Arncliffe. Cronulla
All tried to get into the big league

I’m told early on Canterbury were known as “the Cee Bees” from their old emblem, or “the Cantabs”. They were Berries when I was a kid.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

* Auckland Warriors => Warriors (??) => New Zealand Warriors.

They were the Auckland Warriors until 2000-2001 when Eric Watson bought the club license after the previous administration folded, and the New Zealand Warriors after that which is a different business entity. I don’t think that’s really changed since although the amount of prominence given to the NZ part has varied in the years since. It’s become more prominent since last year as “NZ” is now part of the major sponsor name (One NZ).

 

[blue bags]

Illawarra Steelers

 

[Timmah]

Adelaide Rams (1997-98)

Annandale (1908-20)

Balmain Tigers (1908-94, 97-99), Sydney Tigers (1995-97)

Brisbane Broncos (1988-present)

Canberra Raiders (1982-present)

Canterbury-Bankstown (1935-77), Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (1978-94, 1996-99, 2010-present), Sydney Bulldogs (1995), Bulldogs (2000-09)

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (1967-98, 2003-present), Sharks (1999-2002)

Cumberland (1908)

Dolphins (2023-present)

Glebe (1908-1929)

Gold Coast/Tweed Heads Giants (1988-89), Gold Coast Seagulls (1990-95), Gold Coast Chargers (1996-98)

Gold Coast Titans (2007-present)

Hunter Mariners (1997)

Illawarra Steelers (1982-98)

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (1947-99, 2003-present)

Melbourne Storm (1998-present)

Newcastle (1908-09)

Newcastle Knights (1988-present)

Newtown (1908-72), Newtown Jets (1973-83)

North Sydney (1908-59), North Sydney Bears (1960-99)

Northern Eagles (2000-02)

North Queensland Cowboys (1995-present)

Parramatta Eels (1947-present)

Penrith Panthers (1967-present)

St George Dragons (1921-1998)

St George Illawarra Dragons (1999-present)

South Queensland Crushers (1995-97)

South Sydney Rabbitohs (1908-99, 2002-present)

Eastern Suburbs (1908-67), Eastern Suburbs Roosters (1968-94), Sydney City Roosters (1995-99), Sydney Roosters (2000-present)

University (1920-37)

Auckland Warriors (1995-2000), New Zealand Warriors (2001), Warriors (2002-present)

Western Reds (1995-96), Perth Reds (1997)

Western Suburbs Magpies (1908-99)

Wests Tigers (2000-present)

 

[blue bags]

Gold coast Gladiators

 

[Timmah]

Gold coast Gladiators

They only participated in the 1996 World Sevens under that name, but never a competitive first grade match.

 

[blue bags]

They only participated in the 1996 World Sevens under that name, but never a competitive first grade match.

Sydney Tiger's
And Sydney Bulldogs
Both those teams used Sydney in there name

 

[Timmah]

Yes, that's been covered.

 

[Willow]

Back in the day, clubs only had nicknames, not emblems. The Cantabs and the Berries were Canterbury, before they chose a Bulldog as their mascot. St.George were the Dragon Slayers unofficially before taking on the Dragons as their official moniker. There are other examples too, but that's enough from me for the night..!

That's pretty close. In the early days, the nicknames were mostly coined by fans and media. And St George were naturally called "Saints" by the supporters. The "Dragon Slayers" most likely originally came from a local sports writer in The St George Call... and that went to print, so it stuck for some time. The "Red and Whites" was also popular quite early on. Or simply, "St George".

The most enduring nickname through all this has been "Saints", since they were first considered for the NSWRL in 1908, and their entry into the first grade in 1921 and right up to the here and now.

Canterbury once had the unfortunate nickname of Country Bumpkins - most likely opposition fans sending up the "CBs". Back in the 1930s, the Canterbury-Bankstown area was more rural, plus the Canterbury club were buying up loads of country-based players - all this gave rise to what was essentially a sledge. As I'm sure you know, for some decades, Canterbury fans preferred the Berries. The Bulldogs came about during that period in the 70s (and 80s) when the League took ownership of nicknames as a branding tool.

Didn't forget. St.George Dragons and Illawarra Steelers merged to form a new club. They didn't change their name (apart from my previously-mentioned nickname of 'Dragon-Slayers' that they had, from which they chose 'Dragons' as their official emblem back in the day).

Joint venture actually. The nickname "Dragons" had already been around since the 1950s - probably earlier, possibly pre-war - no one is sure. Remember, this was a time when nicknames usually evolved from the fan-base so it's very difficult to pin an exact date on these things. But obviously the 'Slayers' part just dropped away and it got shortened to the 'Dragons', and this didn't happen overnight.

Anyway, most of the nick names were from usage. In the early days some reporters used to call us “the Illawarraites” or the “team from Illawarra”. The general usage was Dragon Slayers and/or Saints. Dragons came more into it from the 40s on.
The logo went from St G slaying the Dragon to St G with the Dragon in the late 70s.

I am amused that we went from the Slayer to the prey officially, and Souths officially are the rabbit seller (slayer?) but in general conversation they are often know as Rabbits… the prey.

I always found "the Illawarraites" to be an interesting lost nickname. It can be described as 'pre-war' but I suspect it disappeared in the 1920s (there's one publisher who reckoned it was around in the 1960s but that's just incorrect).

To put this in perspective, the St George area historically had a close association with the Illawarra, as was the case with everything on that side of the river. There's a reason why there's an "Illawarra Road" in Marrickville heading south towards Cooks River. We now know the team ended up being called "St George", named after the parish.
But what a different discussion could be had if the club based in Kogarah became known as the Illawarra DRLFC in early days of the 20th Century.

 

[RedVee]

That's pretty close. In the early days, the nicknames were mostly coined by fans and media. And St George were naturally called "Saints" by the supporters. The "Dragon Slayers" most likely originally came from a local sports writer in The St George Call... and that went to print, so it stuck for some time. The "Red and Whites" was also popular quite early on. Or simply, "St George".

The most enduring nickname through all this has been "Saints", since they were first considered for the NSWRL in 1908, and their entry into the first grade in 1921 and right up to the here and now.

Canterbury once had the unfortunate nickname of Country Bumpkins - most likely opposition fans sending up the "CBs". Back in the 1930s, the Canterbury-Bankstown area was more rural, plus the Canterbury club were buying up loads of country-based players - all this gave rise to what was essentially a sledge. As I'm sure you know, for some decades, Canterbury fans preferred the Berries. The Bulldogs came about during that period in the 70s (and 80s) when the League took ownership of nicknames as a branding tool.

Joint venture actually. The nickname "Dragons" had already been around since the 1950s - probably earlier, possibly pre-war - no one is sure. Remember, this was a time when nicknames usually evolved from the fan-base so it's very difficult to pin an exact date on these things. But obviously the 'Slayers' part just dropped away and it got shortened to the 'Dragons', and this didn't happen overnight.

I always found "the Illawarraites" to be an interesting lost nickname. It can be described as 'pre-war' but I suspect it disappeared in the 1920s (there's one publisher who reckoned it was around in the 1960s but that's just incorrect).

To put this in perspective, the St George area historically had a close association with the Illawarra, as was the case with everything on that side of the river. There's a reason why there's an "Illawarra Road" in Marrickville heading south towards Cooks River. We now know the team ended up being called "St George", named after the parish.
But what a different discussion could be had if the club based in Kogarah became known as the Illawarra DRLFC in early days of the 20th Century.

Yes, lots of Illawarra in the region. The first house I lived in as a little tacker was in a street that ran off Wollongong Rd.