Presidents Cup (rugby league)

For the British competition, see RFL President's Cup.

Presidents Cup

Current season or competition: 2023 NSWRL Presidents Cup
Sport	Rugby league
Instituted	1910
Inaugural season	1910
Number of teams	9
Country	Australia
Premiers	Maitland Pumpkin Pickers (2022)
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 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 (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

After the Metropolitan Cup/Bundaberg Rum Cup/Jim Beam Cup/Ron Massey Cup took over the mantle of the Third Grade Championship. This was until, after the NSWRL-CRL merger in 2020, the champions of the Illawarra Rugby League and Newcastle Rugby League began to playoff against the Ron Massey Cup champions for the prestigious Presidents Cup. The Peter McDonald Premiership became the fourth feeder league to this Champions League-style tournament in 2022 following the Group 10–Group 11 merger.

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 competed 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 25 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 champions

Year	Champions	Score	Runners-up	Match information
				Date	Venue	Referee
NSWRL Presidents Cup (2020–23)
2020	Maitland Pickers	17 – 16	Glebe-Burwood Wolves	27 September 2020	Bankwest Stadium, Sydney	K. Irons
2021	Cancelled Due to Covid-19
2022	(2) Maitland Pickers	36 – 12	Hills District Bulls	25 September 2022	CommBank Stadium, Sydney	C. Paddy
2023	(3) Maitland Pickers	32 – 10	St Marys Saints	24 September 2023	CommBank Stadium, Sydney	D. Brady

Team	Winners	Runners-up	Years won	Years runner-up
Maitland Pickers	3	0	2020, 2022, 2023	–
Glebe-Burwood Wolves	0	1	–	2020
Hills District Bulls	0	1	–	2022
St Marys Saints	0	1	–	2023

Conference winners

Central Conference

Year	Premiers	Score	Runners-up	Match Information
				Date	Venue	Referee
NSWRL Presidents Cup (2020)
2020	Maitland Pickers	17 – 16	Glebe-Burwood Wolves	27 September 2020	Bankwest Stadium, Sydney	K. Irons
Ron Massey Cup (2021–present)
2021	Cancelled Due to Covid-19
2022	Hills District Bulls	18 – 12	Glebe Dirty Reds	4 September 2022	Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Sydney	D. Brady
2023	St Marys Saints	40 – 12	Wentworthville Magpies	3 September 2023	Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Sydney	C. Wills

Team	Winners	Runners-up	Years won	Years runner-up
Maitland Pickers	1	0	2020	–
Hills District Bulls	1	0	2022	–
St Marys Saints	1	0	2023	–
Glebe-Burwood Wolves	0	1	–	2020
Glebe Dirty Reds	0	1	–	2022
Wentworthville Magpies	0	1	–	2023

Northern Conference

Year	Premiers	Score	Runners-up	Match Information
				Date	Venue	Referee
Denton Engineering Cup (2021–present)
2021	Cancelled Due to Covid-19
2022	Maitland Pickers	40 – 4	Macquarie Scorpions	11 September 2022	McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle	J. Butler
2023	(2) Maitland Pickers	46 – 10	South Newcastle Lions	3 September 2023	McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle	J. Butler

Team	Winners	Runners-up	Years won	Years runner-up
Maitland Pickers	2	0	2022, 2023	–
Macquarie Scorpions	0	1	–	2022
South Newcastle Lions	0	1	–	2023

Southern Conference

Year	Premiers	Score	Runners-up	Match Information
				Date	Venue	Referee
Mojo Homes Illawarra Cup (2021–present)
2021	Cancelled Due to Covid-19
2022	Collegians Collie Dogs	12 – 10	Western Subrubs Red Devils	4 September 2022	WIN Stadium, Wollongong	R. Jackson
2023	Thirroul Butchers	24 – 18	Collegians Collie Dogs	2 September 2023	WIN Stadium, Wollongong	L. Greenfield

Team	Winners	Runners-up	Years won	Years runner-up
Collegians Collie Dogs	1	1	2022	2023
Thirroul Butchers	1	0	2023	–
Western Subrubs Red Devils	0	1	–	2022

Western Conference

Year	Premiers	Score	Runners-up	Match information
				Date	Venue	Referee
Peter McDonald Premiership (2022–present)
2022	Forbes Magpies	28 – 16	Dubbo CYMS	4 September 2022	Apex Oval, Dubbo	B. Greatbatch
2023	Dubbo CYMS	25 – 12	Mudgee Dragons	10 September 2023	Apex Oval, Dubbo	A. Pond

Team	Winners	Runners-up	Years won	Years runner-up
Dubbo CYMS	1	1	2023	2022
Forbes Magpies	1	0	2022	–
Mudgee Dragons	0	1	–	2023

See also

• Pre-season Cup
• NSW Cup
• Ron Massey Cup
• Sydney Shield
• NSW Challenge Cup
• List of rugby league competitions in Australia