The Cyril Connell Challenge is an under-16 competition administered by the Queensland Rugby League. First run in 2021, the competition replaced the QRL Junior State Championships, which ran from 2017 to 2020. 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. 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.
Sport | Rugby league |
---|---|
Instituted | 2009 |
Inaugural season | 2009 |
Ceased | 2017 |
Number of teams | 16 |
Land | ![]() |
Most titles | ![]() |
Website | www.QRL.com.au |
Related competition | Harold Matthews Cup |
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
editIn 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
editGrand Final results
editSeason | Grand Finals | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Premiers | Score | Runners-up | Venue | |
2009 | Norths Devils | 42–30 | Townsville Stingers | Bishop Park |
2010 | Norths Devils | 26–24 | Gold Coast Blue | Langlands Park |
2011 | Easts Tigers | 28–10 | Central Comets | Langlands Park |
2012 | Souths Logan Magpies | 10–6 | Townsville Stingers | BMD Kougari Oval |
2013 | Norths Devils | 44–6 | Easts Tigers | Langlands Park |
2014 | Northern Pride | 14–12 | Townsville Stingers | Barlow Park |
2015 | Townsville Stingers | 31–30 | Sunshine Coast Falcons | Tapout Energy Stadium |
2016 | Townsville Blackhawks | 20–18 | Souths Logan Magpies | Suzuki Stadium |