| Tasmanian Rugby League | |
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| Responsibility | Tasmania, Australia |
| Website | Tasmanian Rugby League |
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As of 2 December 2009
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The Tasmanian Rugby League is responsible for administering the game of rugby league in the Australian state of Tasmania. Tasmania is an Affiliated State of the overall Australian governing body the Australian Rugby League.
The Tasmanian Rugby League was founded at a meeting at Heathorn's Hotel, Hobart on 2 December 1953 and the first competition was held in 1954 with teams including Bellerive (Eastern suburbs), Taroona, Newtown and Canterbury. Players were initially recruited from Hobart Rugby Union teams and the first matches were played on 3 April 1954 at the South St Grounds, Bellerive. The first premiership was won by Taroona [1] [2]The first interstate match was played against Victoria on 12 June 1954 with Tasmania winning 18-8. [3]
By the mid 1990s the Tasmanian Rugby League was running a state-wide competition[4] which included four Hobart teams:
and three regional teams:
The Tasmanian Rugby League also ran a Northern Tasmanian vs Southern Tasmanian competition during this period. Ben Mckinnon from the Launceston Clippers is the only player to have won the statewide best + fairest on two occasions both in his debut season in 1995 and then again in 1997.
Due to dwindling player numbers the competition contracted to the four Hobart teams during the early 2000s and midway through the 2003-04 season the senior amateur competition folded as a result of rising public liability insurance costs.
In late 2009 a new senior competition was established through the efforts of local 7HO FM Radio Personality Jason 'Wolfie' Wolfgram (President 09/10), and in conjunction with ARL Rugby League Development Officer, Graham McNaney. The decision to re-establish the competition followed a public forum at the Hotel Grand Chancellor in Hobart on Thursday June 25 2009.
The revised summer competition initially included four teams:
Gala Days and Under 17s junior exhibition matches have also been a feature of the revised competition. In February 2012 a National Rugby League trial match between Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm is scheduled to be held in Hobart.
| Season | Grand Final | Minor Premiers | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premiers | Score | Runners-Up | ||
| 2009 - 10 | Hobart Tigers | 54-14 | Eastern Shore Thunder | Northern Suburbs Broncos |
| 2010 - 11 | Hobart Tigers | 42-24 | Southern Rabbitohs | Hobart Tigers |