Australian Competitions


Australia

In 1995 the Sydney Premiership was placed under the control of the Australian Rugby League and became Australia's first national club competition. At the same time it was expanded to 20 teams with the inclusion of Auckland, North Queensland, South Queensland, and the Western Reds.

In 1997 the competition split in two, with the 8 clubs who had signed with News Ltd going their own way (q.v.). That left the competition with 12 teams, and so the format changed to a full double round robin. The Reserve Grade competition was renamed Second Grade, the Under-21s competition was done away with, and the Under-19s, Under-17s and Under-15s became the Under-20s, Under-18s, and Under-16s. The Club Championship was again played for over three grades and a junior Club Championship was introduced for the other two grades.

First Grade Premiership

The Optus Cup was awarded to the major premiers from 1996 onwards. The J J Giltinan Shield was awarded to the major premiers in 1996, and to the minor premiers from 1997 onwards.

Winfield Cup:

1995  Sydney Bulldogs       17-4  Manly Warringah+
      (Sydney Bulldogs won the Winfield Cup outright)

Optus Cup:

1996  Manly Warringah+      20-8  St George
1997  Newcastle             22-16 Manly Warringah+

Messenger Cup:

1998
Second Grade Premiership

The President's Cup was played for in 1997.

Reserve Grade Premiership

1995  Newcastle             22-10 Cronulla Sutherland+
1996  Cronulla Sutherland+  14-12 Auckland

Second Grade Premiership (President's Cup)

1997  Parramatta+           26-16 Balmain

Under-23s Premiership (President's Cup)

1998 ???

Lower grade competitions, although also inherited by the ARL, are detailed with the Sydney Premiership results, as it seems inappropriate to break them up.

Australian Super League

In 1997 Super League ran their own league using the teams that had broken away from the ARL plus two of their own creation, Adelaide Rams and Hunter Mariners. They ran competitions in four grades: First Grade, Reserves, Under-19s, and Under-17s. The separate league proved a financial disaster and Super League were forced to seek a reconcilliation. The results of the four competitions are detailed below.

First Grade Premiership (Telstra Cup)

1997  Brisbane+             26-8  Cronulla Sutherland

Reserve Grade Premiership

1997  Canterbury Bankstown+ 40-12 Auckland

Under-19s Premiership (Mal Meninga Cup)

1997  Penrith                beat Auckland

Under-17s Premiership (Terry Lamb Cup)

1997  Brisbane+             38-14 Perth

South Australia


Adelaide

Rugby league was played in Woomera from the late '40s. It was also played in Adelaide from about 1949 to 1954. But both competitions died out with the death of the SARL President Len Dangerfield and the long term illness of stalwart Ted Thompson. No details have survived of either competition.

The SARL Association was reformed in 1975, with the first games being played in 1976.

First Grade Premiership
1976  Central Districts
1977  Glenelg
1978  South Adelaide
1979  Southern Vale
1980  South Adelaide
1981  Northern Districts
1982  Northern Districts
1983  Northern Districts
1984  Northern Districts
1985  Glenelg
1986  Northern Districts
1987  Northern Districts    18-13 South Adelaide   
1988  Northern Districts    28-14 Gelnelg
1989  Central Districts
1990  Central Districts     30-22 Northern Districts
1991  Northern Districts    36-12 Adelaide Jets
1992  Adelaide Jets
1993  Western Districts     34-14 Adelaide Jets
1994  Western Districts     22-18 Northern Districts
1995  Northern Districts    35-22 Western Districts+
1996  Northern Districts    28-26 Adelaide Jets+
1997  South Adelaide        18-16 Kilburn
1998  ???
Best and Fairest Medal
1976  M Frangos  (Glenelg)
1977  D Brown  (Port Adelaide)
1978  S Peet  (Northern Districts)
1979  K Mapstone  (Tee Tree Gully)
1980  D Bruce  (Glenelg)
1981  M Saunders  (Glenelg)
1982  ???
1983  M Fagan  (Northern Districts)
1984  P Knapton  (Northern Districts)
1985  M Chapman  (Glenelg)
1986  A Stowers  (Northern Districts)
1987  R Clarke  (South Adelaide/Marion)
1988  R Richter  (Northern Districts)
1989  K Hinchley  (Glenelg)
1990  R Chopping  (Central Districts)
1991  M Gageler  (Adelaide Jets)
1992  S Moore  (Northern Districts)
1993  B Swinton  (Parra Districts)
1994  T Kelly  (Adelaide Jets)
1995  S Tait  (Central Districts)
1996  A Sheridan  (Central Districts)
1997  ???
1998  ???
Second Division Premiership
1988  Glenelg               26-22  Tea Tree Gully
Preseason
1994  Northern Districts    22-20 Western Districts
1995  Northern Districts    38-24 Adelaide Jets
1996  Northern Districts    18-14 Adelaide Jets

Tasmania


First Grade Premiership

The Tasmanian competition started as a summer one, but became a winter competition in 1996.

1996  Northern Suburbs+     28-20 Hobart City
1997  ?
1997  Northern Suburbs      18-16 Launceston

Victoria


Melbourne

First Grade Premiership
1953  Essendon
1954-68  (unknown)
1969  Moorabbin
1970  Moorabbin
1971  RAAF East Sale
1972  Moorabbin
1973  Melbourne
1974  Moorabbin
1975  (abandoned)
1976  RAAF Bombers
1977  Moorabbin
1978  RAAF Laverton
1979  (no competition)
1980  Waverley
1981  St Kilda
1982  St Kilda
1983  St Kilda
1984  Frankston
1985  Moorabbin
1986  St Kilda
1987  St Kilda               6-0  Moorabbin
1988  Parkdale              30-18 Waverley-Oakleigh
1989  Coburg
1990  Coburg                20-14 St Kilda
1991  St Kilda              26-10 Coburg
1992  Waverley-Oakleigh
1993  Waverley-Oakleigh     34-22 St Kilda
1994  Waverley-Oakleigh     20-16 St Kilda
1995  St Kilda+             38-26 Waverley-Oakleigh
1996  St Kilda              38-18 Waverley-Oakleigh+
1997  Altona                28-12 St Kilda
1998  ???
Second Division Premiership
1988  Laverton              53-8  Tottenham

1994  Western City          12-4  Altona
Preseason
1996  St Kilda              20-6  Moorabbin
Amateur League
1993  Broadmeadows          16-8  Moorabbin
Gippsland
1993  Traralgon             26-24 Sale

1997  Sale                  29-24 Traralgon
1998  ???
Goulburn Murray
1991  Corowa                15-7  Wangaratta

1993  Wodonga               22-14 Corowa
1994  Tocumwal              14-11 Corowa

1997  Southern Riverina Jets
                            28-6  Corowa
1998  ???

Western Australia


Perth

First Grade Premiership
1948  South Perth
1949  South Perth
1950  Fremantle
1951  Perth
1952  South Perth
1953  South Perth
1954  South Perth
1955  Cottesloe
1956  Victoria Park
1957  South Perth
1958  South Perth
1959  Victoria Park
1960  Victoria Park
1961  Fremantle
1962  Victoria Park
1963  Fremantle
1964  Applecross
1965  Applecross
1966  Applecross
1967  Applecross
1968  Victoria Park
1969  Applecross
1970  Applecross
1971  North Beach
1972  Applecross
1973  South Perth
1974  North Beach
1975  South Perth
1976  Fremantle
1977  Fremantle
1978  Victoria Park
1979  Mosman-Cottesloe
1980  North Beach
1981  Mosman-Cottesloe, Fremantle (joint premiers)
1982  South Perth
1983  South Perth
1984  North Beach
1985  South Perth
1986  Applecross
1987  Belmont               28-25 Applecross
1988  Belmont               28-12 South Perth
1989  Belmont
1990  Canning               20-10 South Perth
1991  Canning               30-28 Applecross
1992  Applecross
1993  Rockingham            14-12 Applecross
1994  Canning               39-16 North Beach+
1995  Belmont+              38-26 Junior Reds
1996  South Perth           16-12 Canning  (Belmont+)
1997  Fremantle             12-10 South Perth
1998  ???
Preseason
1996  South Perth+          50-16 North Beach
Goldfields

First Grade Premiership
1990  Roosters             28-0  Tigers

1994  Kambalda Roosters    12-10 Kalgoorlie Broncos

1997  Kalgoorlie Broncos   22-14 Kambalda Roosters
1998  ???
Newman

First Grade Premiership
1994  Cobras               22-18 Dragons

1997  Dragons              18-16 United
1998  ???
Pilbara

First Grade Premiership
1988  Roosters              28-21 Port Hedland

1990  Karratha              32-26 Port Hedland

1994  Port Hedland          28-18 South Hedland

1997  Wickham               34-32 South Hedland Cougars
1998  ???

Northern Territory


Northern Territory Championships
1991  Darwin                40-6  Alice Springs

1994  Darwin                37-12 Alice Springs
1995  ???
1996  Darwin
1997  ???
Darwin

This was a summer competition (October to March) between 1950-51 and 1963-64. It became a winter competition (April to September) in 1964.

First Grade Premiership
1950-51  Wallabies
1951-52  Qantas
1952-53  Qantas
1953-54  RAAF
1954-55  Wallabies
1955-56  Wallabies
1956-57  Wallabies
1957-58  Wallabies
1958-59  Qantas
1959-60  Qantas
1960-61  RAAF "Green"
1961-62  Wallabies
1962-63  Nightcliff
1963-64  Nightcliff

1964  RSL
1965  Nightcliff
1966  Darwin Brothers
1967  Darwin Brothers
1968  Nightcliff
1969  Nightcliff
1970  Darwin Brothers
1971  RSL
1972  RSL                   25-14 South Darwin
1973  Darwin Brothers
1974  Darwin Brothers
1975  Nightcliff
1976  Northern Suburbs
1977  Northern Suburbs
1978  Waratahs
1979  Northern Suburbs
1980  South Darwin
1981  Waratahs
1982  Northern Suburbs
1983  Waratahs
1984  Darwin Brothers
1985  Waratahs
1986  Waratahs
1987  Nightcliff            26-22 Darwin Brothers
1988  Darwin Brothers       20-16 Waratahs
1989  ???
1990  Darwin Brothers       18-12 Tracy Village
1991  Darwin Brothers       28-12 Casuarina
1992  ???
1993  Top End Raiders       21-6  Nightcliff
1994  Litchfield            16-14 Nightcliff
1995  Litchfield            23-6  Nightcliff
1996  Litchfield            21-6  South Darwin
1997  Litchfield            28-14 University
1998  ???
Preseason
1994  Darwin Brothers       26-16 Nightcliff
1995  Litchfield            36-30 Nightcliff
1996  Nightcliff            16-12 South Darwin
Alice Springs

First Grade Premiership
1987  Todd Tavern Bears     28-23 Wests
1988  Westies               40-10 Bears

1990  Wests                 25-20 Railway Bears
1991  Knights               30-15 Wests

1993  Centrals              29-14 Wests
1994  United                24-20 Centrals
1995  ???
1995  United                42-20 Wests

1997  Central-Memorial      43-34 United
Gove

First Grade Premiership
1987  Souths                22-14 Insects
1988  Insects               18-12 Walkabout

1990  Souths                52-4  Insects
1991  Souths                24-8  Cats
Katherine

First Grade Premiership
1987  ---
1988  Harley Raiders        20-16 Bulldogs

1990  Bushrangers           56-15 Harley Raiders

1993  Bulldogs              22-18 Harley Raiders
1994  Bushrangers           34-26 Bulldogs

1997  (no competition ???)
Tennant Creek

First Grade Premiership
1990  Tennant Creek Colts   30-22 Barkly Beafeeters

1994  Tigers                62-36 Dragons
Tiwi Islands

First Grade Premiership
1994  Tiwi Raiders          46-44 Tiwi Saints