Cyril Connell Challenge

Last updated

Cyril Connell Challenge
Sport Rugby league
Instituted2009
Inaugural season2009
Ceased2017
Number of teams 16
CountryFlag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
Most titles Norths Devils colours.svg Norths Devils (3 titles)
Website www.QRL.com.au
Related competition Harold Matthews Cup

The Cyril Connell Challenge is an under-16 competition [1] administered by the Queensland Rugby League. The competition was named after Cyril Connell Jr., who played 24 games for Queensland and 2 Tests for Australia. The tournament mainly features players from Queensland but from time to time, also teams from Victorian the Northern Territory.

Contents

History

First run in 2021, the competition replaced the QRL Junior State Championships, which ran from 2017 to 2020. Originally known as The Cyril Connell Cup the competition, which began in 2009, included the junior representative teams of Queensland Cup clubs. The competition also featured teams from Victoria and the Northern Territory.

In the 2016 season, the Cyril Connell Cup consisted of sixteen clubs: fifteen based within Queensland and one in Victoria. Eleven of the sixteen clubs were junior representative teams for Queensland Cup clubs. From 2011 to 2016, the winners of the Grand Final played the winners of the New South Wales’ under-16 competition, the Harold Matthews Cup, in the National Final.

The 2020 competition was ultimately cancelled in the wake of the COVID pandemic before the tournament re-commenced in a round robin format for the 2021 season.

The Cyril Connell Cup/Challenge was named after Cyril Connell Jr., who played 24 games for Queensland and 2 Tests for Australia between 1952 and 1957.

Teams

In 2021 The Cyril Connell Challenge comprised 15 teams from across the state split into 3 pools. Thirteen of the fifteen clubs were junior representative teams for Queensland Cup clubs. Tweed Heads Seagulls and Redcliffe Dolphins finished equal top of the ladder after going undefeated during their campaigns. Redcliffe would remain undefeated, topping the table in both the 2022 and 2023 editions of the tournament.

Clubs

Mal Meninga Cup
ClubSeasonsCityStadiumPremierships (Last)
Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2020 colours.svg Central Crows2011–2016 Bundaberg, Queensland Across the Waves Sportsground0
Central Comets colours.svg Central Queensland Capras 2009–2016 Rockhampton, Queensland Browne Park 0
Balmain colours.svg Easts Tigers 2009–2016 Brisbane, Queensland Suzuki Stadium 0
Canterbury colours.svg Gold Coast Blue2010 Gold Coast, Queensland Merv Craig Sporting Complex 0
Cook Islands YGWG.png Gold Coast Gold2011–2012 Gold Coast, Queensland Pizzey Park 0
Ireland colours.svg Gold Coast Green2010–2016 Gold Coast, Queensland Pizzey Park 0
Gold Coast Vikings Colours.svg Gold Coast Vikings 2009 Gold Coast, Queensland Pizzey Park 0
Cairns Cyclones Colours.svg Gold Coast White2013–2016 Gold Coast, Queensland Pizzey Park 0
Ipswich Colours.svg Ipswich Jets 2009–2016 Ipswich, Queensland North Ipswich Reserve 0
Mackay Cutters colours.svg Mackay Cutters 2009–2016 Mackay, Queensland BB Print Stadium Mackay 0
Northern Pride colours.png Northern Pride 2009–2016 Cairns, Queensland Barlow Park 1 (2014)
Balmain colours.svg Northern Territory Rugby League 2009–2010 Darwin, Northern Territory Richardson Park 1 (2011)
Norths Devils colours.svg Norths Devils 2009–2016 Brisbane, Queensland Bishop Park 3 (2013)
Redcliffe colours.svg Redcliffe Dolphins 2009–2016 Redcliffe, Queensland Dolphin Oval 0
Souths-Logan Magpies Colours.svg Souths Logan Magpies 2009–2016 Brisbane, Queensland Davies Park 1 (2012)
Sunshine Coast Colours.svg Sunshine Coast Falcons 2009–2016 Sunshine Coast, Queensland Sunshine Coast Stadium 0
Toowoomba Clydesdales colours.svg Toowoomba Clydesdales 2009–2016 Toowoomba, Queensland Gold Park 0
Townsville Blackhawks colours.png Townsville Blackhawks 2009–2016 Townsville, Queensland Jack Manski Oval 2 (2016)
Melbourne colours.svg Victoria Rugby League 2015–2016 Melbourne, Victoria Casey Fields 0
Wests Panthers Colours.svg Wests Panthers 2011–2012 Brisbane, Queensland Purtell Park 0
Leigh colours.svg Wide Bay Bulls2009 Bundaberg, Queensland -0
Wynnum-Manly Colours.svg Wynnum Manly Seagulls 2009–2016 Brisbane, Queensland BMD Kougari Oval 0
  • Central Crows played as Central United from 2011 to 2013.
  • CQ Capras played as Central Comets from 2009 to 2011.
  • Townsville Blackhawks played as Townsville Stingers from 2009 to 2015.
  • Western Mustangs played as Toowoomba Clydesdales from 2009 to 2016.

Grand Final results

SeasonGrand Finals
PremiersScoreRunners-upVenue
2009 Norths Devils colours.svg Norths Devils 42–30 Hunter colours.svg Townsville Stingers Bishop Park
2010 Norths Devils colours.svg Norths Devils 26–24 Canterbury colours.svg Gold Coast Blue Langlands Park
2011 Balmain colours.svg Easts Tigers 28–10 Central Comets colours.svg Central Comets Langlands Park
2012 Souths-Logan Magpies Colours.svg Souths Logan Magpies 10–6 Hunter colours.svg Townsville Stingers BMD Kougari Oval
2013 Norths Devils colours.svg Norths Devils 44–6 Balmain colours.svg Easts Tigers Langlands Park
2014 Northern Pride colours.png Northern Pride 14–12 Hunter colours.svg Townsville Stingers Barlow Park
2015 Hunter colours.svg Townsville Stingers [1] 31–30 Sunshine Coast Colours.svg Sunshine Coast Falcons Tapout Energy Stadium
2016 Townsville Blackhawks colours.png Townsville Blackhawks 20–18 Souths-Logan Magpies Colours.svg Souths Logan Magpies Suzuki Stadium

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Torres Strait players stand out in Origin win". Torres News. 22 June 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2025. the Stingers team which won the Queensland final in the Cyril Connell Cup comp for under 16 players.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.