1887 Southern Rugby Union season
rugby league season
The 1887 Southern Rugby Football Union season was the 14th season of the Sydney Rugby Premiership. This was the fifth competition for the Gardiner Challenge Cup which was awarded to the winners of the premiership. The football season was from May till August 1887. The season culminated in the premiership, which was won by Sydney University who were crowned premiers after winning the first ever final against Arfoma.
Teams
For the 1887 Gardiner Cup, the Southern Rugby Football Union amended the rules for entry into the competition. It was decided that all clubs within the union had the right to enter after paying the entry fee. Eleven clubs entered the competition and were added to the draw.
Amongst the names of clubs that folded over the off-season was the name Redfern. The Redfern club had been the premiers only a few seasons prior but had succumbed to internal wars and disagreements. After the draw had been created and the first games underway, Parramatta informed the union that the club was folding.
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