Rugby League Competitions in Australia

This is a list of Rugby League competitions in Australia with their respective premiers. This list only contains the competitions first grade tier and also contains country and statewide semi-professional youth competitions.

Domestic

National

Name Location Teams Founded Winner Score Runners-up
National Rugby League Australia, New Zealand 16 19981 South Sydney Rabbitohs 30-6 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
NRL State Championship Australia 22 2014 Northern Pride (QRL) 32-28 Penrith Panthers (NSWRL)
  1. The New South Wales Rugby League premiership was formed in 1908 and was the major rugby league competition of New South Wales from its inception in 1908 until 1994, by which time its powers had expanded to run the code as a nation-wide competition, eventually leading to the competition being played under the auspices of the Australian Rugby League in 1995. The success of Rugby League in Australia attracted the attention of global media organisation, News Corporation which led to the advent of the Super League war. Super League (Australia) ran a competition in 1997 which attracted 10 teams throughout the nation in 1997, but was insuccessful and merged with the Australian Rugby League to form the National Rugby League for the following season.[1]
  2. The NRL State Championship is an annual match between he champion clubs from the New South Wales Cup and Queensland Cup a week prior to this matchup.

New South Wales

Name Location Teams Founded Winner Score Runners-up
New South Wales Cup State-wide & NZL 13 1908 Penrith Panthers 48-12 Newcastle Knights
City (NSWRL)
Ron Massey Cup Sydney & The Entrance 10 2003 The Entrance Tigers 22-18 Mount Pritchard Mounties
Sydney Shield Inner-City 12 2012 East Campbelltown Eagles 27-20 Mount Pritchard Mounties
Sydney Combined Competition Syndey 6 ? Penshurst RSL 30-6 St. George Dragons
South Sydney District A Grade Inner-City 8 ? Moore Park Broncos 16-12 Mascot RLFC
Penrith & District A Grade Western Sydney 8 ? Brothers PJRLC 36-12 St Mary's Saints
Manly-Warringah District A-Grade Northern Beaches 11 ? Narrabeen Sharks ? Valley United Spartans
Parramatta District A-Grade Western Sydney 11 1948 All Saints-Toongabbie Tigers 30-12 Hills District Bulls
Cronulla-Sutherland District A-Grade Sutherland 11 1964 Engadine Dragons 62-0 Cronulla-Caringbah
Country (CRL)
Northern Rivers Rugby League Northern Rivers 10 20051 Ballina Seagulls 17-6 Byron Bay Red Devils
Group 2 Rugby League Mid North Coast 8 ? Grafton Ghosts 18-16 Coffs Harbour Comets
Group 3 Rugby League Mid North Coast 8 19462 Macleay Valleys Mustangs 25-24 Wauchope District Blues
Group 4 Rugby League West New England 6 ? North Tamworth Bears 56-18 Gunnedah Bulldogs
Group 19 Rugby League New England 9 19803 Moree Boomerangs 56-18 Inverell Hawks
Group 21 Rugby League Hunter 6 1955 Greta-Branxton Colts 18-16 Denman Devils
Canberra Raiders Cup ACT & surroundings 8 19824 Queanbeyan Blues 24-20 Goulbun Workers
George Tooke Shield ACT & surroundings 9 ? Binalong Brahmans 34-4 Harden Hawks
Group 9 Rugby League Wagga & districts 11 1923 Albury Thunder 45-4 South City Bulls
Group 20 Rugby League Griffith & districts 9 ? Waratah Tigers 22-18 West Wyalong
Group 10 Rugby League Central West 9 1958 Bathurst St Pats 34-12 Cowra Magpies
Group 11 Rugby League Dubbo 8 1946 Dubbo CYMS 34-20 Parkes Spacemen
Outback Rugby League. Broken Hill & districts 6 1980 Broken Hill Saints 44-20 Wilcannia Boomerangs
Castlereagh Cup Central West 8 2001 Dunedoo Swans 32-12 Coonamble Bears
Woodbridge Cup Central West 9 1991 Cargo Blue Heelers 24-14 Eugowra Golden Eagles
Barwon-Darling Cup Central West 7 ? Wilcannia Boomerangs 34-18 Broken Hill Geebungs
Illawarra Coal League Illawarra 6 1911 Thirroul Butchers 18-16 Helensburgh Tigers
Group 6 Rugby League Southern Highlands & Macarthur 8 19145 Picton Magpies 36-4 Mittagong Lions
Group 7 Rugby League South Coast 10 19146 Nowra-Bomaderry Jets 30-20 Warilla-Lake South Gorillas
Group 16 Rugby League Far South Coast 6 1946 Bega Roosters 28-8 Narooma Devils
Newcastle & Hunter Rugby League Hunter 8 ? Cardiff Cobras 24-20 Windale Eagles
Central Coast Division Rugby League Central Coast 12 19477 Berkeley Vale Panthers 8-6 Wyong Roos
Tooheys Newcastle Cup Newcastle 9 1910 Western Suburbs Rosellas 22-8 Cessnock Goannas
  1. Merger of Group 1 Rugby League and Group 18 Rugby League(1914-05) which both field junior competitions.
  2. Formed as Group 18 in 1946 but when the boundaries were re-drawn in 1966 to include three new clubs the group's name was changed to Group 3.
  3. Group 5 was the local competition from 1961 until it merged with another local competition to form Group 19 in 1980.
  4. This competition was formed by Group 8 and Group 19 which were formed in 1932 and 1946 respectively.
  5. Formed as Berrima District Rugby League and changed its name to Group 6 in 1946.
  6. Formed as South Coast Rugby League and changed its name to Group 7 in 1955.
  7. Formed in 1947 as a junior competition for Newcastle club, Lakes United. It was upgraded to full CRL membership as Group 12 in 1967 then renamed in 1981.

Queensland [NOT UP TO DATE]

Name Location Teams Founded Winner Score Runners-up
Intrust Super Cup State-wide & PNG 13 1996 Northern Pride 36-4 Easts Tigers
South East Division
Brisbane A-Grade Rugby League Brisbane & Districts 6 2014 N/A N/A N/A
Brisbane Second Division Premier Brisbane & Districts 8 1971 Pine Rivers RLFC 19-10 Sandgate-Brighton Gators
Gold Coast A-Grade Gold Coast & Districts 8 1996 Tugun Seahawks 26-18 Southport Tigers
Ipswich A-Grade Ipswich & Districts 6 1992 Brothers Ipswich 32-24 Goodna Eagles
Northern Division
Bowen A-Grade Bowen 4 ? ? ? ?
Cairns A-Grade Cairns & Districts 11 1918 Kangaroos RLFC 32-28 Southern Suburbs RLFC
Mackay & Districts A-Grade Mackay & Districts 8 ? Souths Sharks 30-22 Moranbah Miners
Mid West A-Grade Central West 8 ? Normanton Stingers 30-12 ?
Mt. Isa A-Grade Gulf Country 7 1978 Mount Isa 'Black Stars' 32-28 Mount Isa Wanderers
Townsville A-Grade Townsville 9 ? Herbert River Crushers 24-12 Townsville Brothers
Central Division - Capricorn Region
Central Highlands A-Grade Central Highlands 7 ? Clermont Bears 26-20 Emerald Tigers
Central West A-Grade Central West 7 1997 Winton-Diamantina Devils 24-20 Ilfracombe Scorpions
District A-Grade Gladstone & Districts 5 ? Valley Diehards 30-12 Gladstone Wallaby
Rockhampton A-Grade Rockhampton 5 1918 Rockhampton Brothers 36-26 Biloela Panthers
Central Division - South West Region
Border A-Grade QLD-NSW Border 7 1997 Killarney Cutters 40-16 Inglewood Roosters
Roma & District A-Grade Roma & Districts 7 1919 Miles & District Devils 44-12 St. George RLFC
Toowoomba A-Grade Toowoomba 10 1919 Gatton Hawks 32-20 Toowoomba Valleys Roosters
Central Division - Wide Bay Region
Bundaberg A-Grade Bundaberg & Districts 7 ? Western Suburbs Panthers 30-12 Brothers Bundaberg
Northern Districts A-Grade Central Queensland 7 ? Northern Suburb Devils 26-14 Agnes Waters RLFC
Central Burnett A-Grade Wide Bay–Burnett 5 ? Monto Roos 40-12 Eidsvold Eagles
Gympie A-Grade Sunshine Coast & Gympie 8 ? Caboolture Snakes 24-10 Gympie Devils

Other States

Name Location Teams Founded Winner Score Runners-up
Western Australia (WARL)
Cash Converters Premiership Perth & districts 7 1948 South Perth Lions ? Fremantle Roosters
Pilbara Rugby League Pilbara Region 6 ? Karratha Roosters 28-20 Port Hedland Hawks
South Australia (SARL)
Sportscentre Cup Division 1 Adelaide 6 1976 Central Districts Roosters 30-18 Henley Raiders
Mount Gambier Senior League Mount Gambier 6 ? Naracoorte Jets 26-10 Eastern Dragons
Northern Territory (NTRL)
Jim Beam Premiership Cup Darwin & Katherine 7 1950 Brothers Darwin 28-16 Nightcliff Dragons
Victoria (VRL)
Melbourne Metropolitan Comp. Melbourne 8 ? Sunbury United Tigers 48-16 Casey Warriors
Sunraysia Rugby League Sunraysia Region 5 ? Robinvale Storm 20-6 Mildura Warriors
Tasmania (TRL)
Tasmanian Rugby League State-wide 5 19541 South Hobart Storm 38-18 Hobart Tigers
  1. The Tasmanian Rugby League was created with the introduction of a local Hobart-based competition. It was expanded state-wide in the 1990's but eventually folded. A new/current competition was created in 2009.

Youth

Name Location Teams Founded Winner Score Runners-up
Holden Cup U20s Australia, New Zealand 16 2008 New Zealand Warriors 34-32 Brisbane Broncos
Under 18 National Final Australia 2 Townsville Stingers (QRL) 36-16 Sydney Roosters (NSWRL)
Under 16 National Final Australia 2 Newcastle Knights (NSWRL) 34-28 Northern Pride (QRL)
New South Wales (NSWRL)
SG Ball Cup (U/18s) State-wide, VIC & WA 18 1970 Sydney Roosters 34-30 Penrith Panthers
Harold Matthews Cup (U/16s) State-wide & VIC 18 1970 Newcastle Knights 34-4 Penrith Panthers
Queensland (QRL)
Mal Meninga Cup (U/18s) State-wide 15 2009 Townsville Stingers 22-18 Norths Devils
Cyril Connell (U/16s) State-wide 15 2009 Northern Pride 14-12 Townsville Stingers

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Origins of the Game of Rugby League". Darryl's Rugby League. 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2014.