Group 3 Rugby League

Group 3 is a rugby league competition on the north coast of New South Wales, run under the auspices of the Country Rugby League. The Group 3 area runs from Kempsey in the north to Forster in the south.

Group 3 Rugby League
SportRugby league
Formerly known asGroup 18 Rugby League, Manning River Rugby League
Instituted1946 (as Group 18)
Inaugural season1966 (as Group 3)
Number of teams7
Country Australia
Premiers Macleay Valley Mustangs (2019)
Most titles Forster Tuncurry Hawks
Wingham District Tigers (9 titles)
WebsiteGroup 3 on facebook

History

The league began in 1946, with Taree Old Bar winning the first ever premiership. At the time, this league was known as Group 18. In 1966, the boundaries were re-drawn to include three new clubs (Camden Haven, Port Macquarie, and Wauchope) and the group's name was changed to Group 3.[1]

In 1995, Port Macquarie and Wauchope joined Group 2 in another re-zoning, with teams from Group 3 Saturday League joining the competition. In 2003, Port City RLFC joined the competition on loan from Group 2. In 2004, Wauchope re-joined the league after departing at the end of the 1994 season.[1]

The current First Grade premiers are the Macleay Valley Mustangs.

The 2020 Group 3 competition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.[2] Junior competitions were postponed, eventually commencing in July. The highest age group competition winners were Wingham Tigers (Under 18 boys) and Port Macquarie Sharks (Under 17 Ladies League Tag).[3][4]

Teams

The following clubs field teams in the Group 3 First Grade competition.

Club Founded Home Ground No. of Titles Premierships
Forster Tuncurry Hawks 1946 Harry Elliot Oval 9 1947, 1968, 1970, 1986, 1994, 1995, 1998, 2004, 2011
Macleay Valley Mustangs 1995 Verge Street Oval 2 2014, 2019
Old Bar Beach Pirates 1995 Old Bar Reserve 2 1996, 1999
Port City Breakers 2002 Regional Stadium 5 2008, 2010, 2012, 2016, 2017
Port Macquarie Sharks 1940 Regional Stadium 7 1976, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2015, 2018
Taree City Bulls 1998 Jack Neal Oval 3 2000, 2001, 2007
Wauchope Blues 1920 Lank Bain Oval 8 1967, 1969, 1972, 1975, 1984, 2009, 2012, 2013
Wingham Tigers Wingham Sporting Complex 9 1950, 1952, 1953, 1961, 1962, 1989, 1997, 2002, 2003

Former Teams
  • Halliday Point Makos (Folded 2009)
  • Gloucester Magpies (withdrew from first grade in 2002)
  • Forster Dragons (Folded)

Premierships

First Grade

Separate teams in 1946, Forster and Tuncurry combined as Cape Hawke in 1947, then played as Foster-Tuncurry from 1953.

Season Grand Final Information Minor Premiers
Premiers Score Runners-up Report
1946 Taree Old Bar 9-5 Forster NC[5] MRT[6] Forster
1947 Cape Hawke 10-4 Taree Old Bar NC[7] Cape Hawke
1948 Taree Browns Creek 8-7 Cape Hawke NC[8] MRT[9]
1949 Taree Browns Creek 18-2 Cape Hawke MRT[10] Taree Browns Creek
1950 Wingham District 7-3 Taree Browns Creek WC[11] Wingham District
1951 Taree Browns Creek 5-4 Taree Old Bar MRT[12] Taree Browns Creek
1952 Wingham District 14-5 Taree Browns Creek WC[13] Wingham District
1953 Wingham District 10-0 Taree Old Bar WC[14] Wingham District
1954 Gloucester 10-2 Taree Browns Creek MRT[15] Gloucester
1955 Taree Browns Creek Wingham District
1956 Taree Browns Creek Wingham District
1957 Gloucester Wingham District
1958 Gloucester Taree Old Bar
1959 Gloucester Cundletown
1960 Gloucester Wingham District
1961 Wingham District 9-5 Taree United
1962 Wingham District 15-12 Gloucester
1963 Gloucester Wingham District
1964 Gloucester Wingham District
1965 Gloucester Taree Old Bar

Group 3
Season Grand Final Information Minor Premiers
Premiers Score Runners-up Report
1966 Gloucester – Wingham District Gloucester
1967 Wauchope 10–9 Forster Tuncurry Wauchope
1968 Forster Tuncurry 21–0 Taree United Forster Tuncurry
1969 Wauchope 14–4 Forster Tuncurry Wauchope
1970 Forster Tuncurry – Port Macquarie Forster Tuncurry
1971 Taree United 44–8 Taree Old Bar Taree United
1972 Wauchope 24–7 Wingham District Wauchope
1973 Taree United 8–3 Taree Old Bar Taree United
1974 Taree United 18–15 Forster Tuncurry Forster Tuncurry
1975 Wauchope 18–8 Taree United Port Macquarie
1976 Port Macquarie 24–10 Wingham District Port Macquarie
1977 Taree United – Forster Tuncurry Taree United
1978 Taree Old Bar 24–20 Taree United Wingham District
1979 Taree Old Bar – Port Macquarie Port Macquarie
1980 Taree Old Bar 12–6 Port Macquarie Taree Old Bar
1981 Taree Old Bar 19–4 Wingham District Taree Old Bar
1982 Taree Old Bar 10–7 Wingham District Taree Old Bar
1983 Taree United 14–6 Wauchope Wauchope
1984 Wauchope 18–12 Taree Old Bar Taree Old Bar
1985 Taree United 22–10 Wauchope Wauchope
1986 Forster Tuncurry 18–6 Wingham District Forster Tuncurry
1987 Taree Old Bar 9–2 Port Macquarie Port Macquarie
1988 Taree Old Bar 50–8 Camden Haven Taree Old Bar
1989 Wingham District 28–8 Port Macquarie Port Macquarie
1990 Port Macquarie 10–2 Wauchope Wauchope
1991 Port Macquarie 24–7 Forster Tuncurry Port Macquarie
1992 Port Macquarie 20–14 Wingham District Port Macquarie
1993 Port Macquarie 30–14 Wauchope Wauchope
1994 Forster Tuncurry 20–4 Wauchope Forster Tuncurry
1995 Forster Tuncurry 44–6 South Taree Forster Tuncurry
1996 Old Bar Beach 24–2 Wingham District Wingham District
1997 Wingham District 26–16 Forster Tuncurry Camden Haven
1998 Forster Tuncurry 24–14 Old Bar Beach Forster Tuncurry
1999 Old Bar Beach 26–6 Wingham District Old Bar Beach
2000 Taree City 40–20 Old Bar Beach Old Bar Beach
2001 Taree City 52–9 Forster Dragons Taree City
2002 Wingham District 30–26 Taree City Taree City
2003 Wingham District 30–20 Forster Tuncurry Wingham District
2004 Forster Tuncurry 50–6 Wingham District Forster Tuncurry
2005 Camden Haven 31–22 Taree City Taree City
2006 Camden Haven 26–10 Wauchope Camden Haven
2007 Taree City 28–20 Port City Taree City
2008 Port City 40–16 Forster Tuncurry Port City
2009 Wauchope 32–10 Port City Wauchope
2010 Port City 30–6 Forster Tuncurry Port City
2011 Forster Tuncurry 30–16 Port City Port City
2012 Wauchope 24–20 Port City WG[16] Wauchope
2013 Wauchope 49–18 Old Bar Beach WG[17] Wauchope
2014 Macleay Valley 25–24 Wauchope PN[18] Wauchope
2015 Port Macquarie 20–8 Port City PN[19] Port Macquarie
2016 Port City 26–6 Port Macquarie NBN[20] Port Macquarie
2017 Port City 28–20 Macleay Valley PN[21] Port City
2018 Port Macquarie 18–10 Port City PN[22] Port City
2019 Macleay Valley 34–24 Wauchope MRT[23] Macleay Valley
2020Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia

Source: Group 3 History Grand Final scores compiled from results published in the Rugby League Week.

Leaderboard

(Correct as of 28 September 2020)

ClubPremiershipsRunners-UpsMinor Premierships
Camden Haven212
Cundletown010
Forster Dragons010
Forster Tuncurry9128
Gloucester91?
Old Bar Beach232
Port City564
Port Macquarie Sharks769
South Taree010
Taree City334
Taree Browns Creek53?
Taree Old Bar885
Taree United643
Wauchope District8811
Wingham District9163
Macleay Valley Mustangs211

Juniors

Macleay Valley Mustangs

Old Bar Beach Pirates

Port City Breakers

Port Macquarie Sharks

Taree City Bulls

Wauchope Blues

Wingham Tigers

See also
  • Rugby League Competitions in Australia

References
  1. Group 3 History
  2. Coffey, Lara (25 April 2020). "Group 3 Rugby League Season Cancelled". NBN TV. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  3. Spencer, Mark (28 September 2020). "Wingham Rugby League Under 18's grand final win". Wingham Chronicle. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  4. Jobber, Paul (28 September 2020). "Port Macquarie Sharks under-17s and Wauchope Blues under-13s claim 2020 league tag premierships". Port News. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  5. "Football". The Northern Champion. Taree: National Library of Australia. 25 September 1946. p. 2. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  6. "Football". Manning River Times. Taree: National Library of Australia. 28 September 1946. p. 4. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  7. "Football". The Northern Champion. Taree: National Library of Australia. 20 August 1947. p. 2. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  8. "Football". The Northern Champion. Taree: National Library of Australia. 8 September 1948. p. 3. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  9. "Football". Manning River Times. Taree: National Library of Australia. 8 September 1948. p. 4. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  10. "M.R. Rugby Football League". Manning River Times. Taree: National Library of Australia. 5 October 1949. p. 4. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  11. "Wingham 1950 Football Premiers". The Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Observer. Wingham: National Library of Australia. 29 August 1950. p. 2. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  12. "Round-up of District Sport". Manning River Times. Taree: National Library of Australia. 22 August 1951. p. 3. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  13. "Football". The Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Observer. Wingham: National Library of Australia. 23 September 1952. p. 2. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  14. "Wingham Is Top Town In Football". The Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Observer. Wingham: National Library of Australia. 1 September 1953. p. 2. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  15. "Dual Premiership To Gloucester "Skipper" Tuile & Greg Parrish". Manning River Times. Taree: National Library of Australia. 6 September 1954. p. 8. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  16. Daniels, Pete (26 August 2012). "RSL Blues win Group 3 grand final". Wauchope Gazette. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  17. "Blues defeat Pirates in Group 3 grand final". Wauchope Gazette. 19 September 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  18. McLennan, Matthew (15 September 2014). "Macleay Valley Mustangs win classic Group 3 grand final". Port News. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  19. McLennan, Matthew (29 August 2015). "Port Macquarie Sharks take out Group 3 grand final 20–8 against Port City Breakers". Port News. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  20. Rene, Louise (19 September 2016). "PORT CITY CLAIMS GROUP 3 PREMIERSHIP". NBN News. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  21. Jobber, Paul (27 August 2017). "Group 3 rugby league first grade grand final 2017: Port City Breakers vs Macleay Valley Mustangs". Port News. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  22. Jobber, Paul (26 August 2018). "Port Sharks win 2018 Group 3 first grade grand final over Port City Breakers". Port News. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  23. McGregor, Callum (25 August 2019). "Group 3 rugby league grand final 2019: How it happened". Manning River Times. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  • Group 3 on Country Rugby League's official site
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