Frank Burge, Glebe ‘Dirty Reds’ in 1917 (source: NRL.com)

by Duncan Leys, from Bulletin 4/2026 (June)

Upcoming is a talk by Max Solling on Sunday 28 June at the Forest Lodge Hotel. Who better to talk about the Glebe District Rugby League Club’s colourful history than Max, who literally wrote the book on the Dirty Reds (An act of bastardry – Rugby League axes its first club: Glebe District Rugby League Football Club 1908 to 1929, Walla Walla Press, 2014)?

The origins of the Glebe District Rugby League Club lie in a moment of upheaval in Australian sport. Before 1908, Rugby Union dominated, but it was governed by a rigid amateur ethos: players were expected to absorb the physical toll of the game without any financial support. For middle‑class players with stable incomes, this was an inconvenience. For working‑class men — like those who played for Glebe — it was untenable. These were labourers, wharfies, carters, and tradesmen whose livelihoods depended on their bodies. An injury on Saturday could mean no wages on Monday.

Many Glebe players were also trade union men, steeped in the politics of workplace justice. When the idea of a professional code emerged — one that recognised the economic reality of injury and offered compensation — it resonated deeply. The split from Rugby Union to Rugby League was therefore not just a sporting rebellion but a working‑class movement, and Glebe was at its heart.

Max’s photo‑rich presentation will cover:

  • The players: from icons like Frank Burge and Chris McKivat to the many talented players who represented Glebe.
  • Reputation: how the press cast Glebe as a fiercely tough — and sometimes notorious — side.
  • The people around the game: supporters, rivals, referees, and police, all part of the club’s colourful and gritty world.
  • The context: the venues including Wentworth Park, the War Years, the 1917 Players’ Strike, and the club’s expulsion on the eve of the Depression.

History talks can be thirsty work — so grab a drink from the bar before we begin, and feel free to stay afterwards to meet your neighbours and continue the conversation.

When: Sunday 28 June, 2 pm.

Where: Forest Lodge Hotel, 117 Arundel Street, Forest Lodge.

Cost: $5.00 (Glebe Society members and non-members).

Bookings: events.humanitix.com/history-of-glebe-district-rugby-league-club-1908-1929 (Note that this event cannot be booked via the Glebe Society’s Eventbrite page).