History of the Dewar Shield Competition
The Dewar Shield is one of the oldest club rugby trophies in Australia. Since 1909, it has been the prize for Victoria’s best senior men’s rugby team, surviving two World Wars, long periods of decline, the rise of professional rugby, and even a global pandemic. In 2026, it was awarded for the 100th time.
This article traces the history of the Dewar Shield competition era by era, from its first season to the modern format, highlighting the clubs, streaks, and turning points that shaped Victorian rugby.
The Beginning: 1909 to 1914
Rugby union had been played in Melbourne since the late 1800s, but early competitions were patchy. In 1909, a proper senior club competition was established, and the Scotch whisky company John Dewar and Sons donated a trophy. The Dewar Shield was born.
The first season featured a small group of clubs, including Melbourne, East Melbourne, South Melbourne, St Kilda, and University. Melbourne, now known as the Unicorns, won the first title and went on to dominate the early years.
| Era | Leading Club or Clubs | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|
| 1909 to 1914 | Melbourne Unicorns | Competition founded |
| 1926 to 1940 | Kiwis, Footscray | Revival after First World War |
| 1946 to 1960s | Unicorns, Navy, Melbourne University | Post-war rebuilding |
| 1970s | Kiwis | Seven titles in one decade |
| 1980s to 1990s | Moorabbin | Record six straight titles |
| 2000s to 2020s | Power House, Unicorns, Harlequins | Shared dominance |
The early competition ended abruptly. The last pre-war match was played on 8 August 1914, when East Melbourne beat South Melbourne. Within weeks, players were volunteering for service in the First World War, and club rugby in Victoria went silent.
The Lost Years and the 1926 Revival
For more than a decade, there was little organised club rugby in Melbourne. A brief revival came in 1921, when a Victorian team made up mostly of navy personnel played the touring South Africans and lost heavily.
The real turning point came in 1926. Six clubs, including the Kiwis, Melbourne, Melbourne University, St Kilda, RAAF, and Navy, formed the modern Victorian Rugby Union. The New Zealand Rugby Union played a key role, offering administrative support and the promise of including Melbourne in a future All Blacks tour.
New Zealand Rugby Union committee member Tom Fletcher helped organise the new competition, and the first year of the revived Union was judged a satisfactory success. Matches were played at grounds such as Flinders Naval Depot and University Oval, and from 1928 games were also held at Exhibition Oval, giving the competition a more central home in the city.
A Growing Competition
The revived competition grew quickly:
- Harlequin and Footscray joined in 1928
- Geelong joined in 1929
- A Final Four finals series was introduced in 1932
- Power House joined in 1933
- By 1937, there were 13 clubs and 30 senior teams
The Kiwis, founded by New Zealand expats, were the standout club, winning five titles including three in a row from 1927 to 1929. Footscray also won three premierships in the 1930s. The Second World War brought another halt after the 1940 season.
Post-War Rebuilding: 1946 to the 1960s
When the war ended, the Victorian Rugby Union was still intact, thanks in part to the leadership of its wartime president, Dr W.H. Ward. By 1946, eight first-grade teams had returned.
The post-war decades belonged to three clubs:
- Melbourne Unicorns, with seven titles, including three straight from 1948 to 1950
- Navy, with six titles, including a 1951 to 1953 run
- Melbourne University, with six titles, including back-to-back wins in the early 1960s
As Melbourne’s population expanded in the 1950s, new clubs formed in the outer suburbs. The first Colts competition for under-19 players began in 1959, giving young players a pathway into senior rugby.
The Kiwis’ Golden Decade: The 1970s
The 1970s were defined by the Kiwis, who won seven premierships in the decade, including three in a row from 1970 to 1972 and back-to-back titles in 1976 and 1977. Their 1971 side went through the season undefeated.
Other clubs also tasted success. Power House won in 1973 and 1974, Harlequin in 1975, and Moorabbin claimed its first title in 1978, a sign of what was coming.
Moorabbin’s Record Era: The 1980s and 1990s
If one club owned a period of Dewar Shield history, it was Moorabbin in the 1980s. The club won seven titles in the decade, including a record six straight premierships from 1981 to 1986. No other club has matched that streak.
Moorabbin’s success continued into the 1990s with four more titles. This era also saw important changes in Victorian rugby:
- Clubs were first allowed controlled sponsorships in 1985
- Relaxed migration rules in the 1980s brought more players from New Zealand and the Pacific Islands
- Kiwi Hawthorn, formed by a 1987 merger, won titles in 1993 and 1996
- Box Hill won its first premiership in the 1990s
The Modern Era: 2000 to 2019
Rugby union became professional in 1995, but the Dewar Shield remained an amateur competition. In the 2000s and 2010s, success was shared among several strong clubs.
| Decade | Notable Winners |
|---|---|
| 2000s | Power House three-peat (2006 to 2008), Box Hill (2000, 2001), Moorabbin, Unicorns, Harlequin |
| 2010s | Unicorns (five titles), Harlequin (four titles, including 2013 to 2015), Moorabbin (2012) |
The arrival of the Melbourne Rebels in Super Rugby in 2011 gave Victoria a professional team for the first time. Dewar Shield clubs became an important part of the local pathway, with talented club players gaining attention from professional coaches.
Disruption and Change: 2020 to 2026
The competition faced a new challenge in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the season. No premiership was awarded in 2020 or 2021.
Since returning, the competition has seen:
- Harlequins winning back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023
- Power House winning three straight premierships from 2024 to 2026
- The Melbourne Rebels’ exit from Super Rugby after the 2024 season
- Kiwi Hawthorn’s return to the competition in 2025
- Brimbank joining the top senior competition in 2026
A New Format for 2026
For 2026, Rugby Victoria introduced a new structure. All ten clubs played a nine-round Championship phase, after which the top five contested the Dewar Shield and the bottom five the Ward Shield. This gave every club a meaningful finals series to play for late in the season. Rugby Victoria is targeting a full divisional system with promotion and relegation by 2028.
The 100th Dewar Shield
Because of the long breaks during both World Wars and the COVID-19 seasons, the Dewar Shield took 117 years to reach its 100th awarding in 2026. That milestone reflects the resilience of Victorian rugby and the clubs that kept the competition going through difficult times.
Final Thoughts
The history of the Dewar Shield competition is a story of survival and passion. From five clubs in 1909 to a modern two-division format, the competition has outlasted wars, financial struggles, and changes in professional rugby. Dynasties from the Unicorns, Kiwis, Moorabbin, Harlequins, and Power House have all left their mark, and the next chapter is being written on suburban grounds across Melbourne.
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