Rugby League Cup

The Rugby League Cup is a New Zealand rugby league trophy that is contested between districts on a challenge basis. The trophy used to be known as the Northern Union Cup.[1]

It is the oldest rugby league competition in New Zealand.[2]

History
New Zealand rugby league team in 1913

New Zealand rugby league was born with events such as the All Golds tour of England,[3] and matches in Wellington and Auckland in 1908.[4] John Coffey writes in Te Ara, "The Auckland Rugby League was formed in July 1909, and North Shore played City as the forerunner to an inter-club competition that started in 1910. By this time, league was also being played in Taranaki, Rotorua, Hawke’s Bay, Nelson, Marlborough and Southland."[4]

The Cup was made in Bradford and donated to Auckland for inter-provincial competition by the touring 1910 Great Britain Lions.[5]

The Cup was first contested in 1911, when Auckland successfully defended it four times.[6] The Cup was held by Auckland until 1922.[7]

Auckland are the current holders of the Cup after they defeated Canterbury in a one off match on 4 June 2012. This was marked as a "centennial" match.[8]

Past winners

Year by year
YearChampions
1910
1911
1912
1913
1914
1915
1916
1917
1918
1919
1920
1921
1922
1923
1924
1925
1926
1927
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
YearChampions
World War II
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969

Renamed Rugby League Cup.[11]

1970
YearChampions
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
YearChampions
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012

See also

References
  1. Rugby League Football An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock. 1966
  2. Coffey, John (5 September 2013). "Rugby league overview". Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand: 1.
  3. Coffey, John (5 September 2013). "Origins of rugby league". Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand: 2.
  4. Coffey, John (5 September 2013). "Arrival in New Zealand". Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand: 3.
  5. Coffey, John and Bernie Wood Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909-2009, 2009. ISBN 978-1-86969-366-4, p.39.
  6. Bay crowned cup kings Hawke's Bay Today, 17 September 2007
  7. Coffey, John (5 September 2013). "Domestic competition: Rugby League Cup". Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand: 5.
  8. "Collection of rugby league programmes. 1950s, 1970, 2012". National Library of New Zealand.
  9. "Representative Match/Auckland V Hawke's Bay". The New Zealand Herald. LVI (17235). 11 August 1911. p. 9. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  10. Coffey, John. Canterbury XIII, Christchurch, 1987.
  11. History Of Wellington Rugby League Association Wellington Rugby League
  12. Sharks put bite on Waikato Cougars Taranaki Daily News, 26 April 1999
  13. "FLASHBACK FRIDAY: CANTERBURY WINS 1985 RUGBY LEAGUE CUP (August 30, 2019)". Canterbury Rugby League – Home to the Canterbury Bulls.
  14. Lion Red Rugby League Annual 1990 New Zealand Rugby League, 1990.
  15. Lion Red Rugby League Annual 1992 New Zealand Rugby League, 1992. p.130
  16. Lion Red Rugby League Annual 1993, New Zealand Rugby Football League, 1993. p.137
  17. Coffey, John and Bernie Wood Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909-2009, 2009. ISBN 978-1-86969-366-4, p.317.
  18. "Rugby League: Orcas give Mariners incentive for Challenge Cup". The New Zealand Herald. The Daily Post. 22 August 2001. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  19. Orcas fired up to retain league cup The Nelson Mail, 7 September 2002
  20. Otago snatches cup from muddled Orcas The Nelson Mail, 10 September 2002
  21. Coffey, John and Bernie Wood Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909-2009, 2009. ISBN 978-1-86969-366-4, p.357.
  22. Bulls regain league cup The Press, 24 August 2009
  23. Geoff Longley It's go the South Island, No Bull The Press, 4 June 2010
  24. League cup match returns to spiritual home in June The Press, 17 March 2012
  25. Auckland spoil Bulls coach's finale The Press, 5 June 2012

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