The Gerringong Lions are an Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

n rugby league

Rugby league

Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...

 football team based in Gerringong

Gerringong, New South Wales

Gerringong is a town located about 10 minutes south of Kiama in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia in the Municipality of Kiama. At the 2006 census, Gerringong had a population of 3,588 people.One theory says that the name derives from an Aboriginal word meaning "fearful...

, a coastal town of the Illawarra

Illawarra

Illawarra is a region in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is a coastal region situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the Shoalhaven or South Coast region. It encompasses the cities of Wollongong, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven and the town of Kiama. The central region contains Lake...

 and South Coast regions. The club was formed in 1914 as one of the founding members of South Coast Rugby League

Group 7 Rugby League

South Coast Group 7 Rugby League is the divisional boundary drawn from the Southern Illawarra and South Coast regions of New South Wales, Australia and is governed by the NSWCRL...

, and continue to participate in this league's local competition.

Early Years (1914-1924)

The Gerringong Lions Rugby League Football Club was born when they broke away from South Coast Rugby Union in 1913 - a competition where they had won 6 First Grade Titles. On May 30, 1914, Gerringong travelled to the Kiama Showground to face closest neighbours and soon to be biggest rivals, Kiama

Kiama Knights

The Kiama Knights are an Australian rugby league football team based in Kiama, a coastal town of the Illawarra and South Coast regions. The club was formed in 1914 as one of the founding members of South Coast Rugby League, and continue to participate in this league's local competition.-History:On...

. The opening round of the inaugural season would see the Lions lost the match 6-3. Gerringong, however, would go on to take out the premiership final with an 11-10 victory at the Kiama Showground, a match that would charge a sixpence to attend.

Entering Illawarra (1925-1927)

After winning the South Coast Rugby League title again in 1924 for the 6th time (out of 8 years running), the Lions decided to move onto the more skilled Illawarra Rugby League

Illawarra Rugby League

The Illawarra Rugby League is a rugby league competition in Wollongong, NSW. It is one of the oldest rugby league competitions in Australia, founded in 1911 with five clubs ....

 in 1925. In their first season in this year they won the premiership. The journey into the Illawarra would only last a total of three years when the Lions returned to South Coast Rugby League Competition in 1928.

Re-entry into South Coast (1928-)

The Lions re-entered the South Coast competition in 1928, but did not enjoy the same success they had before they left. In fact, the club had to wait another 12 years before winning the premiership again in 1940. Gerringong has won more premierships than any other side in Group 7 history with 16, the last being in 2010 with a spectacular late field goal to Pat Cronin to defeat Warilla-Lake South Gorillas

Warilla-Lake South Gorillas

The Warilla-Lake South Gorillas are an Australian rugby league football team based in Lake Illawarra, a coastal town of the Illawarra region. The club is a part of Country Rugby League and have competed in the South Coast first grade competition since 1970...

 21-20.

Notable former players

• Michael Cronin
  Mick Cronin (rugby league)
  Michael William "Mick" Cronin OAM is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He was a goal-kicking centre for the Australian national team and a stalwart for the Parramatta Eels club. He played in 22 Tests and 11 World Cup matches between 1973 and 1982...
  
   - former Parramatta Eels
  Parramatta Eels
  The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...
  
  , New South Wales
  New South Wales Rugby League
  The New South Wales Rugby League is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and is a member of the Australian Rugby League. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was known as the New South Wales Rugby Football League until 1984 when forward thinking marketing managers decided...
  
   and Australian
  Australian Rugby League
  The Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
  
   representative player.
• Paul Quinn - Australian representative (7 tests between 1963-65).
• Ron Quinn - Half-back for Parramatta Eels (1983-1986) and Cronulla Sharks
  Cronulla Sharks
  The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are Australian professional Rugby league team based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales...
  
   (1987-88).
• Rod Wishart
  Rod Wishart
  Rod Wishart is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s. A New South Wales State of Origin and Australia international representative goal-kicking winger, he played club football with the Illawarra Steelers and the St...
  
   - former Illawarra Steelers
  Illawarra Steelers
  The Illawarra Steelers are an Australian rugby league football club based in the city of Wollongong, New South Wales. The club competed in Australia's top-level Rugby League competition from 1982, when they, along with the Canberra Raiders, were admitted into the then New South Wales Rugby Football...
  
  , St. George Illawarra Dragons, New South Wales, and Australian winger and goalkicker.
• Ashton Sims
  Ashton Sims
  Ashton Sims is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the North Queensland Cowboys of the National Rugby League . A Fiji international representative forward, he previously played for the St. George Illawarra Dragons and the Brisbane Broncos...
  
   - St. George Illawarra Dragons, Brisbane Broncos
  Brisbane Broncos
  The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
  
  , North Queensland Cowboys
  North Queensland Cowboys
  The North Queensland Cowboys are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, Queensland. They compete in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
  
   and Australian Schoolboys (2002) forward.
• Tariq Sims
  Tariq Sims
  Tariq Sims is an Australian rugby league player. He plays for the North Queensland Cowboys in the National Rugby League...
  
   - North Queensland Cowboys (2011-) forward.

Honours

• Group 7 Rugby League
  Group 7 Rugby League
  South Coast Group 7 Rugby League is the divisional boundary drawn from the Southern Illawarra and South Coast regions of New South Wales, Australia and is governed by the NSWCRL...
  
   Premierships: 16

1914, 1918, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1924, 1940, 1956, 1960, 1965, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1990, 1994, 2010

• Illawarra Rugby League
  Illawarra Rugby League
  The Illawarra Rugby League is a rugby league competition in Wollongong, NSW. It is one of the oldest rugby league competitions in Australia, founded in 1911 with five clubs ....
  
  : 1

1925

• Group 7 Rugby League Runners-Up: 14

1915, 1923, 1928, 1929, 1936, 1949, 1952, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1987, 1988, 1989, 2003

• Second Grade Premierships: 3

1995, 2002, 2011

• U-18's Premierships: 6

1938, 1940, 1951, 1994, 2000, 2010

• Third Grade (Regan Cup): 1

1973

Source: About the Lions

External links

• Gerringong Lions Homepage
• Country Rugby League
• Group 7 Rugby League
  Group 7 Rugby League
  South Coast Group 7 Rugby League is the divisional boundary drawn from the Southern Illawarra and South Coast regions of New South Wales, Australia and is governed by the NSWCRL...