Presidents Cup (rugby league) explained
The NSWRL Presidents Cup is a semi-professional, open-aged rugby league football competition played in New South Wales. The competition is administered by the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL). The competition includes teams from domestic rugby league clubs (mainly from the Illawarra District), Ron Massey Cup, Sydney Shield and Canterbury Cup clubs.
History
The Presidents Cup is a rugby league trophy which has been awarded in many competitions, governed by New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL). It was 1910 when Sir James Joynton Smith, the newly appointed President of the NSWRL, donated the trophy. Joynton Smith was the Lord Mayor of Sydney and earned a knighthood for his philanthropic work. A shrewd businessman, he was a key figure in the game up until his death in 1943.
Initially the Presidents Cup was awarded in the Under 21 competition between representative teams from each district's junior league. It ran in this format until the mid-1990s.
As the top tier premiership expanded in the 1980s, and the Under 23s competition was scrapped, the Under 21s competition was expanded. In 1997, with a split competition, the ARL scrapped reserve grade, and the Under 21s served as curtain raisers to first grade games. The following year, the first year of the NRL, the Under 21s competition was scrapped, junior competitions were rationalised, and reserve grade was reintroduced under different names, including Premier League and First Division. The Presidents Cup trophy was awarded to the winner of this competition. In 2008, the centenary of rugby league in Australia, this division was renamed as the NSW Cup competition. The Presidents Cup trophy was awarded for the first two years in this grade, then a new trophy was awarded for the 2010 competition.[1]
Historic Presidents Cup competitions
Modern Presidents Cup
After the Metropolitan Cup/Bundaberg Rum Cup/Jim Beam Cup/Ron Massey Cup took over the mantle of the Third Grade Championship. This was until, after the NSWRL-CRL merger in 2020, the champions of the Illawarra Rugby League and Newcastle Rugby League began to playoff against the Ron Massey Cup champions for the prestigious Presidents Cup. The Peter McDonald Premiership became the fourth feeder league to this Champions League-style tournament in 2022 following the Group 10–Group 11 merger.
2020 format
In 2020, the competition returned in light of NSWRL competitions being cancelled due to the COVID-19 crisis. These cancelled competitions include the NSW Cup, Ron Massey Cup and the Newcastle Rugby League competition. Nine teams competed in the returning edition; North Sydney Bears, Dubbo CYMS, Thirroul Butchers, Western Suburbs Red Devils, Western Rams, Hills District Bulls, Wentworthville Magpies, Maitland Pumpkin Pickers and Glebe-Burwood Wolves. The competition was played over nine rounds with two weeks of finals including the Grand Final on 27-Sep at Bankwest Stadium, Parramatta.[3] [4] [5] Maitland Pickers won the Grand Final 17–16 over Glebe-Burwood Wolves, capturing the Premiership as well as the minor premiership for topping the regular season ladder. Hooker Alex Langbridge was named both the player of the Grand Final and of the season as a whole.
2021–present: Statewide third grade
From 2021, the competition will be the statewide third grade competition, running as an end of season competition for the premiers of Illawarra Rugby League, Newcastle Rugby League, Peter McDonald Premiership and Ron Massey Cup. The Peter McDonald Premiership joined the other three leagues as third-tier competitions through the merger of the fourth tier Group 10 and Group 11 competitions. After 2021 saw the competition cancelled due to COVID, 2022 saw a return to the competition, with Maitland Pickers defending their 2020 title. On 25 September 2022, they defeated The Hills Bulls 36–12.[6] Maitland Pickers Five-Eighth Chad O'Donnell was named player of the match.
Modern Presidents Cup champions
| Year | Champions | Score | Runners-up | Match information |
|---|
| Date | Venue | Referee |
|---|
| NSWRL Presidents Cup (2020–23) |
|---|
| 2020 | Maitland Pickers | 17 – 16 | Glebe-Burwood Wolves | 27 September 2020 | Bankwest Stadium, Sydney | K. Irons |
| 2021 | Cancelled Due to Covid-19 |
| 2022 | (2) Maitland Pickers | 36 – 12 | Hills District Bulls | 25 September 2022 | CommBank Stadium, Sydney | C. Paddy |
| 2023 | (3) Maitland Pickers | 32 – 10 | St Marys Saints | 24 September 2023 | CommBank Stadium, Sydney | D. Brady | |
Conference winners
Central Conference
| Year | Premiers | Score | Runners-up | Match Information |
|---|
| Date | Venue | Referee |
|---|
| NSWRL Presidents Cup (2020) |
|---|
| 2020 | Maitland Pickers | 17 – 16 | Glebe-Burwood Wolves | 27 September 2020 | Bankwest Stadium, Sydney | K. Irons |
| Ron Massey Cup (2021–present) |
|---|
| 2021 | Cancelled Due to Covid-19 |
| 2022 | Hills District Bulls | 18 – 12 | Glebe Dirty Reds | 4 September 2022 | Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Sydney | D. Brady |
| 2023 | St Marys Saints | 40 – 12 | Wentworthville Magpies | 3 September 2023 | Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Sydney | C. Wills | |
Northern Conference
| Year | Premiers | Score | Runners-up | Match Information |
|---|
| Date | Venue | Referee |
|---|
| Denton Engineering Cup (2021–present) |
|---|
| 2021 | Cancelled Due to Covid-19 |
| 2022 | Maitland Pickers | 40 – 4 | Macquarie Scorpions | 11 September 2022 | McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle | J. Butler |
| 2023 | (2) Maitland Pickers | 46 – 10 | South Newcastle Lions | 3 September 2023 | McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle | J. Butler | |
Southern Conference
| Year | Premiers | Score | Runners-up | Match Information |
|---|
| Date | Venue | Referee |
|---|
| Mojo Homes Illawarra Cup (2021–present) |
|---|
| 2021 | Cancelled Due to Covid-19 |
| 2022 | Collegians Collie Dogs | 12 – 10 | Western Subrubs Red Devils | 4 September 2022 | WIN Stadium, Wollongong | R. Jackson |
| 2023 | Thirroul Butchers | 24 – 18 | Collegians Collie Dogs | 2 September 2023 | WIN Stadium, Wollongong | L. Greenfield | |
Western Conference
| Year | Premiers | Score | Runners-up | Match information |
|---|
| Date | Venue | Referee |
|---|
| Peter McDonald Premiership (2022–present) |
|---|
| 2022 | Forbes Magpies | 28 – 16 | Dubbo CYMS | 4 September 2022 | Apex Oval, Dubbo | B. Greatbatch |
| 2023 | Dubbo CYMS | 25 – 12 | Mudgee Dragons | 10 September 2023 | Apex Oval, Dubbo | A. Pond | |
| Team | Winners | Runners-up | Years won | Years runner-up |
|---|
| Dubbo CYMS | 1 | 1 | 2023 | 2022 |
| Forbes Magpies | 1 | 0 | 2022 | – |
| Mudgee Dragons | 0 | 1 | – | 2023 | |
See also
References
- Web site: Presidents Cup steeped in history. July 16, 2020. New South Wales Rugby League.
- Web site: South Sydney Rabbitohs Trophies . 2022-11-20 . www.ssralmanac.com.
- Web site: Regional and Metro teams to meet in unique 2020 Presidents Cup. June 30, 2020. New South Wales Rugby League.
- Web site: NRL 2020: New competition for the best country teams to take on their city rivals. June 30, 2020. NewsComAu.
- Web site: Presidents Cup. New South Wales Rugby League.
- Web site: Pickers trample Bulls to win another President's Cup . Newcastle Weekly . 25 September 2022 . 1 October 2022.
