Clayton Cup

The Clayton Cup is a trophy that was awarded by the Country Rugby League to the NSW country rugby league team with the best overall record for that season. To be eligible, the team must win the highest level of competition in its region. Usually the winner of the Clayton Cup goes through the season undefeated. In late 2019, the Country Rugby League was absorbed by the New South Wales Rugby League.

The Cup was donated by Reub Clayton, an early rugby league administrator in country NSW.[1] The cup was first awarded in 1937 to West Tamworth. Since then, the Tweed Heads Seagulls, Grafton Ghosts, North Tamworth Bears and Cobar Roosters have been the most successful clubs, each winning the trophy three times.

Winners

Year Club Group P W L D For Agst Pct Coach Report
1937 West Tamworth 4 22 22 0 0 MG[2]
1938 Nimmitabel 19 (Original) George King DL[3]
1939 Wagga Magpies 13 21 17 2 1 314 60 83.96% Eric Weissel DA[4]
1940 Henty 13 13 12 0 1 234 72 76.47% Brian Bourke DA[5]
No cup awarded for 1941-1945 seasons due to World War II
1946 Port Kembla Illawarra 18 16 0 2 412 196 67.76% Harry Nolan RLN [6]
1947 Bombala 19 (Original)
1948 Cootamundra 9 30 27 3 0 469 252 65.05% Bob Hobbs CH[7]
1949 Tumut 9 24 15 7 2 225 225 50.00% Jim Jeffrey TAT[8]
1950 Bathurst Railway 10 19 16 3 0 284 109 72.26% W 'Snow' Garlick NA[9]
1951 North Tamworth Bears 4 16 15 1 0 Vic Williams NMH[10]
1952 Gundagai 9 44 35 9 0 1074 501 68.19% Nev. Hand DA[11]
1953 Young 9 25 21 4 0 777 230 77.16% Ian Johnston NA[12]
1954 Orange CYMS 10 18 16 2 0 300 119 71.60% Mick Newland LM[13]
1955 Young (2) 9 33 30 3 0 1056 297 78.05% Leo Trevena YTC[14]
1956 Maitland Newcastle RLN [15]
1957 Temora 9 25 19 4 2 455 183 71.32% Tom Kirk
1958 Coonamble 14 20 19 0 1 311 81 79.34% Ray Hyde RLN [16]
1959 Dubbo Macquarie 11 18 17 1 0 472 118 80.00% Leo Nosworthy
1960 Goulburn Workers 8 Phil Jackson CT[17]
1961 Ballina 1 John Gillard RLN [18]
1962 Warialda 5 18 17 1 0 511 165 75.59% Jim Payne
1963 Tweed Heads Seagulls 18
1964 Oberon 10 18 16 2 0 427 66 86.61% Rolf Trudgett
1965 Tullibigeal 17
1966 Picton Magpies 6 14 12 1 1 172 63 73.19% Billy Peel
1967 Casino RSM 1 18 18 0 0 480 126 79.21% Terry O'Brien RLN [19]
1968 Darlington Point 17 21 20 1 0 864 79 91.62% Bill Watson RLN [20]
1969 Tarcutta 13 14 12 2 0 362 84 81.17% A. Hills CT[21]
1970 Delegate 19 (Original) 14 14 0 0 388 118 76.68% Paul Clear BT[22]
1971 Cobar 15 16 13 1 2 521 218 70.50% Brian Lawrence
1972 Cobar (2) 15 17 16 1 0 567 239 70.35% Brian Lawrence RLN[23]
1973 Gunnedah 4 16 15 1 0 427 122 77.78% Roger Buttenshaw
1974 Queanbeyan United 8 17 17 0 0 499 116 81.14% Don Furner CT[24]
1975 Albury Blues 13 18 17 1 0 680 219 75.64% CT[25]
1976 Bombala (2) 16 22 21 1 0 653 179 78.49% B. Laurence CT[26]
1977 Belconnen United 19 (Canberra) 17 16 1 0 406 106 79.30% Bob Belford CT[27]
1978 Sawtell 2 20 20 0 0 461 152 75.20% Les Cleal CT[28]
1979 Scone 21 14 14 0 0 428 152 73.79% Les Cleal
1980 Narwan 19 16 16 0 0 563 Eric Kelly CT[29]
1981 Bellingen 2 18 18 0 0 504 97 83.86% R Taylor
1982 Warilla 7 20 18 1 1 552 171 76.35% Col O'Rourke
1983 Tweed Heads Seagulls (2) 18 16 15 1 0 432 119 78.40% John Harvey
1984 Bourke 15 15 15 0 0 606 166 78.50% Tony Bock
1985 Tumbarumba 13 16 16 0 0 770 111 87.40% Les Cleal
1986 Tumbarumba (2) 13 16 16 0 0 639 91 87.53% Les Cleal
1987 Lismore Marist Brothers 1 18 17 0 1 481 196 71.05% Denis Meaney
1988 Bega Roosters 16 16 16 0 0 630 138 82.03% Lloyd Martin
1989 Tweed Heads Seagulls (3) 18 17 16 1 0 558 155 78.26% John Harvey
1990 Singleton 21 23 22 0 1 855 263 76.48% Richard Jones
1991 Mittagong Lions 6 22 21 1 0 803 204 79.74% Graeme Andrews CT[30]
1992 Western Suburbs Newcastle 20 20 0 0 630 248 71.75% Neil Baker
1993 Rankins Springs 17 16 15 1 0 494 190 72.22% Stuart Vearing
1994 Forster Tuncurry Hawks 3 14 14 0 0 Dennis Tutty
1995 Forster Tuncurry Hawks (2) 3 19 19 0 0 Dennis Tutty
1996 Werris Creek 4 16 0 857 272 75.91% Ron Dellar
1997 Eden 16 17 17 0 0 Chris Brennan
1998 Cobar (3) 11 18 18 0 1 Scott Mieni
1999 Barellan 17
2000 Taree City 3 17 16 1 0 776 293 72.59% Terry McCartney
2001 Port Macquarie Sharks 2 20 19 0 1
2002 Barellan (2) 17 12 11 1 0 394 175 69.24% Clint Halden
2003 Narooma 16 14 14 0 0 David Boyle
2004 Temora (2) 9 19 19 0 0 964 218 81.56% Chris Brennan
2005 Umina Beach Central Coast 20 19 1 0 770 242 76.09% Nathan Johnson
2006 Hillston Bluebirds 17 12 12 0 0 450 148 75.25% Steve Parr TAN[31]
2007 Albion Park-Oak Flats 7 16 16 0 0 606 270 69.18% Jade Lucas & Shane Sainsbury
2008 The Entrance Tigers Central Coast 0 0 Gavin Westwood
2009 Yenda 20 18 16 2 0 Andrew Lavaka RLW[32]
2010 Grafton Ghosts Northern Rivers 18 18 0 0 807 206 79.66% Col Speed DM[33]
2011 Grafton Ghosts (2) Northern Rivers 18 16 1 1 566 237 70.49% Col Speed DE[34]
2012 East Campbelltown Eagles 6 18 18 0 0 Richard Barnes CA[35]
2013 Wauchope Blues 3 14 14 0 0 552 196 73.80% Robbie Trembath WG[36]
2014 North Tamworth Bears (2) 4 17 17 0 0 1061 263 80.14% Brad McManus NDL[37]
2015 Port Macquarie Sharks (2) 3 14 13 1 0 484 197 71.07% Matt Shipway
2016 Moruya Sharks 16 16 16 0 0 754 228 76.78% Tim Weyman TB[38]
2017 Grafton Ghosts (3) 2 18 18 0 0 852 158 84.36% Danny Wicks DE[39]
2018 Tweed Coast Raiders Northern Rivers 21 18 2 1 604 236 71.90% Brent Kite TDN[40]
2019 North Tamworth Bears (3) 4 14 14 0 0 700 164 81.02% Scott Blanch NDL[41]
No cup awarded for the 2020 and 2021 seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2022 Scone Thoroughbreds (2) 21 14 14 0 0 750 148 80.27% Adam Clydsdale NSWRL[42]

Sources

Years Item Via
1937 to 1954 Various Newspapers Trove
1937 to 1973 Rugby League News Trove
1960 to 1991 Canberra Times Trove
1967–69, 1971–1996 Country Rugby League Annual Report State Library of NSW
2003 to 2014 Rugby League Week eResources at State Library of NSW
2010 to 2019 Various Newspaper Websites As referenced
2015 to 2019 Group Rugby League past seasons SportsTG websites - No longer available

See also

References

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  2. ^ "Country Champions". Mudgee Guardian and Gulgong Advertiser. Mudgee: National Library of Australia. 25 October 1937. p. 7. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  3. ^ "Rugby League". Dubbo Liberal and Macquarie Advocate. Dubbo: National Library of Australia. 24 November 1938. p. 2. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  4. ^ "Football - Rugby League - Clayton Cup - Placed Teams' Records". The Daily Advertiser (Wagga Wagga). Wagga: National Library of Australia. 23 October 1939. p. 6. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  5. ^ "Football - Clayton Cup - Awarded to Henty Club". The Daily Advertiser (Wagga Wagga). Wagga: National Library of Australia. 9 November 1940. p. 8. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  6. ^ "The Rugby League World". The Rugby League News. 45 (20 (June 27, 28, 1964)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. nla.obj-642048955. Retrieved 10 April 2020 – via Trove.
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  10. ^ "Clayton R.L Cup to North Tamworth". The National Advocate. Bathurst: National Library of Australia. 29 October 1951. p. 4. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
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  13. ^ "Honor For Orange C.Y.M.S." Lithgow Mercury. Lithgow: National Library of Australia. 2 December 1954. p. 7. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
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  19. ^ "The Rugby League World". The Rugby League News. 49 (14 (April 27, 28, 1968)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. nla.obj-652604148. Retrieved 10 April 2020 – via Trove.
  20. ^ "Darlington Point gets cup". The Rugby League News. 49 (41 (November 1968)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. nla.obj-642352398. Retrieved 10 April 2020 – via Trove.
  21. ^ "Clayton RL Cup won by Tarcutta". The Canberra Times. Canberra: National Library of Australia. 27 October 1969. p. 12. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  22. ^ "Delegate Tigers Climax a Great Year by Being Awarded the Coveted Clayton Cup". Bombala Times. Bombala: State Library of NSW - Microfilm RAV. 30 October 1970.
  23. ^ "Cobar Creates a Record". The Rugby League News. 53 (38 (October 1972)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. nla.obj-782503189. Retrieved 10 April 2020 – via Trove.
  24. ^ "Queanbeyan Blues win league cup". The Canberra Times. Canberra: National Library of Australia. 14 October 1974. p. 14. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  25. ^ "Inter-city series". The Canberra Times. Canberra: National Library of Australia. 30 December 1975. p. 12. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
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  42. ^ "Thoroughbreds win Clayton Cup for first time in 43 years". 3 November 2022.