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 (New Zealand Warriors) also participate. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales a team from Perth (West Coast Pirates) 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.
Current season or competition: [[2024 S.G. Ball Cup]] | |
Sport | Rugby league |
---|---|
Instituted | 1965 |
Inaugural season | 1965 |
Number of teams | 15 |
Country | Australia |
Premiers | St George Dragons (4th title) (2024) |
Most titles | Parramatta Eels (14 titles) |
Website | S. G. Ball Cup |
Related competition | Harold Matthews Cup Laurie Daley Cup Mal Meninga Cup |
The S. G. Ball Cup is named after S. G. "George" Ball, one of the five people responsible for the formation of the South Sydney Rabbitohs, and who was club secretary for over fifty years.
Clubs
editIn 2023, 16 clubs fielded teams in the NSWRL S G Ball Cup.
- Balmain Tigers
- Canberra Raiders
- Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
- Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
- Illawarra Steelers
- Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
- Newcastle Knights
- New Zealand Warriors
- North Sydney Bears
- Parramatta Eels
- Penrith Panthers
- South Sydney Rabbitohs
- St George Dragons
- Sydney Roosters
- Melbourne Storm
- Western Suburbs Magpies
In 2020, 18 clubs fielded teams in the NSWRL S G Ball Cup. After the sixth round on March 14 & 15, the 2020 competition was suspended and subsequently cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.[1] Three teams from 2020 that did not return in 2021 were:
- Central Coast Roosters
- West Coast Pirates
- The third team, New Zealand Warriors, returned to the competition in 2023.
Previous teams that participated in the SG Ball Cup include: Gold Coast Titans (2008–09), Newtown Jets (1970s, early 1980s & 2009), Western Sydney Academy of Sport (2007–17).
Melbourne Storm competed in the S.G. Ball Cup from 2009 to 2014, did not compete from 2015 to 2018, and competed as the Victoria Thunderbolts from 2020 to 2022. The club returned as the Melbourne Storm from the 2023 season.
S. G. Ball Cup Premiers
edit1965 to Current
edit- U16/s from 1965 until 2005
- U18/s from 2006 until 2020
- U19/s from 2021 onwards
Premiership Tally
editNo. | Club | Seasons |
---|---|---|
1 | Parramatta Eels | 14 (1966, 1967, 1968, 1973, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1999, 2007, 2017, 2023) |
2 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 10 (1965, 1969, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1986, 1994, 1998) |
3 | Penrith Panthers | 7 (1977, 1981, 2000, 2006, 2016, 2018, 2022) |
4 | Canberra Raiders | 4 (1995, 2003, 2005, 2021) |
4 | Newcastle Knights | 4 (1990, 2001, 2004, 2011) |
4 | Sydney Roosters | 4 (1997, 2008, 2010, 2014) |
4 | St George Dragons | 4 (1970, 1984, 1992, 2024) |
8 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 3 (1972, 1978, 2009) |
8 | Balmain Tigers | 3 (1982, 2012, 2013) |
8 | Illawarra Steelers | 3 (1989, 1996, 2019) |
11 | Western Suburbs Magpies | 2 (1971, 2002) |
12 | Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | 1 (2015) |
Bold means the team still currently play in the competition.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "NSWRL cancels nine competitions for 2020 season". NSWRL. 27 March 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- ^ New South Wales Rugby Football League. "Souths, Parramatta Share Junior Cup Honours". The Rugby League News. 49 (26 (June 22, 1968)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 8 September 2020 – via Trove.
- ^ New South Wales Rugby Football League. "Souths Take Junior Cups". The Rugby League News. 50 (22 (June 21, 1969)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 8 September 2020 – via Trove.
- ^ New South Wales Rugby Football League. "JUNIOR FINALS". The Rugby League News. 51 (26 (June 27, 1970)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 8 September 2020 – via Trove.
- ^ New South Wales Rugby Football League. "Junior Stars Called Up". The Rugby League News. 52 (24 (July 3, 1971)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 8 September 2020 – via Trove.
- ^ New South Wales Rugby Football League. "The Juniors - A Goal-Kicking Discovery". The Rugby League News. 53 (23 (June 24, 1972)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 8 September 2020 – via Trove.
- ^ New South Wales Rugby Football League. "Cup to Balmain". The Rugby League News. 54 (24 (June 23, 1973)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 8 September 2020 – via Trove.
- ^ "Junior Representative Finals". Big League. 59 (13): 39. 17 May 1978.
- ^ "Junior Representative Finals". Big League. 60 (16): 33. 6 June 1979.
- ^ "Junior Representative Finals". Big League. 61 (14): 37. 28 May 1980.
- ^ "Junior Representative Finals". Big League. 62 (15): 42. 3 June 1981.
- ^ "S.G. Ball Competition". Big League. 63 (10): 40. 28 April 1982.
- ^ "Junior Rep Finals Results". Big League. 63 (12): 38. 12 May 1982.
- ^ "Sports results, details". The Canberra Times. Canberra: National Library of Australia. 17 June 1984. p. 30. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ Middleton, David (1987). Rugby League 1987-88. Sydney: Lester-Townsend Publishing. p. 139. ISBN 0949853119.
- ^ "Times Sport". The Canberra Times. Canberra: National Library of Australia. 14 June 1988. p. 27. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ Middleton, David (1990). Rugby League 1989-90. Sydney: Lester-Townsend Publishing. p. 147. ISBN 0949853321.
- ^ "Sport". The Canberra Times. Canberra: National Library of Australia. 6 June 1993. p. 12. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
- ^ "Siren Scores". The Canberra Times. Canberra: National Library of Australia. 5 June 1994. p. 12. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
- ^ Hannan, Bevan (25 June 1995). "Close shave for Raiders' coach as reserves team makes it six". The Canberra Times. Canberra: National Library of Australia. p. 16. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
- ^ Middleton, David (1998). Rugby League 1998. Sydney: Harper Sports. pp. 210–211. ISBN 0732264243.
- ^ Middleton, David (2000). Rugby League 2000. Sydney: Harper Sports. p. 253. ISBN 0732265576.
- ^ Middleton, David (2001). Rugby League 2001. Sydney: Harper Sports. p. 258. ISBN 0732269261.
- ^ "Monday Scoreboard - Part 2 - Netball-Water Polo". Daily Telegraph. News Limited. 19 May 2003. p. 48.
- ^ "Ball final goes to Raiders". Canberra Times. Fairfax. 18 May 2003. p. 61.
- ^ "NSWRL cancels nine competitions for 2020 season". New South Wales Rugby League. 27 March 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- ^ McEnally, Andrew (1 May 2021). "Raiders hold off Steelers in hard fought UNE SG Ball Cup Grand Final win". NSWRL. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
- ^ Honeysett, Stuart (30 April 2022). "Panthers stage stunning fightback to claim SG Ball Cup premiership". NSWRL. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ McDonald, Margie (29 April 2023). "Eels able to outlast determined Knights". NSWRL. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ Micallef, Tayla (27 April 2024). "Dragons break 32-year drought". NSWRL. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ Beatton, Joel (27 April 2024). "SG Ball Cup: Dragons complete dream season with Grand Final dominance". Dragons.com.au. Retrieved 27 April 2024.