Merewether Carlton is the most successful club in the Newcastle competition. The rugby club was formed in 1930 from the amalgamation of Cooks Hill Carlton and Cooks Hill Surf club. Cooks Hill Carlton was established in 1887, making it one of the oldest clubs in Australia. For two years the jersey was sky blue with a Waratah emblem until the NSWRU requested a change. Bottle Green was then chosen. The club won six 1st Grade Premierships between 1930 and 1940 and sixteen first XV Grade Premierships to date – the last being in the 2011 season. The club has been Club Champions on nineteen occasions in its long history, a record that no other club has surpassed. This includes being club champions in seven consecutive seasons from 2005 to 2011. The club proudly fills the maximum number of teams possible in the Newcastle Competition comprising of five senior grades, a colts and a women’s side. The club boasts approximately 200 senior and well over 200 junior registered players.