The NSW Cup, currently known as the Knock-On Effect NSW Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a rugby league competition for clubs in New South Wales. The competition has a history dating back to the NSWRFL's origins in 1908, starting off as a reserve grade competition, and is now the premier open age competition in the state. The New South Wales Cup, along with the Queensland Cup, acts as a feeder competition to the National Rugby League premiership. The competition is the oldest continuous rugby league competition in the Australia.
The NSW Cup is contested by reserve squads of NSW-based NRL teams and also includes sides representing teams that once competed at the first grade level in the NSWRL Premiership but no longer field teams in the NRL competition, and teams that have not fielded teams in the NRL competition. The North Sydney Bears are the only team to have competed in every season, since the start of the competition since 1908.
Clubs
New South Wales Cup teams
The New South Wales Cup consists of 13 teams, 11 from New South Wales, and 1 each from Auckland and from Australian Capital Territory. The league operates on a single group system, with no divisions or conferences and no relegation and promotion from other leagues. A number of clubs in the New South Wales Cup have an affiliation with a team in the Australian national competition, the National Rugby League, with most of the clubs in the being reserve grade teams to the senior grade teams of the NRL.
Bold indicates it is the club's highest level of competition. *: The season the team joined competition in its current form and consecutive tenure. +: Current affiliation between Cronulla and Newtown since 2015.
†:Does not include games played as NRL Curtain raisers
Former teams – NSW Cup
Of the 26 former clubs in the 21st century, 1 was each based in Australian Capital Territory, Queensland and Victoria, 2 were based in Auckland Region and the other 23 former clubs were based in New South Wales.
Former teams – Reserve Grade/First Division/Premier League
Of the 24 former clubs in the 20th century, 1 was based in Auckland Region, South Australia and Western Australia, 3 were based in Queensland and the other 20 former clubs were based in New South Wales.
*= First grade club ground/ largest ground in the area
History
NSW Cup Logo until 2012
The NSW Cup was known as the Reserve Grade/Presidents Cup/First Division from 1908 until 2002, and the NSWRL Premier League from 2003 to 2007, the NSW Cup from 2008 to 2015, the Intrust Super Premiership NSW from 2016 to 2018, the Canterbury Cup NSW from 2019 to 2020. The competition's lineage follows that of the NSWRL Reserve Grade from 1908 onwards.
The New South Wales Cup, run by the NSWRL, has been known by a variety of names and operated in several different ways since the inception of the NSWRL Premiership in 1908. Between 1908 and 1996, the competition was known as Reserve Grade and was competed for almost exclusively by reserve squads of each of the NSWRL Premiership Clubs, competing with that Club's name and colours. With the advent of the Super League war, and the resultant split competition in 1997, the NSWRL reconfigured the competition as the Presidents Cup. From 2002 until 2007, the competition was known as the NSWRL Premier League until it was reorganised into its present form as the New South Wales Cup in 2008.
The inclusion of these non-NRL clubs (along with the return of the Newtown Jets in 2000) in the competition signalled a move away from the 'reserve squad' competition it had become and became increasingly differentiated from the NRL competition with games played at non-NRL venues such as North Sydney Oval, Marrickville's Henson Park and Western Weekender Stadium at St Marys.
Another trend that began during this period was the phenomenon of NRL clubs outsourcing competing teams, with several NRL clubs choosing not to field sides in this competition and rather field either merged entities (as in the St Marys Penrith Cougars and Balmain Ryde Eastwood Tigers, both formed with NSWRL Jim Beam Cup sides) or form agreements with another club to take their place in the competition, those players being eligible for NRL selection, such as the agreement between Newtown Jets and Sydney Roosters for the 2006 season.
In 2008 and 2009, Jersey Flegg Cup club Central Coast Storm fielded a team in the competition. The team was based on the NSW Central Coast but acted as a feeder club to the Melbourne Storm.[1] In addition, the Panthers were replaced by the Windsor Wolves and the Sharks were replaced by the Cronulla-Sutherland Cobras. The Canberra Raiders withdrew from the competition on 1 August 2007. The Newcastle Knights also announced a joint venture with the Central Charlestown. The team used the original Central Newcastle Rebels Name.[2] The Parramatta Eels also formed a joint-venture with the Wentworthville Magpies to act as their Feeder Club in the competition from 2008 onwards.[3] The Saints decided to no longer run a Reserve Grade Side, but would use the St George District Rugby League & the Illawarra District Rugby League competitions instead as their Feeder Team/s.
Two new teams have been added to the competition. These two new teams will have both previously played in the Jim Beam Cup. The Shellharbour City Dragons, previously known as the Shellharbour Marlins, will be the St George-Illawarra Dragons feeder side. The Bankstown Bulls, who were known as the Sydney Bulls, will act as the Canterbury Bulldogs feeder side. Bankstown will still field a team in the Jim Beam Cup. The Manly Sea Eagles have withdrawn from the competition and will have a feeder team in the Queensland Cup. Newcastle had also withdrawn from the competition, discontinuing the link with the Central Newcastle Rebels.
2010–12 Seasons
Season 2012 saw the return of feeder clubs for NRL teams St George Illawarra and Canberra. The Illawarra Steelers, in partnership with Illawarra Coal and the Illawarra Leagues Club re-entered a team into the league, the Illawarra Cutters. They previously acted as a feeder club to the Dragons. A Mounties Rugby League Club also entered the NSW Cup this season and is the Raiders' feeder club.
2013–15 Expansion
The 2013 season saw Wyong Roos enter a team in the NSW Cup for the first time. It will not be a feeder team to any NRL team. 2013 was also the first time in Rugby League history that teams with the names Western Suburbs and Balmain would not field a team in the cup, they played as the Wests Tigers. There is a current state of ambiguity surrounding this joint venture, and it is suggested that both Wests and Balmain will return as two separate clubs once financial requirements are met.
In 2014 the Auckland Vulcans were replaced by a side from the New Zealand Warriors.[4] The Penrith Panthers will also be returning to the competition in 2014, replacing Windsor, who remain in the Ron Massey Cup.
2016–18: Intrust Super Premiership
Intrust Super Premiership Logo from 2016 to 2018
On 29 January 2016, it was announced that Intrust Super had secured naming rights for the competition for a three-year agreement[5] The name would have been decided not to be confused with the Queensland-based competition the Intrust Super Cup.
On 5 July 2016, it was announced that starting the following season, the Blacktown Workers would become the feeder club for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in a joint-venture agreement.[6] The Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles made their NSW Cup debut in Round 1 of the 2017 Season with a defeat to the Newtown Jets, before finishing 10th in the regular season and subsequently missing a post-season berth.
In September, Intrust Super extended its naming rights partnership with the New South Wales State Cup through to the end of the 2018 season.[7]
On 27 October 2017, it was announced that Illawarra would be replaced by The St George Illawarra Dragons for The 2018 Intrust Super Premiership NSW season as part of a restructure in the competition.[8]
In late November 2017 it was announced that as part of a re-brand, the Western Suburbs Magpies would enter the competition from the following season acting as a feeder club to the Wests Tigers, who had previously competed under their own brand.[9]
2019–2020: Canterbury Cup NSW
On 2 March 2018, it was reported that the board of the Wyong Roos, feeder to Sydney Roosters since 2014, voted to cut all ties with the club at end of the 2018 season.[10] As a result, the Wyong Roos did not take part in the 2019 Intrust Super Premiership. On 5 September 2018, it was announced that the North Sydney Bears would assume the status as the official feeder club to the Roosters NRL side[11] until at least the end of the 2023 season, with Jason Taylor, a former North Sydney player and assistant coach to the Roosters, appointed head coach.[12] Taylor, after leading the Bears to a third-place finish at the end of the regular season, was announced to have signed a two-year extension on 5 November 2019.[13]
On 7 March 2019, it was announced that apparel company Canterbury of New Zealand won the rights to be the new naming partner of the NSW Cup competition which was renamed the Canterbury Cup NSW. The deal was announced to run to the end of the 2024 season. The NSWRL also announced that the new Western Sydney Stadium would host the grand final in each of those seasons under the deal.[14]
South Sydney, having had a previous feeder relationship with North Sydney, would then field their own team in the Intrust Super Premiership,[15] keeping the number of competing teams at 12.
On 10 October 2018, it was reported that the Parramatta Eels would field a team in the Intrust Super Premiership starting 2020, thus ending their relationship with the Wentworthville Magpies at this time.[16] It was announced that former Wyong Roos coach, Rip Taylor, would coach the Magpies in their final season.[17]
On Friday, 27 March 2020, after round one of the season was completed, the 2020 Canterbury Cup NSW competition was suspended, and subsequently cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with no premiers being crowned.[18]
2021–present: Knock-on Effect NSW Cup
On 8 June 2020, the New Zealand Warriors and Redcliffe Dolphins announced a partnership agreement, effectively withdrawing the Warriors from the Canterbury Cup competition. Through this initiative a number of players from outside the Warriors’ NRL squad will appear for the Dolphins in the Intrust Super Cup each week.[19]
On 28 August 2020, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs announced a joint venture with the Mount Pritchard Mounties for two years.[20] As part of the joint venture, the Mounties will represent Canterbury-Bankstown in the Canterbury Cup, ending their nine-year relationship with the Canberra Raiders. At the time the Canberra Raiders were set to go it alone in 2021 rather than form an affiliation with a NSW Cup side[21]
On 10 November 2020, the NSWRL confirmed that the NSW Cup would return in 2021 with a 10-team competition, however Canterbury would no longer hold naming rights. A new naming rights partner is expected to be revealed prior to season launch on 3 March 2021.[22]
On 28 January 2021, it was announced that the Canberra Raiders would be returning to the competition, fielding their own team or the first time since the 2007 season, thus increasing the number of competing teams to 11 in 2021. The competition is due to commence 13 March 2021.[23]
On 3 March 2021, a new naming rights sponsor, The Knock-On Effect, was named at the launch of the 2021 season. The new partnership will be in place for the next three years replacing the previous sponsor, Canterbury NZ.[24]
For the second consecutive year, the competition was cancelled on 10 August 2021, after completion of 15 out of 24 scheduled rounds, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[25]
On 29 October 2021, it was announced that the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs would be running their own team in the NSW Cup in 2022, in addition to continuing their partnership with Mounties for a further season due to contractual obligations[26]
The draw for the 2022 season was released on 17 December 2021, and announced a revision to the finals-system to a top five, a decrease from the previous top eight.[27]
On 17 August 2022, the New Zealand Warriors announced they would be re-joining the NSW Cup after a three-year absence, ending their partnership with the Redcliffe Dolphins.[28]
On 9 November 2022, the Sydney Roosters announced they would field their own team in the NSW Cup commencing in the 2023 season, ending their partnership with the North Sydney Bears from 2024 onwards.[29]
Broadcast & Media
Television
The 2024 season broadcast deal features:
One game per week on Fox League/Kayo Sports at either Saturday or Sunday 12:30pm or 11:45am
Hawkesbury Radio broadcast Penrith Panthers' matches online during the season when played on non-NRL game days, selected other matches and all the finals matches.
Triple H Radio broadcast selected North Sydney Bears' matches during the year plus selected finals matches.
There is also additional radio coverage of the finals series on 2GB Radio and 702 ABC Sydney.
Online
The NSWRL website upload highlights of every game of the NSW Cup. It also gives half time and full-time scores of the other games.
Three games a week NSW Cup match is LIVE on NSWRL TV app.
Since 2014, The NSW Cup Grand Final Match has been played on the same day as the QLD Cup Grand Final, the weekend prior to the NRL Grand Final, allowing for the creation of the NRL State Championship which saw the NSW Cup premiers face off against the QLD Cup Premiers as a curtain raiser to the NRL Grand Final, originally following the National Youth Competition Grand Final from 2014 to 2017[105][106] and following the NRL Women's Grand Final in their inaugural premiership year in 2018.
In 2019 the NRL State Championship was played prior the NRL Women's Grand Final. Newtown Jets became the fourth NSWRL team to win in as many years after the first two championships were won by the QRL.
The 2020 State Championship was cancelled due to the Queensland and New South Wales competitions being cancelled after Round 1 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2021 State Championship was cancelled due to the COVID-19 lockdown in Sydney
This was the year of the split competitions. This competition was known as Presidents Cup for this season, while the Super League competition was known as Reserve Grade (won by Canterbury Bulldogs). This competition was a merger of Reserve Grade and Third Grade (usually known as the Presidents Cup.
Related Research Articles
The New South Wales Rugby League Ltd (NSWRL) is an Australian rugby league football competition operator in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory and is a member of the Australian Rugby League Commission. It was registered on 21 December 1983 and succeeded the New South Wales Rugby Football League which had been formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907. The NSWRFL and then NSWRL operated Sydney's, then New South Wales' and eventually Australia's premier rugby league club competition from 1908 to 1994. The organisation administers the New South Wales rugby league team.
The North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based on Sydney's North Shore. The club competes in the NSW Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 90 years in the premier rugby league competition in Australia. There have been on-going bids to resurrect the club in the NRL as either The Bears, based in Perth and Sydney, or as the Central Coast Bears, based at Gosford. However, as of November 2024, the bid to be based Perth is the Favourite. However, the bid is partnership and not officially considered a relocation. The North Sydney Bears are expected to keep their headquarters in Cammeray, or at least on Sydney’s North Shore
The Western Suburbs Magpies is an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as the club is commonly referred to, was one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia. The club, as a sole entity, departed the top-flight competition in 1999 after forming a 50–50 joint venture with Balmain Tigers to form the Wests Tigers. The club currently fields sides in the NSW State Cup, Ron Massey Cup (Opens), S.G. Ball Cup and Harold Matthews Cup competitions.
The New South Wales Rugby League premiership was the first rugby league football club competition established in Australia and contributor to today's National Rugby League. Run by the New South Wales Rugby League from 1908 until 1994, the premiership was the state's elite rugby league competition, parallel to Queensland's first-class league, the Brisbane Rugby League.
Yileen "Buddy" Gordon is an Australian rugby league footballer who plays for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the NSW Cup. Gordon formerly played for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and Penrith Panthers. He was sacked by the West Tigers in February, 2014 for breach of contract. He currently plays in the Centres and has previously played in the back-row or at centre.
The S. G. Ball Cup is a junior rugby league football competition played predominantly in New South Wales, between teams made up of male players aged under 19. Teams from Canberra and Melbourne, and Auckland also participate. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales a team from Perth also participated. The competition is administered by the New South Wales Rugby League. The competition includes both junior representative teams of NRL and NSW Cup clubs that do not field a team in the NRL competition.
The Wentworthville Magpies, colloquially known as Wenty, are an Australian rugby league team based in the suburb of Wentworthville in Sydney's Western Suburbs. Founded in 1963, the club has competed in various Sydney district competitions and, since 2003, the semi-professional Ron Massey Cup and Sydney Shield competitions in NSW, Australia. The club also fielded a team in the Canterbury Cup NSW as part of a joint-venture with the Parramatta Eels between 2008 and 2019 acting as Parramatta's feeder club.
Rugby league in New South Wales is the most popular spectator sport in the state, with the attendance and television audiences exceeding that of the various other codes of football. There are over 400,000 active rugby league participants, with a further 1 million playing the sport in schools, placing the sport second only to soccer for the most played sport in the state. There are more than 500 active clubs, ten of which are professional teams competing in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Scott Sorensen is a New Zealand international rugby league footballer who plays as a second-row forward and lock for the Penrith Panthers in the NRL.
The Mounties Rugby League Football Club is an Australian rugby league football club based in Mount Pritchard, New South Wales formed in 1927. They currently play in the Ron Massey Cup and Sydney Shield.
The Illawarra Rugby League Football Club was an Australian rugby league football club based in Illawarra formed in 2012. Originally known as the Illawarra Cutters, they became known as the Illawarra RLFC before the 2017 Intrust Super Premiership NSW.
John Olive is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who last played for the Newtown Jets in the NSW Cup as a centre and on the wing.
Chris Smith is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a second-row forward and lock for the Penrith Panthers in the NRL.
Ed Murphy is an Australian professional rugby league footballer last played as a centre or winger for the Limoux Grizzlies in the Elite One Championship.
Royce Hunt is a Samoa international rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for the Wests Tigers in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Christian Crichton is a Samoan professional rugby league footballer who plays on the wing for Samoa at international level.
Kurt Dillon is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for the Lézignan Sangliers in the Elite One Championship.
Mawene Hiroti is a New Zealand rugby league footballer who plays as a centre or winger for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks In the NRL.
Billy Magoulias is a Greece international rugby league footballer who plays as a lock for the Newtown Jets in the NSW Cup.
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, Ron Massey Cup, Sydney Shield and Canterbury Cup clubs.
↑ New South Wales Rugby Football League. "GRAND FINALS". The Rugby League News. 39 (27 (13 September 1958)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 8 September 2020– via Trove.
↑ New South Wales Rugby Football League. "PREVIOUS RESULTS". The Rugby League News. 40 (28 (5 September 1959)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 8 September 2020– via Trove.
↑ New South Wales Rugby Football League. "GRAND FINALS". The Rugby League News. 41 (25 (3 September 1960)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 8 September 2020– via Trove.
↑ New South Wales Rugby Football League. "GRAND FINALS". The Rugby League News. 42 (25 (23 September 1961)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 8 September 2020– via Trove.
↑ New South Wales Rugby Football League. "GRAND FINALS". The Rugby League News. 43 (27 (15 September 1962)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 8 September 2020– via Trove.
↑ New South Wales Rugby Football League. "GRAND FINALS". The Rugby League News. 45 (32 (19 September 1964)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 8 September 2020– via Trove.
↑ New South Wales Rugby Football League. "GRAND FINALS". The Rugby League News. 46 (31 (18 September 1965)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 8 September 2020– via Trove.
↑ New South Wales Rugby Football League. "GRAND FINALS". The Rugby League News. 47 (36 (17 September 1966)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 8 September 2020– via Trove.
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