Souths Rugby Union Club Incorporated, known as Souths or the Magpies, is a rugby union club based at Yeronga Park in Annerley, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The senior club was formed in 1948 and the junior club in 1963; the two merged in 2016. The club's Premier Grade side competes for the Hospital Cup, and the club fields players from under-6 to Premier Grade, including a women's team.
History
The club was formed in 1948 and calls itself the most successful rugby club in Australia. It celebrated 75 years of "Magpie Rugby" in 2023. By the club's count, Souths have produced 70 Queensland representatives and 30 Australian representatives since 1948, as well as five Australian captains: Nev Cottrell, David Codey, Andrew Slack, Tim Horan and Jason Little.
In early 1963 'Chipsie' Wood of Souths Seniors, Ted Bishop of Yeronga State School and interested parents met with the aim of forming an under-10 team to represent the southern districts, and the Southern Districts Junior Rugby Union Football Club was formed. With the help of Arthur Lang, a former Brisbane City Council alderman, the club obtained the field at Shaftesbury Street, which remains the home of Souths Juniors.
By the club's count, it made history in 1992, when seven Souths players were selected as Wallabies, the first time any club had supplied seven players to the Australian team. The "Magnificent Seven" were Jason Little, Tim Horan, Dan Crowley, Troy Coker, Garrick Morgan, Tom Lawton and Sam Scott-Young.
In 2016 the senior and junior clubs, the Southern Districts Rugby Union Football Club Inc and the Southern Districts Junior Rugby Union Football Club Inc, merged into a single entity. In 2024 the Premier Grade returned to finals rugby for the first time in six years, finishing fourth and losing to UQ in the semi-finals.
Honours
- Premier Grade Cup: 2015, won after seven sudden-death victories, by the club's count
- 6th Grade premiers (Normanby Cup): 2024
- Colts 1 premiers: 2024
- Colts 2 premiers: 2024
Ground
The clubhouse and Chipsy Wood Oval are at Yeronga Park, 104 Frederick Street (off Villa Street), Annerley QLD 4103, with a training field behind the clubhouse. The junior ground is Shaftesbury St Oval, 111 Shaftesbury Street, Tarragindi QLD 4121. The club uses the Yeronga Park Fitness Centre, 154 Villa Street, Yeronga, as its gym. The club calls its home at Yeronga Park "The Nest".
Teams and training
In 2024 the club had men's teams from 1st Grade (Premier Grade) to 6th Grade. Senior rugby also covers the Colts (under-20) and a women's fifteens side, and the club has a veterans' competition for players over 35.
Juniors play in the Brisbane Junior Rugby (BJRU) competition: junior teams from under-6 to under-16, girls' teams at under-12, under-14 and under-16, and Junior Colts at under-17 and under-18. Mini Magpies is a developmental programme for children below under-6 age, held on Friday nights. The club runs a Modified Rugby Program in partnership with the GingerCloud Foundation. Children can register as training-only participants to try the sport before committing.
As of September 2026, the Junior Colts' 2026 Lightning Series training was on Tuesday nights from 6pm to 7.45pm at Shaftesbury and on Friday nights from 5pm at Chipsy Wood.
Club life
The club's colours are black and white. It welcomes visitors to the "Home of the Magpies", and the club calls its players, from the under-6s to the Premier Grade sides, the "Magpie Army". In 2022 the club spoke of the "true Magpie Spirit".