 | |
| Club information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Gold Coast Chargers |
| Nickname(s) |
|
| Colours | Jade, black, purple and gold |
| Founded | April 1987 |
| Exited | 1998 |
| Former details | |
| Competition | NSWRL/ARL, NRL |
| 1998 | 19th of 20 |
| Records | |
| Premierships | Nil |
| Runners-up | Nil |
| Wooden spoons | 3 (1991, 1992, 1993) |
The Gold Coast Chargers were a professional rugby league club which played in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership from 1988 to 1994, the Australian Rugby League premiership from 1995 to 1997, and the National Rugby League premiership in 1998. They first played under the name Gold Coast-Tweed Giants (in silver, black and white colours) from 1988 to 1989, then Gold Coast Seagulls (wearing white, black and red) from 1990 to 1995, very briefly as the Gold Coast Gladiators and finally Gold Coast Chargers (in jade, black, purple and gold uniforms) from 1996 to 1998.
The Gold Coast-Tweed Giants were admitted to the New South Wales Rugby League premiership for the 1988 season, along with the Brisbane Broncos and Newcastle Knights. Due to a clause in Brisbane's licence, only one team (the Broncos) could play in South-East Queensland. As a result, the Giants played out of the now demolished Seagulls Stadium in Tweed Heads, New South Wales, just over the border, which was home to the Tweed Heads Seagulls RLFC.
Gold Coast and Group 18 provided a nursery of young players in which the club was able to draw on for recruitment.
The Giants were formed, swiftly, after the Internationals Syndicate Including, John Sattler, Peter Gallagher, Bob Hagan and Doug Ryan had missed out on their bid to win the contract to bring a Brisbane team into the Sydney competition. They were joined by veterans Bob McCarthy as coach, Graeme Langlands as team manager and Ken Irvine as sprint coach.