Lion Red Cup Explained

Lion Red Cup
Pixels:110px
Inaugural:1994
Folded:1996
Replaced:Bartercard Cup
Teams:12
Country:New Zealand
Championtag:Last Premiers
Champion:Counties Manukau
Season:1989-2007
Most Champs:Counties Manukau
Count:2

The Lion Red Cup was a New Zealand domestic rugby league competition that ran from 1994 to 1996 sponsored by brewers Lion Nathan. It was created due to the increase in public awareness of domestic rugby league due to the Auckland Warriors being accepted into the Winfield Cup. The competition was a huge success in its inaugural year, although it made a massive loss financially. Throughout its three-year history it continued to make a loss, eventually being scrapped by the New Zealand Rugby League.

Teams

The teams that participated were:

TeamSeasonsPlayedWDLPFPAPDPremiershipsRunner UpMinor PremiershipsWooden Spoon
Auckland City Vulcans19942314185393931190000
Auckland Warriors Colts1995241905711398 3230110
Bay of Plenty Stags1994-667154481024 2028−10610002
Canterbury Country Cardinals1994-66932532150414751970000
Christchurch City Shiners1994-6662114411731692-5190001
Counties Manukau Heroes1994-67653320211513328011110
Hawkes Bay Unicorns1994-6662424012171545-3280000
Hutt Valley Firehawks/Dolphins1994-6673323214601429520000
Manawatu Mustangs1996225017404732-3280000
North Harbour Sea Eagles1994-675501241940123510272000
Taranaki Rockets1994-6662324113361744-4530000
Waikato Cougars1994-67345325169614123630000
Waitakere City Raiders1994-66839227170512574040110
Wellington City Dukes1994-66627237 1446 1554-1080000

Seasons

width=25 Yearwidth=170 Championswidth=20 Scorewidth=20 Scorewidth=170 Defeatedwidth=170 Minor Premierswidth=150 Wooden Spoon
1994North Harbour Sea Eagles2416Counties Manukau HeroesCounties Manukau HeroesBay of Plenty Stags
1995North Harbour Sea Eagles2821Auckland Warriors ColtsAuckland Warriors ColtsBay of Plenty Stags
1996Counties Manukau Heroes3422Waitakere City RaidersWaitakere City RaidersChristchurch City Shiners

Leading Scorers

Top Point Scorers
  • 500: Paul Howell (Wellington City/Hutt Valley)
  • 405: Blair Nickson (Taranaki)
  • 395: Earl Va’a (Wellington City/Hutt Valley)
  • 304: Ben Lythe (Waitakere City)
Top Try Scorers[1] Most Appearances

External links

Notes and References

  1. New Zealand Rugby League Annual '98, New Zealand Rugby Football League, 1998.