Laurie O'Reilly Cup explained

O'Reilly Cup
O'Reilly Cup
Current Season:2024 Laurie O'Reilly Cup
Sport:Rugby union
Teams:2
Countries:
Champ Season:2024
Most Champs: (15 titles)

The Laurie O'Reilly Cup is the trophy competed for by the women's rugby union teams of Australia and New Zealand. The two nations met annually between 1994 and 1998, with New Zealand winning all games, often by significant margins, as a result of which the series fell into abeyance, but was revived in 2007.[1] [2] [3]

History

The Cup is named in honour of Laurie O’Reilly, New Zealand's first women's Selector and National coach who died in 1998.[4] [5] It was formerly known as the Laurie O'Reilly Memorial Trophy.[6] It has been contested between New Zealand and Australia since its inception in 1994. The Black Ferns has won every fixture so far and are the current holders of the O’Reilly Cup with a total of 17 wins.

In 2018, the Black Ferns and the Wallaroos played both Tests as curtain-raisers to both Bledisloe Cup Tests in Sydney and Auckland. The crowd at the end of both women's Tests swelled to about 28,000. The women's double-header concept was deemed as a success by NZR CEO Steve Tew who is open to repeating the concept. For the equivalent match at Eden Park in 2016, also before the men's clash, the crowd size peaked at 12,500.[7]

In 2020, All planned test matches for the Wallaroos were cancelled due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, as was the September tour to New Zealand in 2021.[8]

After a two-year absence due to the pandemic, it was confirmed that the competition would return. The Black Ferns hosted the first test and the Wallaroos the second test in 2022. The second match was played as a curtain raiser to the Wallabies and Springboks test in Adelaide.[9] [10] The Black Ferns won the first test in Christchurch and retained the O'Reilly Cup.[11] [12] [13] They then won the series after winning the second test.[14] [15] [16]

Results

YearDateHomeScoreAwayCup WinnerVenueEvent
19942 September0–37Sydney
199522 July64–0Auckland
199631 August5–28Sydney
199716 August44–0Dunedin
199829 August3–27Sydney
200716 October21–10Cooks Gardens, Wanganui
20 October29–12Wellington
200814 October3–37Canberra
18 October16–22Sydney
20141 June38–3Rotorua International Stadium
201622 October67–3Eden Park, Auckland
26 October29–3QBE Stadium, Auckland
201713 June44–17Rugby Park, Christchurch
201818 August11–31ANZ Stadium, Sydney
25 August45–17Eden Park, Auckland
201910 August10–47Optus Stadium, Perth
17 August37–8Eden Park, Auckland
202220 August52–5Orangetheory Stadium
27 August14–22Adelaide Oval
202329 June0–50BrisbanePacific Four Series
30 September43–3Waikato Stadium, Hamilton
202425 May67–19North Harbour StadiumPacific Four Series
14 July0–62Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane

Matches

VenuePlayedWon byDrawnTotal points
AustraliaNew Zealand
Australia10010062363
New Zealand130130100580
Overall230230162943

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2014-09-02 . What's up with JJ? . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150429083124/http://allblacks.com/News/25840/whats-up-with-jj- . 2015-04-29 . www.allblacks.com.
  2. Web site: 2014-06-02 . Evans happy with Black Ferns first match . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140606042913/http://www.allblacks.com/News/25204/evans-happy-with-black-ferns-first-match . 2014-06-06 . www.allblacks.com.
  3. Web site: Rattue . Chris . 2005-08-05 . Anna Richards sick of retirement questions . NZ Herald.co.nz.
  4. Web site: 2020-07-22. 31 years since first official New Zealand women’s team took to the field. 2022-02-08. allblacks.com. en-NZ.
  5. Web site: 2022-04-26 . All Blacks and Black Ferns announce bumper international home Test schedule . 2022-08-08 . allblacks.com . en-NZ.
  6. Web site: 2020-08-22 . How Laurie O’Reilly’s ‘larger than life’ passion for rugby helped women’s game soar . 2022-08-08 . www.rugbyworldcup.com . en.
  7. Web site: 27 August 2018 . Bledisloe Cup Japan fixture could suffer after All Blacks win series . 6 February 2019 . ESPN Scrum.
  8. Web site: Mitchell . Brittany . 17 August 2021 . Rugby Australia risk losing some of their best talent to NRLW . https://archive.today/20210916211852/https://www.espn.com.au/rugby/story/_/id/32091935/rugby-australia-risk-losing-some-their-best-talent-nrlw . 16 September 2021 . ESPN.
  9. Web site: 2022-05-02 . Black Ferns confirmed to play Australia in Adelaide for Laurie O'Reilly Cup test . 2022-08-08 . Stuff . en.
  10. Web site: 2022-05-01 . 2022 eToro Rugby Championship fixtures confirmed . 2022-08-08 . wallabies.rugby . en.
  11. Web site: 2022-08-20 . Wallaroos walloped by Black Ferns in eight-try romp at Christchurch . 2022-08-27 . the Guardian . en.
  12. News: 2022-08-20 . Wallaroos outclassed in heavy defeat to Black Ferns . en-AU . ABC News . 2022-08-27.
  13. Web site: Pearson . Joseph . 2022-08-20 . Black Ferns retain O'Reilly Cup after flattening lacklustre Wallaroos 52-5 in Christchurch . 2022-08-27 . Stuff . en.
  14. Web site: Burnes . Campbell . 2022-08-27 . Black Ferns made to work hard in Adelaide . 2022-08-27 . allblacks.com . en-NZ.
  15. Web site: 2022-08-27 . Black Ferns come from behind to defeat Wallaroos . 2022-08-27 . 1 News . en.
  16. Web site: Shannon . Kris . 2022-08-27 . Work to be done: Black Ferns not at their best in scrappy win . 2022-08-27 . NZ Herald . en-NZ.