Presidents Cup (rugby league)

Presidents Cup

Current season or competition: 2022 NSWRL Presidents Cup
Sport	Rugby league
Instituted	1910
Inaugural season	1910
Number of teams	9
Land	Australien
Premiers	Maitland Pumpkin Pickers (2020)
Most titles	South Sydney Rabbitohs (20 titles)
Website	President Cup
Related competition	Conferences: Illawarra Rugby League Newcastle Rugby League Peter McDonald Premiership Ron Massey Cup Related: Sydney Shield NSW Challenge Cup Canterbury Cup

The NSWRL President 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.

Modern Presidents Cup

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 will compete 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. 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 25th September 2022, they defeated The Hills Bulls 36-12 . Maitland Pickers Five-Eighth Chad O'Donnell was named player of the match.

Modern Presidents Cup Premiers

Season	Premiers	Score	Runners-up	Referee	Venue	Date
Presidents Cup
2020	Maitland Pickers	17 – 16	Glebe-Burwood Wolves	K. Irons	Bankwest Stadium Sydney	27 September 2020
2022	Maitland Pickers	36 – 12	Hills District Bulls	C. Paddy	Bankwest Stadium Sydney	25 September 2022

Team	Winners	Runners-up	Years won	Years runner-up
Maitland Pickers	2	0	2020, 2022	-
Glebe-Burwood Wolves	0	1	-	2020
Hills District Bulls	0	1	-	2022

Conference Winners

Season	Central Conference Winners	Northern Conference Winners	Southern Conference Winners	Western Conference Winners
2020	Maitland Pickers
2021	N/A Due to Covid-19	N/A Due to Covid-19	N/A Due to Covid-19
2022	Hills District Bulls	Maitland Pickers	Collegians Red Dogs	Forbes Magpies

Central Conference

Season	Premiers	Score	Runners-up	Minor Premiers	Wooden Spoon
Presidents Cup
2020	Maitland Pickers	17 – 16	Glebe-Burwood Wolves	Maitland Pickers	Western Rams
Ron Massey Cup
2021	K.A.		K.A.	K.A.	K.A.
2022	Hills District Bulls	18 – 12	Glebe Dirty Reds	Hills District Bulls	Western Suburbs Magpies

Northern Conference

Season	Premiers	Score	Runners-up	Minor Premiers	Wooden Spoon
Denton Engineering Cup
2021	K.A.		K.A.	Maitland Pickers	South Newcastle Lions
2022	Maitland Pickers	40-4	Macquarie Scorpions	Maitland Pickers (2)	Kurri Kurri Bulldogs

Southern Conference

Season	Premiers	Score	Runners-up	Minor Premiers	Wooden Spoon
Mojo Homes Illawarra Cup
2021	K.A.		K.A.	K.A.	K.A.
2022	Collegians Red Dogs	12 – 10	Western Suburbs Red Devils	Thirroul Butchers	Corrimal Cougars

Western Conference

Season	Premiers	Score	Runners-up	Minor Premiers	Wooden Spoon
Peter McDonald Premiership
2022	Forbes Magpies	28 – 16	Dubbo CYMS	Mudgee Dragons (GR10) Dubbo CYMS (GR11)	Cowra Magpies (GR10) Wellington Cowboys (GR11)

See also

• Canterbury Cup NSW
• Ron Massey Cup
• Sydney Shield
• NSW Challenge Cup
• Rugby League Competitions in Australia