Sean Fagan

The Queensland team that played against New Zealand in 1893. Fred Lea is to the left side (in suit).

When Fred Lea, an Englishman educated at Allesley College near Rugby in Warwickshire, arrived in Brisbane in 1878, he was amazed to find that Victorian rules was the only form of football being played.

Lea was, without any doubt, a devotee of the rugby code. He had played the game at college, and continued afterwards with the
'I. Zingara' and 'Manchester Rangers' clubs.

Lea took up the Victorian game, playing it in 1879-81. However, in 1880 he was able to induce two of the local clubs, Brisbane F.C. (founded 1867) and Wallaroo (1878), to try rugby. Three matches were played between the clubs.

In the following seasons Brisbane's four football clubs played matches under both codes, though the majority were overwhelmingly Victorian rules games. In the late winter of 1882 the Brisbane F.C. contacted the Sydney Wallaroo club, challenging them to a rugby match.

The Wallaroos handed the matter over the NSWRU and it was agreed that the Brisbane club should be invited to Sydney. However, suggestions were made in the press that the NSWRU and the NSWFA (Victorian rules) should share the costs of the visit and that the teams play matches under both codes.

The NSWFA readily agreed with the proposal, but were gazumped by the NSWRU. The NSW rugby body offered to the Brisbane F.C. to pay all their costs provided they only played rugby during their visit - the Brisbane officials immediately accepted the offer. It was also agreed that both teams should adopt the name of their colony, and players be selected from all clubs in the respective capital cities. The tour took place, and the first inter-colonial (inter-state) match was held - NSW won the match 28-4.

With the NSWRU keen to keep the inter-colony matches going, a NSW team journeyed to Brisbane in 1883. Trained in readiness by Fred Lea, the Queensland team ambushed the visitors and gained a victory over the New South Welshmen.

The win gave rugby in Brisbane a huge boost, with many footballers wanting to try the code. It was thought that Brisbane's four clubs would simply increase the number of rugby matches for 1884, while still playing Victorian rules as well.

However, it soon became clear that moves were afoot to form a ‘Queensland Football [Victorian rules] Association’, meaning affiliated clubs could no longer play rugby. With Fred Lea (who would be later called 'The Father of Queensland rugby') actively involved, it was decided to form the Northern Rugby Football Union (QRU) in 1884. Enough players aligned with the rugby body to form two clubs.

The decisive blow to Victorian rules came after the decision to make the NSW v Queensland matches an annual fixture, and the visit of a British rugby team in 1888. Teams from New Zealand soon followed. Unable to provide comparable attractions, Victorian rules lost its grip on the northern colony.

The rugby game quickly spread throughout Queensland to Toowoomba, Rockhampton, Maryborough, Gympie and, most notably, Charters Towers.

References.
Sean Fagan, The Rugby Rebellion
The Sunday Sun (Sydney)
Ian Diehm, Red! Red! Red! The Story of Queensland Rugby
NSWRU / ARU archives
Keyword related: Queensland Reds