# Charity Shield (NRL)

The National Rugby League's Charity Shield match is an annual pre-season game between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and St. George Illawarra Dragons played before the start of the Premiership regular season. It has been regarded as the unofficial start to the National Rugby League (NRL) season and has been in operation since 1982, with the exception of 2000 and 2001 when Souths were omitted from the NRL.
Originally contested between South Sydney and St. George, and later by the St. George Illawarra Dragons when they formed a joint-venture with Illawarra in 1998 before the 1999 NRL season, the teams go head to head in an annual clash prior to the kickoff of the NRL season.
Since its inception in 1982, the Charity Shield has been played on 42 occasions. Of these, the Dragons (St George and St George Illawarra) have won 18 times, while the Rabbitohs, South Sydney have triumphed outright on 19 occasions. South Sydney holds the shield having won the most recent match in February 2024. Broken down, St George played 17 matches, winning 11; while St George Illawarra, since their joint-venture in 1999, have played 25 matches, winning 7.
The match has been broadcast on national television and is also now regularly screened live in the UK. The Charity Shield is for Souths Cares, Wollongong Hospital and St George Hospital.

## Head To Head

| Team | Played | Games Won | Games Lost | Draws | Shields | PF | PA | PD |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 42 | 19 | 18 | 5 | 24 | 785 | 737 | +48 |
| Both Dragons Teams | 42 | 18 | 19 | 5 | 18 | 737 | 785 | -48 |
| St. George Dragons | 17 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 273 | 217 | +56 |
| St George Illawarra Dragons | 25 | 7 | 15 | 3 | 7 | 464 | 568 | -104 |

## Match results

| Winner | Score | Loser | Match information | Match information | Match information | Match information |
| Winner | Score | Loser | Date and time | Venue | Referee | Crowd |
| St. George Dragons | 9–7 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 13 February 1982 | Redfern Oval | J.Danzey | 10,980 |
| St. George Dragons | 28–10 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 12 February 1983 | Redfern Oval | K. Roberts | 9,120 |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 24–6 | St. George Dragons | 10 March 1984 | Redfern Oval | K. Roberts | 8,365 |
| St. George Dragons | 10–8 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 10 March 1985 | Redfern Oval | K. Roberts | 8,022 |
| St. George Dragons | 12–0 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 15 February 1986 | Redfern Oval | M. Stone | 10,164 |
| St. George Dragons | 28–14 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 7 February 1987 | Redfern Oval | G. O'Donnell | 10,724 |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 30–6 | St. George Dragons | 20 February 1988 | Redfern Oval | | 9,678 |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 20–16 | St. George Dragons | 25 February 1989 | Sydney Football Stadium | B. Harrigan | 10,491 |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 10–10 | St. George Dragons | 9 February 1990 | Sydney Football Stadium | | 12,791 |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 16–16 | St. George Dragons | 2 February 1991 | Sydney Football Stadium | B. Harrigan | 12,543 |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 21–20 | St. George Dragons | 1 February 1992 | Sydney Football Stadium | G.Annesley | 18,120 |
| St. George Dragons | 10–8 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 30 January 1993 | Sydney Football Stadium | B. Harrigan | 18,231 |
| St. George Dragons | 14–11 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 29 January 1994 | Sydney Football Stadium | G. McCallum | 19,266 |
| St. George Dragons | 18–10 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 28 January 1995 | Sydney Football Stadium | B. Harrigan | 15,643 |
| St. George Dragons | 30–6 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 17 February 1996 | Sydney Football Stadium | K. Jeffes | 8,920 |
| St. George Dragons | 26–18 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 15 February 1997 | Sydney Football Stadium | P. Simpkins | 10,242 |
| St. George Dragons | 14–4 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 21 February 1998 | Sydney Football Stadium | B. Harrigan | 28,310 |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 16–14 | St George Illawarra Dragons | 20 February 1999 | Sydney Football Stadium | B. Harrigan | 19,250 |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs were excluded from competing in the NRL for the 2000 and 2001 seasons |||||||
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 20–20 | St George Illawarra Dragons | 16 February 2002 | Sydney Football Stadium | B. Harrigan | 36,804 |
| St George Illawarra Dragons | 28–10 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 15 February 2003 | Sydney Football Stadium | S. Hampstead | 20,834 |
| St George Illawarra Dragons | 34–8 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 14 February 2004 | Sydney Football Stadium | | 21,513 |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 30–6 | St George Illawarra Dragons | 19 February 2005 | Sydney Football Stadium | | 20,481 |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 14–12 | St George Illawarra Dragons | 18 February 2006 | Telstra Stadium | S. Clark | 24,556 |
| St George Illawarra Dragons | 16–14 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 3 March 2007 | Telstra Stadium | S. Hayne | 23,053 |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 24–20 | St George Illawarra Dragons | 1 March 2008 | ANZ Stadium | T. Archer | 25,127 |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 18–6 | St George Illawarra Dragons | 28 February 2009 | ANZ Stadium | B. Cummins/T. Archer | 25,871 |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 26–26 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 27 February 2010 | ANZ Stadium | A. Klein/B. Suttor | 27,221 |
| St George Illawarra Dragons | 32–10 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 13 February 2011 | ANZ Stadium | T. Archer/J. Maxwell | 19,267 |
| St George Illawarra Dragons | 18–12 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 19 February 2012 | ANZ Stadium | B.Suttor/J.Robinson | 21,398 |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 28–10 | St George Illawarra Dragons | 22 February 2013 | ANZ Stadium | Jared Maxwell/Adam Devcich | 19,630 |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 38–20 | St George Illawarra Dragons | 22 February 2014 | WIN Stadium | S. Hayne | 14,633 |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 12–12 | St George Illawarra Dragons | 7 February 2015 | ANZ Stadium | Adam Devcich | 16,821 |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 18–14 | St George Illawarra Dragons | 13 February 2016 | ANZ Stadium | G. Badger | 13,421 |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 32–14 | St George Illawarra Dragons | 19 February 2017 | ANZ Stadium | A. Klein/G. Munro | 12,516 |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 22–18 | St George Illawarra Dragons | 24 February 2018 | Glen Willow Stadium | Adam Gee/Chris Sutton | 9,133 |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 36–24 | St George Illawarra Dragons | 2 March 2019 | Glen Willow Stadium | A. Klein | 9,027 |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 26–12 | St George Illawarra Dragons | 29 February 2020 | Glen Willow Stadium | A. Klein/G.Badger | 9,124 |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 48–16 | St George Illawarra Dragons | 27 February 2021 | Glen Willow Stadium | P. Gough | 6,840 |
| St George Illawarra Dragons | 16-10 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 26 February 2022 | Glen Willow Stadium | Z. Przeklasa-Adamski | 9,257 |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 42–24 | St George Illawarra Dragons | 18 February 2023 | Glen Willow Stadium | P. Gough | 8,317 |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 28–6 | St George Illawarra Dragons | 17 February 2024 | Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Sydney | B.Sharpe | 8,827 |
| St George Illawarra Dragons | 46–26 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 22 February 2025 | Glen Willow Stadium | A. Gee | |

### Biggest wins

| Points | Score | Winner | Year |
| 32 | 48–16 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 2021 |
| 26 | 34–8 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 2004 |
| 24 | 30–6 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 1988 |
| 24 | 30–6 | St. George Dragons | 1996 |
| 24 | 30–6 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 2005 |

### Most points scored in a game by a winning side

| Points | Score | Winner | Year |
| 48 | 48–16 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 2021 |
| 46 | 46–26 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 2025 |
| 38 | 38–20 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 2014 |
| 36 | 36–24 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 2019 |
| 34 | 34–8 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 2004 |

### Most points scored in a game by a losing side

| Points | Score | Winner | Runner-up | Year |
| 26 | 46–26 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 2025 |
| 24 | 36–24 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 2019 |
| 20 | 38–20 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 2014 |
| 20 | 21–20 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | St. George Dragons | 1992 |
| 20 | 24–20 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 2008 |

### Most points scored in a game

| Points | Score | Winner | Year |
| 72 | 46–26 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 2025 |
| 64 | 48–16 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 2021 |
| 60 | 36–24 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 2019 |
| 58 | 38–20 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 2014 |
| 52 | 26–26 | Draw | 2010 |
| 46 | 32–14 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 2017 |
| 44 | 26–18 | St. George Dragons | 1997 |
| 44 | 24–20 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 2008 |
| 42 | 28–14 | St. George Dragons | 1987 |
| 42 | 34–8 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 2004 |
| 42 | 32–10 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 2011 |

### Least points scored in a game

| Points | Score | Winner | Year |
| 12 | 12–0 | St. George Dragons | 1986 |
| 16 | 9–7 | St. George Dragons | 1982 |
| 18 | 10–8 | St. George Dragons | 1985 |
| 18 | 10–8 | St. George Dragons | 1993 |
| 18 | 14–4 | St. George Dragons | 1998 |