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 Challenge Cup.[1]
It is the oldest rugby league competition in New Zealand.[2]
History
[edit]![](Https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ad/StateLibQld_1_135571_New_Zealand_Rugby_League_Team%2C_1913.jpg/300px-StateLibQld_1_135571_New_Zealand_Rugby_League_Team%2C_1913.jpg)
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.[needs update] This was marked as a "centennial" match.[8]
Past winners
[edit]Year by year
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See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h Rugby League Football An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock. 1966
- ^ Coffey, John (5 September 2013). "Rugby league overview". Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand: 1.
- ^ Coffey, John (5 September 2013). "Origins of rugby league". Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand: 2.
- ^ a b Coffey, John (5 September 2013). "Arrival in New Zealand". Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand: 3.
- ^ a b Coffey, John and Bernie Wood Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909-2009, 2009. ISBN 978-1-86969-366-4, p.39.
- ^ a b Bay crowned cup kings Hawke's Bay Today, 17 September 2007
- ^ Coffey, John (5 September 2013). "Domestic competition: Rugby League Cup". Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand: 5.
- ^ "Collection of rugby league programmes. 1950s, 1970, 2012". National Library of New Zealand.
- ^ "Representative Match/Auckland V Hawke's Bay". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LVI, no. 17235. 11 August 1911. p. 9. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
- ^ Coffey, John. Canterbury XIII, Christchurch, 1987.
- ^ a b c d History Of Wellington Rugby League Association Wellington Rugby League
- ^ a b Sharks put bite on Waikato Cougars[dead link] Taranaki Daily News, 26 April 1999
- ^ "FLASHBACK FRIDAY: CANTERBURY WINS 1985 RUGBY LEAGUE CUP (August 30, 2019)". Canterbury Rugby League – Home to the Canterbury Bulls.
- ^ Lion Red Rugby League Annual 1990 New Zealand Rugby League, 1990.
- ^ Lion Red Rugby League Annual 1992 New Zealand Rugby League, 1992. p.130
- ^ Lion Red Rugby League Annual 1993, New Zealand Rugby Football League, 1993. p.137
- ^ a b Coffey, John and Bernie Wood Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909-2009, 2009. ISBN 978-1-86969-366-4, p.317.
- ^ a b "Rugby League: Orcas give Mariners incentive for Challenge Cup". The New Zealand Herald. The Daily Post. 22 August 2001. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
- ^ Orcas fired up to retain league cup[dead link] The Nelson Mail, 7 September 2002
- ^ Otago snatches cup from muddled Orcas [dead link] The Nelson Mail, 10 September 2002
- ^ Coffey, John and Bernie Wood Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909-2009, 2009. ISBN 978-1-86969-366-4, p.357.
- ^ Bulls regain league cup The Press, 24 August 2009
- ^ Geoff Longley It's go the South Island, No Bull The Press, 4 June 2010
- ^ League cup match returns to spiritual home in June The Press, 17 March 2012
- ^ Auckland spoil Bulls coach's finale The Press, 5 June 2012