The NSWRU (or then, The Southern RU – SRU) was established in 1874, and the very first club competition took place that year.

[7]: pp.159ff During World War I, the NSW (and QLD) Rugby Unions ceased senior competition.

The height of the success of NSW is best represented by the defeat of the South African Springboks in 1937 at the SCG.

[citation needed] NSW Rugby Union would also perform strongly throughout the following decades as well, which included the emergence of footballers such as Trevor Allan, David Brockhoff, Tony Miller, Nick Shehadie, Eddie Stapleton, Ken Catchpole, John Thornett, Peter Crittle and Ron Graham.

As part of the anniversary celebrations, a match was played at the SCG on 18 May against the All Blacks, though the Waratahs lost nil to 20.

2002 was a record breaking season for the Waratahs, as the team won eight out of their 11-season games and finished in second place behind the Crusaders – making the semis.

The news that star league recruit Wendell Sailor had tested positive to an illegal substance and thus faced a career ending ban from the game was an unwelcome intrusion on the Waratahs semifinal build up.

Despite the poor performance the 2007 season saw the emergence of teenage rugby prodigy Kurtley Beale and proved to be a vital rebuilding stage in the Waratahs super 14 championship run.

The Waratahs then continued on a roll finishing their home season with another impressive 4 try bonus point win against title front runners the Sharks, advancing to second place on the ladder.

An average South African trip saw the team slip to third on the ladder after only notching up 3 competition points, due to a loss to the Bulls (7 or less BP) and a satisfactory draw against other title contenders the Stormers.

On this occasion, their season ended when they were eliminated by the Blues in the qualifying final after finishing 5th in the overall standings in the revamped competition.

Coach Chris Hickey parted ways with the club at the end of the season with Michael Foley taking over the reins for 2012.

The Waratahs not only overcame the Curse of the Tahs, a commonly held superstition, but they were also able to post the greatest super rugby season yet.

The second season under coach Michael Cheika saw a new expansive style of rugby implemented which gave birth to exciting running rugby, bringing dwindling crowds back in force with home games averaging at around 19,152 people in attendance.

[citation needed] The running intent of Michael Cheika was quickly revealed after the team saw two fly halves announced in the starting game against Western Force.

The Waratahs opening match not only saw Kurtley Beale's return, scoring one try and having a hand in several others, but it was also a showcase to reveal the Tahs new weapon; Israel Folau.

Folau highlighted Cheika's intent scoring a hat-trick of tries in what was soon to be a season of all-out attack by the Waratahs.

The turning point in the game was a penalty at the 79th minute by the famous New Zealand flanker, Richie McCaw 45 metres out.

This system saw traditional rugby playing numbers on the back of jerseys replaced with the initials of the player.

During the Australian Provincial Championship, in which the Waratahs had two fixtures, the games were taken to the Central Coast Stadium in Gosford, and the other to Bathurst.

During the 2018 Super Rugby season, the Waratahs played one home game at Brookvale Oval and one at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Outside of the NRC season, many of these players are retained in the Gen Blue (NSW A) team, which is the Waratahs elite development squad just below full-time professional level.

[16] Two New South Wales teams, Sydney Rays U19 and NSW Country Eagles U19, play in the national URC competition.

Prior to 2008, state colts teams at under 21 and under 19 age levels were fielded in national tournaments and competitions such as the Trans-Tasman Trophy.

Note: Byes (worth 4 points) were added to the competition between 2011 and 2013 The squad for the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season is:[18][A] Props Hookers Locks Loose forwards Scrum-halves Fly-halves Centres Outside backs The Matthew Burke Cup is awarded to the best Waratahs player at the end of each season: (As of 5 August 2024) All head coaches of the New South Wales Waratahs since the Super Rugby era (1980s), listed by order of the first game in charge of the team are: Statistics in this section include only those pertaining to Super Rugby matches (1996–present).