Illawarra Steelers

Illawarra Steelers

Club information
Full name	Illawarra District Rugby League Football Club
Nickname(s)	Steelers
Colours	Primary:   Scarlet Secondary:   White
Founded	13 December 1980
Exited	1998 (joint venture with the St. George Dragons to form the St. George Illawarra Dragons)
Former details
Competition	NSWRL, ARL, NRL
1998	12th of 20
Records
Premierships	None
Runners-up	None
Minor premierships	None
Challenge Cups	1 - 1992
Wooden spoons	3 – 1985, 1986, 1989

The Illawarra Steelers are an Australian rugby league football club based in the city of Wollongong, New South Wales. The club competed in Australia's top-level rugby league competition from 1982 until 1998. On 13 December 1980, they were the first non-Sydney based team to be admitted into the New South Wales Rugby League premiership, with the Canberra Raiders being admitted later ensuring an even number of teams in the competition for the start of their first season, 1982. Over their seventeen years in the top grade, the club received three wooden spoons, made the play-offs twice and had a total of three of its players (two New South Wales Blues and one Queensland Maroon) selected to play for the Australia national rugby league team.

Following the Super League War and the NRL's intention the reduce the number of teams, the Steelers approached the St. George Dragons part way through the 1998 season to discuss forming a joint-venture and ensure the partial survival of both clubs. On 23 September 1998, Rugby League's first joint-venture, the St. George Illawarra Dragons, were officially announced.^[1] The Steelers share in the club was privatised to Wollongong-based WIN Corporation in 2018.^[2]

Illawarra still field stand alone teams in the Tarsha Gale Cup (women's under 18's), SG Ball (under 18's) and Harold Matthews (under 16's) competitions as the Steelers.

The 23,750 capacity WIN Stadium is the Steelers home stadium.