Rugby League Merchandise

Parramatta are continuing the amazing turnaround of their season with another win in the finals series. Last night Friday 18th September, they defeated the Gold Coast Titans 27-2 in Sydney at the Sydney Football Stadium. Next week they will play the Bulldogs for a place in the Grand Final. This is an amazing turn of events for Parramatta who where 2nd from the bottom of the table in June.

Parramatta fans have waited a long time for a Grand Final win and I now believe that they can do it! To win last night after losing Daniel Mortimer early in the game was a sign that they can continue on after losing a key play maker. Daniel Mortimer was injured in the first few minutes of the game. He was hit after placing a kick and now has a hip injury. Hopefully he will be recovered in time for next Friday night’s blockbuster against the Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium in Sydney.

Early History

Parramatta Rugby club was formed in 1879. In 1900 the club merged with Western Suburbs to play in the Sydney district competition. The home ground was Cumberland Oval.A district rugby league competition was started in 1909.Other clubs were formed throughout the district.In 1936 Parramatta put forward a proposal to join the New South Wales Rugby League Premiership competition. The only club to accept the proposal was Western Suburbs and they were the club that would lose the most if Parramatta joined. The proposal was rejected. Further plans to pursue entry into the competition were put on hold by the start of World War II.In 1946 after the war was over, Parramatta again applied for entry into the competition. This time they were accepted.The first premiership match was played against Newtown at Cumberland Oval on 12th April 1947 in front of a crowd of about 6,000. Parramatta lost 12-34.They wore blue jerseys with a gold hoops around the middle and across the sleeves and white pants.Parramatta were not very successful in the early years, becoming wooden spooners six years in a row between 1956 and 1961. They made the finals in 1962 to 1965. Wooden spooners again in 1970.Their first success was in 1976 when they won the Pre-Season cup beating Manly-Warringah in the final.

The early nickname for Parramatta was ‘The Fruitpickers’ because of all the orchards in the district at that time.In the 1960’s rugby league journalist Peter Frilingos suggested that Parramatta should be called ‘The Eels’. The word Parramatta comes from the aboriginal word Barramattagal which means ‘place where the eels dwell’.'The Eels’ was officially adopted in the 1970’s.

The Parramatta Eels

Parramatta Stadium

Parramatta played at Cumberland Oval until 1981 when they won their first premiership. The last match played there was against Manly (I was there too!).After the premiership win, the grandstand which was to be demolished was burnt down. (I was there too but I didn’t do it – I was in the club celebrating)During the 1982 – 1985 seasons Parramatta used Belmore oval as a temporary home ground while the new stadium was being built on Cumberland oval.The stadium was going to be much larger than it is but this was stopped by the ‘Friends of Parramatta Park’ who protested loudly over the development.The first match played at the new stadium was on 16th March 1986. Parramatta won 36-6 over St George. The capacity of the stadium is only 20,000. It did have a larger capacity before the hilled areas were filled with seats.The largest crowd at the old Cumberland oval was 22,470 on 26th April 1971 when Parramatta played South Sydney.The largest crowd at the new stadium was 27,243 on the 17th August 1986 when Parramatta played South Sydney.The largest crowd since the seating of the hill area was 21,141 in 2006 when Parramatta played West Tigers.

We wait with baited breath now to see if Parramatta can beat the Bulldogs next week. It will be a tough game for the Eels, beating the 2nd placed Bulldogs and the ground will be packed to the rafters for what should be a spectacular game. I can’t wait!