Cronulla Caringbah Club History Since 1932

Documents uncovered display a straight line of succession from when Cronulla Rugby League Team first entered into the Sydney Houses competition in 1932, to today’s Cronulla Caringbah Sharks JRLFC.

The Team first played in the competition called the Sydney Houses which later became the Sydney Business Houses competition.

The players and officials of the Cronulla Team formally organised the Cronulla Rugby League Club in 1945 and then played in the St. George Junior Rugby League competition until 1952 when the name of the club was changed to Cronulla Caringbah JRLFC.

The club continued to play primarily in the St. George JRL competition until 1963 when the Cronulla Sutherland JRL was formulated and the club then played in the present day District Junior League competition.

The original team played in all black uniforms with a white band and played teams from as far away as Katoomba.

The team later went to blue, black and white of the Cronulla Surf Club however the exact date or year that happened is at the time unclear.

It is important to note that about this time the team was sponsored by the Barsby bus company and was nick named the Barsby Blues which was not the correct name.

In 1945 the club went to brown and gold uniforms as it was the most non controversial as many members of the club were either Cronulla or North Cronulla surf club members and there was conflict as to uniform colours. At the time the Cronulla hockey team wore brown and gold and it was decided to conform with them.

In 1946 after the war there was many good players in Cronulla and another club started called the South Cronulla Rangers Rugby League Club and they played in blue and gold uniforms.

This club existed until the end of 1952 when it was decided that the Rangers and the Cronulla club would amalgamate. It was then that the present day club was named and formed and again new colours were adopted back to black and white, which were the original colours of Cronulla Rugby League with the intention of avoiding controversy in the joint venture a new name Cronulla Caringbah JRLFC was adopted.

In 1963 Cronulla Caringbah helped form the Cronulla Sutherland Junior League still with an open division team playing up til 1967 in the St George 2nd division as Cronulla Caringbah until the Cronulla Caringbah 1st grade team was then accepted into the Sydney Rugby League First Division ARL Comp.

This is when the clubs 1st division team played by the name of Cronulla Sutherland Sharks representing the Sutherland Shire and as it is today. After 50 years the Cronulla Sutherland Sharks won their 1st NRL premiership in 2016.

As of the early 1990’s the Cronulla Caringbah JRLFC have added a silver/blue around the number and now also to the front of the jersey. The club has also gone by the name of Cronulla Caringbah Sharks JRLFC since the early 1990’s.

Even though the club have had a shark as their emblem since the 1960’s they never really owned the name the sharks until later. Today they do and the constitution being changed and stating that they are the “Cronulla Caringbah Sharks”.

In 2016 together with the help of Cronulla High School staff, students and Huw Ellis a member of the NRL at the time Cronulla Caringbah Sharks became pioneers and formed a pathway for Womens Rugby League in the Sutherland Shire to play in the Sydney Metropolitan Competition.

The club fields 4 teams U14, U16, U18 and 1st grade with the U18 and 1st grade girls winning the Sydney Metro Premierships in their very 1st year.

The clubs committee approached senior club the Cronulla Sutherland Sharks to see if they wanted to form an NRL women’s exhibition team with the Cronulla Caringbah Sharks girls to help develop womens professional Rugby League. The senior club agreed and the womens rugby league is as it is now.

Today Cronulla Caringbah Sharks field over 30 teams and are proud of each and every one of them.

#wearesharks #CCsharks the club that help found both the men’s and women’s Cronulla Sutherland Sharks NRL teams. The only NRL teams to originate from a Junior Club.