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Gold Coast Chargers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Full name | Gold Coast Chargers |
|---|---|
| Colours | Jade, black, purple and gold |
| Entered 1st grade | 1988 |
| Departed 1st grade | 1998 |
| Sport | Rugby league |
| League | NSWRL/ARL, NRL |
| 1998 | 19th of 20 |
| Premierships | Nil |
| Runners-up | Nil |
| Minor premiers | Nil |
| Wooden spoons | 3 - 1991, 1992, 1993 |
| Biggest win | 52 - 4 vs. South Queensland, July 21, 1996 |
| Worst defeat | 6 - 62 vs. Melbourne, May 31, 1998 |
Gold Coast were a rugby league team which played in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership from 1988 to 1994, the Australian Rugby League premiership from 1995 to 1997, and the National Rugby League premiership in 1998. They first played under the name Gold Coast-Tweed Giants, then Gold Coast Seagulls, and finally Gold Coast Chargers.
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The Gold Coast-Tweed Giants were admitted to the New South Wales Rugby League premiership for the 1988 season, along with the Brisbane Broncos and Newcastle Knights. Due to a clause in Brisbane's licence, only one team (the Broncos) could play in South-East Queensland. As a result the Giants played out of the now demolished Seagulls Stadium in Tweed Heads, New South Wales, just over the border, which was home to the Tweed Heads Seagulls RLFC.
 Gold Coast-Tweed Giants jersey |
The Giants' colours were black, silver and white. They were the least successful of the three expansion teams, and in 1990 were bought out by the Seagulls Leagues Club. They were also known as Gold Coast Gladiators.
- Seagulls Leagues Club
The Gold Coast Giants' name was changed to Gold Coast Seagulls, but although the Tweed reference was dropped from the name, they continued to play out of Seagulls Stadium. Along with a change of name came a change of colours to black, white, and red. They signed Wally Lewis, one of the world's greatest rugby league players as captain-coach in '91 and '92 and, following his retirement, just as coach in '93. The club received wooden spoons in all of those three seasons (in 1992 because of an interchange infringement), appearing to reach their nadir in 1993 when they won only one game. When the Super League war broke out, the Seagulls Leagues club pulled out their support and the club was closed at the end of 1995.
- Seagulls Leagues Club
- Tooheys
- Pellerman's Wines
The Gold Coast Club's licence was bought out by millionaire entrepreneur Jeff Muller before the start of the 1996 season and, after some initial deliberation during which it was mooted the club would become known as the Gold Coast Gladiators, the were eventually named the Gold Coast Chargers. The club then enjoyed some immediate success in winning one of the minor trophies at that year's pre-season World Sevens tournament, the club's first title of any description. After having been in the league for eight seasons, the club was moved to its namesake, the Gold Coast, and were based at Carrara Stadium. With new jersey colours, it was the Chargers that made the Gold Coast club's only finals appearance in the Australian Rugby League's half of 1997's split competition.
Gold Coast were one of a few clubs who actually made a financial profit during Super League, and gained entrance into the newly re-unified National Rugby League (NRL) competition in 1998. However, a reduction of teams was deemed necessary before the 1999 season and the Chargers seemed likely to be dropped. The Hunter Mariners, who were owned by News Limited, were offered as merger partners, but the Gold Coast turned down the offer. If they had merged to form the Gold Coast Mariners, they would have had a strong chance of getting players like Richard Swain, Brett Kimmorley and Willie Mason, along with now-successful coaches Graham Murray and Michael Hagan. When they were closed at the end of 1998 by the NRL, the Gold Coast club had $3.1 million in the bank.
- Chandlers
- Home Timber and Hardware
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Australia |
New Zealand |
The new Gold Coast rugby league team, the Titans, began their first year of competition almost a decade since the demise of the Chargers, competing in National Rugby League season 2007. They have no ties to former Gold Coast teams such as the three listed here, except for the fact they play out of the same city and (for their debut year) will play at the same ground as did the Chargers (Gold Coast Stadium, Carrara) before a permanent move to Skilled Park, Robina.