Match Report
Shamrocks Prevail in Grand Final Thriller to Claim Illawarra 2nd Grade Premiership
Shamrocks Produce Gritty Performance to Clinch Premiership Crown In a tightly contested Grand Final, the Woonoona Shamrocks 2nd Grade have emerged victorious, defeating Kiama 2nd Grade 13-7 to claim the Illawarra 2nd Grade premiership title. This hard-fought triumph, built on a dominant forward display and clinical finishing, sees the Shamrocks cap off a season of steady improvement with the ultimate prize. Shamrocks' Forward Pack Lays the Foundation From the opening whistle, the Shamrocks' forward pack asserted their authority, winning a series of crucial scrums and line-outs to lay the foundation for their victory. The entire forward pack was immense in...
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Match Report
Shamrocks Muscle Their Way into Grand Final After Gutsy Shoalhaven Battle
Shamrocks Survive Strong Shoalhaven Surge to Secure Grand Final Berth Woonoona Shamrocks 2nd Grade have booked their place in the Illawarra 2nd Grade Grand Final, overcoming a determined Shoalhaven 2nd Grade side 31-13 in a hard-fought final at Shoalhaven Rugby Park. The victory, built on a dominant forward pack and clinical finishing in attack, sees the Shamrocks progress to face competition heavyweights Kiama 2nd Grade this weekend with a chance to clinch the premiership. Resolute Defence and Clinical Attack Key to Success In a tight and tense affair, the Shamrocks displayed tremendous resilience and discipline to grind out the result....
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Juniors
Shamrocks Junior Rugby: An Exciting New Chapter Begins
The Woonona Shamrocks are thrilled to announce the launch of our revitalised junior rugby program for 2025, marking an exciting new era for young rugby players in Illawarra's northern suburbs. A Legacy of Excellence Continues Junior rugby has been at the heart of our Woonona community for over 50 years. Since 1978, the Shamrocks have nurtured young talent from our first junior premiership in 1981 through to recent success stories like Eamon Doyle captaining the Junior Wallabies in 2025. We've celebrated premierships across all age groups and proudly watched our juniors progress to represent Illawarra, NSW Country, State teams, and...
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Match Report
Finals Bound Shamrocks Deliver Knockout Punch to Bowral
Shamrocks Second Grade Are One Step Away From A Grand Final After A Gripping Minor Semi-Final Woonoona Shamrocks 2nd Grade have booked their place in the Preliminary Final of the Illawarra 2nd Grade competition, overcoming a determined Bowral 2nd Grade side 30-25 in a hard-fought and extra time, minor semi-final at Shoalhaven Rugby Club. The victory, built on a strong set-piece foundation and clinical finishing in attack, sees the Shamrocks progress to face competition heavyweights Shoalhaven 2nd Grade next weekend, with a spot in the Grand Final on the line. Resilience and Character the Key In a tight and tense...
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Match Report
Vikings’ Clinical Second-Half Surge Overwhelms Gallant Shamrocks
Vikings Triumph in High-Scoring Encounter The Shamrocks 1st Grade squad faced a stern test against a resilient Vikings outfit, ultimately succumbing to a 48-31 defeat in Round 17 of the Illawarra District Rugby Union competition. Despite a promising start from the home team, the visitor's clinical second-half performance proved too much for the gallant Shamrocks side. Shamrocks Grit and Determination Despite the eventual defeat, the Shamrocks 1st Grade squad can take heart from their determined display. Ben Stewart, Tom Ah Tong, Harry Linden, Ben Ridgway and Oliver Alexander all scored tries for the Rocks, showcasing the team's resilience and ability...
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Match Report
Shamrocks Produce Ruthless Display to Crush Vikings in Second Grade on 2025 Community Day
Sharpened Shamrocks Deliver Commanding Victory Woonoona Shamrocks 2nd Grade have further cemented their position as one of the competition's form teams, romping to a comprehensive 46-0 victory over Vikings 2nd Grade at the Woonoona Shamrocks Rugby Club. All this in only one half of a shortened game. Following the half-time break, the Vikings side had to assess their injury toll and declared that they did not have enough players to field a safe playing group. Once the whistle had blown to begin the second half, the game was abandoned, and Shamrocks took the points. All this drama followed on from...
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Shamrocks History
Bricks and Champions: The Stumbles Era
Bricks: In 1979, three weeks out from the finals, Barry Stumbles led all three teams on a two kilometre run from Nicho Park to Hoopers Pub. Waiting at Hoopers were 45 schooners, one for each player. After downing the beers, he lined up the first graders and led them on a run up Hospital hill past the hospital to a vacant building site. Here, under a sheet of iron, he had 15 piles of bricks, in sets of two, one with a player's name on it and the other with the word "Premier" inscribed. From then until the final each...
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Match Report
Shamrocks First Grade Fall Short Despite Spirited Fightback Against Uni
The Woonona Shamrocks produced their most spirited performance in weeks but ultimately fell short in a high-scoring thriller that highlighted both their potential and the fine margins that have defined their challenging season. Despite sitting seventh on the IDRU ladder with just two wins from eleven outings, the Shamrocks worked hard but couldn't prevent their opponents from crossing more frequently in what became a familiar pattern for this side. The conditions were atrocious with heavy downpours frequently testing the ball skills of the players. The Rocks struck first blood through Ben Ridgway, who crashed over early in the piece with...
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Match Report
Shamrocks Storm Back With Seven-Try Demolition of University
University 2nd Grade 7 - 52 Shamrocks 2nd GradeRound 16 Match Overview Woonona Shamrocks 2nd Grade delivered a ruthless 52-7 demolition of University in a game transferred from the University of Wollongong to Ocean Park at the last moment due to heavy rain in the Illawarra. The Rocks bounced back from recent games with a performance that showcased exactly why they remain genuine finals contenders. Seven tries, six conversions, and a statement that firmly announced the Rocks are peaking at precisely the right moment in the season. This was a great follow-up to last fortnight's 73-10 massacre of Campbelltown, proving...
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New
Why did this Bude Flag pop-up at the Memorial Rock at the end of July?
Michael and Julie Sargent along with local friends, David and Janice Parker dropped into Ocean Park on Thursday July 31st in a pilgrimage to pay respects to the Bude Boys whose names appear on the Rock. Michael and Julie are part of the thousands of Lions supporters out for the tour and took the opportunity to join their local friends and catch up with our own Bude resident, Pete Towers, and pass on the respects from their Bude Community for past Bude players whose names now appear on the Rock Peter Vickery was one of a heap of players from...
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