# 2023 Shute Shield season

The 2023 Shute Shield season, also known as the Charter Hall Shute Shield, or the NSWRU Shute Shield, was the 149th season of the semi-professional premier-grade rugby union club competition in the Australian state of New South Wales. With all but one club playing inside the Sydney area, the competition held the same number of teams from the previous season, twelve, following difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the axing of Western Sydney club, Penrith Emus.
The regular season began on 1 April and concluded following eighteen rounds, with one bye round, on 5 August. A six team finals series kicked-off following round eighteen. The Grand Final was played on August 26, with Randwick defeating the Northern Suburbs 17–15. The defending champions were Sydney University.

## Stadia and personnel

| Club | Stadium/Base | Coach |
| Eastern Suburbs | Woollahra Oval, Rose Bay | Simon Kneebone |
| Eastwood | TG Millner Field, Marsfield | Ben Batger |
| Gordon | Chatswood Oval, Chatswood | Brian Melrose |
| Hunter Wildfires | Newcastle No.2 Sportsground, Newcastle West | Scott Coleman |
| Manly | Manly Oval, Manly | Phil Blake |
| Northern Suburbs | North Sydney Oval, North Sydney | Zak Beer |
| Randwick | Coogee Oval, Coogee | Stephen Hoiles |
| Southern Districts | Forshaw Park, Sylvania Waters | Jayson Brewer |
| Sydney University | Sydney University Football Ground (No.2 Oval), Camperdown | Damien Hill |
| Warringah | Pittwater Park, Warriewood | Mike Ruthven |
| West Harbour | Concord Oval, Concord | Cameron Treloar |
| Western Sydney Two Blues | Granville Park, Merrylands | Sailosi Tagicakibau |

## Matches

| Home \ Away | E'Sub | E'Wood | Gordon | Hunter | Manly | Norths | R'Wick | Souths | Uni | WAR | W. Harbour | Two Blues |
| Eastern Suburbs | — | 30–24 | | | 29–28 | 12–48 | 22–36 | 38–19 | 47–35 | 35–43 | 27–20 | 21–36 |
| Eastwood | | — | 28–27 | 50–28 | 40–44 | 29–34 | | 30–16 | 19–38 | 66–41 | 31–18 | 24–22 |
| Gordon | 40–15 | 45–28 | — | 22–21 | 5–46 | 19–30 | | | 36–7 | 49–29 | 39–38 | 12–23 |
| Hunter Wildfires | 31–10 | | 28–44 | — | 27–19 | 29–5 | 31–24 | 19–26 | 21–36 | 31–27 | 34–21 | |
| Manly | 31–28 | 24–27 | | 17–18 | — | 29–24 | 14–14 | 45–24 | | 43–26 | 17–17 | 26–19 |
| Northern Suburbs | 24–15 | 36–46 | 23–17 | 43–28 | | — | 15–27 | 35–24 | 25–22 | 27–21 | | 27–19 |
| Randwick | 43–24 | 26–34 | 35–21 | | 34–27 | 23–28 | — | 63–20 | 44–33 | 49–0 | | 36–29 |
| Southern Districts | 17–26 | 22–50 | 16–7 | 24–21 | | | 15–38 | — | 28–45 | 21–17 | 12–31 | 25–42 |
| Sydney University | 38–36 | 26–29 | 28–41 | 29–26 | 21–17 | 20–37 | 21–14 | | — | | 21–17 | 31–38 |
| Warringah | 15–13 | | 26–31 | 20–52 | 14–38 | 21–49 | 15–22 | 42–32 | 13–15 | — | 29–24 | |
| West Harbour | 31–27 | 34–31 | 17–22 | 26–31 | 16–14 | 21–29 | 19–22 | 44–16 | | | — | 17–15 |
| Western Sydney Two Blues | | 60–28 | 18–26 | 32–33 | 22–36 | | 22–24 | 28–18 | 33–17 | 38–24 | 40–26 | — |

## Ladder

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | BP | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Northern Suburbs | 18 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 539 | 422 | +117 | 11 | 67 | Advance to Qualifying finals |
| 2 | Randwick (C) | 18 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 574 | 390 | +184 | 13 | 67 | Advance to Qualifying finals |
| 3 | Eastwood | 18 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 614 | 571 | +43 | 18 | 62 | Advance to Qualifying finals |
| 4 | Manly | 18 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 515 | 405 | +110 | 17 | 57 | Advance to Qualifying finals |
| 5 | Gordon | 18 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 503 | 456 | +47 | 12 | 56 | Advance to Qualifying finals |
| 6 | Hunter Wildfires | 18 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 509 | 475 | +34 | 16 | 56 | Advance to Qualifying finals |
| 7 | Western Sydney Two Blues | 18 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 536 | 451 | +85 | 18 | 54 | |
| 8 | Sydney University | 18 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 483 | 521 | −38 | 13 | 49 | |
| 9 | West Harbour | 18 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 437 | 457 | −20 | 14 | 40 | |
| 10 | Eastern Suburbs | 18 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 455 | 559 | −104 | 13 | 37 | |
| 11 | Warringah | 18 | 4 | 0 | 14 | 423 | 635 | −212 | 15 | 31 | |
| 12 | Southern Districts | 18 | 4 | 0 | 14 | 375 | 621 | −246 | 4 | 20 | |

## Finals series
### Bracket

| Qualifying Finals | Qualifying Finals | Qualifying Finals | Preliminary Finals | Preliminary Finals | Preliminary Finals | Grand Final | Grand Final | Grand Final |
| 2 | Randwick | 32 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Gordon | 23 | Randwick | Randwick | 38 | | | |
| | | | Eastwood | Eastwood | 20 | | | |
| 3 | Eastwood | 54 | | | | Randwick | Randwick | 17 |
| 4 | Manly | 20 | | | | Northern Suburbs | Northern Suburbs | 15 |
| | | | Manly | Manly | 5 | | | |
| 1 | Northern Suburbs | 23 | Northern Suburbs | Northern Suburbs | 23 | | | |
| 6 | Hunter Wildfires | 17 | | | | | | |