With the entry of the Auckland Warriors into the Winfield Cup, the NZRL decided they needed a bright and shiny new competition to help keep people interested in local league. They invited strong club sides from local leagues to join together into one big league, which kicked off in March 1994. The competition was a huge success in its inaugural year, though it made a massive loss financially. It continues to make a loss.
The inaugural clubs were Auckland City "Vulcans", Bay of Plenty "Stags", Canterbury Country "Cardinals", Christchurch City "Shiners", Counties-Manukau "Heroes", Hawkes Bay "Unicorns", Hutt Valley "Firehawks", North Harbour "Sea Eagles", Taranaki "Rockets", Waikato "Cougars", Waitakere City "Raiders", and Wellington City "Dukes". Auckland "Colts" replaced Auckland City in 1995, and Manukau replaced the Colts in 1996.
Lion Red Cup: 1994 North Harbour 24-16 Counties-Manukau+ 1995 North Harbour 28-21 Auckland Colts+ 1996 Counties-Manukau 34-22 Waitakere City+
1910 City 1911 City 1912 Newton 1913 North Shore 1914 North Shore 1915 Grafton 1916 City 1917 Ponsonby 1918 Ponsonby 1919 Ponsonby 1920 Maritime 1921 City 1922 City 1923 City 1924 Marist 1925 City 1926 Ponsonby 1927 Newton 1928 Devonport 1929 Ponsonby 1930 Ponsonby 1931 Marist 1932 Devonport 1933 Devonport 1934 Richmond 1935 Richmond 1936 Manukau 1937 Richmond 1938 Marist 1939 Mt Albert 1940 Richmond 1941 North Shore 1942 Manukau 1943 Manukau 1944 City 1945 Otahuhu 1946 Richmond 1947 Mt Albert 1948 Marist 1949 Richmond 1950 Mt Albert 1951 Richmond, Mt Albert 1952 Ponsonby 1953 Pt Chevalier 1954 Ponsonby 1955 Richmond 1956 Richmond 1957 Ellerslie 1958 Ponsonby 1959 Western 1960 Eastern, Western 1961 Eastern 1962 Eastern, Glenora 1963 Eastern 1964 Otahuhu 1965 Marist 1966 Marist 1967 Ponsonby 1968 Mt Albert 1969 Mt Albert 1970 Otahuhu 1971 Otahuhu 1972 Ponsonby 1973 Ponsonby 1974 Ellerslie 1975 Otahuhu 1976 Mt Wellington 1977 Otahuhu 1978 Otahuhu 1979 Richmond 1980 Richmond 1981 Mt Albert 1982 Mt Albert 1983 Otahuhu 1984 Mt Albert 1985 Mt Albert 1986 Mt Albert 1987 Northcote 1988 Te Atatu 1989 Northcote 1990 Otahuhu 1991 Northcote 1992 Northcote 1993 Northcote 1994 Northcote 1995 Otahuhu 1996 Otara
1913 Petone 1914 Suburbs 1915 City 1916 (SUSPENDED) 1917 (SUSPENDED) 1918 (SUSPENDED) 1919 Petone 1920 Petone 1921 Hutt 1922 Petone 1923 Hutt 1924 Hutt 1925 Hutt 1926 Petone 1927 Hutt 1928 Hutt 1929 Celtic 1930 (NO COMPETITION) 1931 (NO COMPETITION) 1932 (NO COMPETITION) 1933 Celtic 1934 St George 1935 St George 1936 St George 1937 Petone 1938 Petone 1939 Central 1940 St George 1941 Miramar 1942 Miramar 1943 Petone 1944 Randwick 1945 Waterside 1946 Randwick 1947 Marist, Randwick 1948 Marist 1949 Marist 1950 Waterside 1951 Miramar 1952 Miramar 1953 St George 1954 Korodale 1955 St George 1956 Randwick 1957 St George 1958 St George 1959 Marist 1960 Korodale 1961 Korodale 1962 Miramar 1963 Korodale, Marist 1964 Miramar 1965 Marist 1966 Miramar, Waterside 1967 Waterside 1968 Randwick 1969 Randwick 1970 Randwick 1971 Marist 1972 Petone 1973 Petone 1974 Petone 1975 Waterside 1976 Randwick 1977 St George 1978 Petone 1979 Upper Hutt 1980 Petone 1981 Petone 1982 Petone 1983 Randwick 1984 Randwick 1985 Randwick 1986 Upper Hutt 1987 Upper Hutt 1988 Petone 1989 Wainuiomata 1990 Upper Hutt 1991 Wainuiomata 1992 Wainuiomata 1993 Upper Hutt 1994 Marist-Northern 1995 Marist-Northern 1996 Randwick
1913 Sydenham 1914 Sydenham 1915 Sydenham 1916 (NO COMPETITION) 1917 Sydenham 1918 Sydenham 1919 Sydenham 1920 Federal 1921 Federal 1922 Sydenham 1923 Addington 1924 Marist 1925 Marist 1926 Hornby 1927 Hornby 1928 Marist 1929 Addington 1930 Hornby 1931 Addington 1932 Linwood 1933 Hornby 1934 Hornby 1935 Addington 1936 Hornby 1937 Addington 1938 Linwood 1939 Addington 1940 Sydenham 1941 Sydenham 1942 Hornby, Rakaia, Riccarton 1943 Sydenham, Rakaia 1944 Addington 1945 Sydenham 1946 Rakaia 1947 Sydenham 1948 Christchurch 1949 Prebbleton 1950 Sydenham 1951 Linwood 1952 Hornby 1953 Sydenham 1954 Sydenham 1955 Sydenham 1956 Sydenham 1957 Papanui 1958 Hornby 1959 Papanui 1960 Linwood, Papanui 1961 Linwood 1962 Hornby 1963 Linwood 1964 Hornby 1965 Hornby 1966 Hornby 1967 Hornby 1968 Linwood 1969 Hornby 1970 Linwood 1971 Papanui 1972 Papanui 1973 Papanui 1974 Papanui 1975 Christchurch, Eastern Suburbs 1976 Papanui 1977 Papanui 1978 Papanui 1979 Eastern Suburbs 1980 Eastern Suburbs 1981 Eastern Suburbs 1982 Addington 1983 Hornby 1984 Hornby 1985 Halswell 1986 Hornby 1987 Halswell 1988 Halswell 1989 Addington 1990 Hornby 1991 Hornby 1992 Papanui 1993 Halswell 1994 Papanui 1995 Halswell 1996 Hornby