The Shute Shield has long been the symbol of club supremacy and 2007 saw it return to its rightful place as the premier trophy contested in Sydney club Rugby.
The Shute Shield was presented to NSWRU in 1923, by the Sydney University Football Club for the 1st Grade Premiership Competition. The Shield is named in honour of the late Robert Elliott Stewart Shute, who died while playing for The Rest v NSW XV at Manly Oval on Sunday June 5, 1922.
The 2009 Tooheys New Shute Shield was won by Sydney University, who defeated Randwick 24-19 in the Grand Final at the Sydney Football Stadium. The win was the club's fifth first grade title in succession, having won the Shute Shield Grand Finals against Randwick in 2008 and Eastern Suburbs in 2007, in addition to their Tooheys New Cup triumphs of 2005 and 2006.