22-752: 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
44-596: A Country Origin side to play in the annual City vs Country Origin game, the CRL administered many senior and junior competitions across the state. In New South Wales , Newcastle was the first city outside Sydney to start a league competition, despite being involved in the Sydney Premiership in 1908–09 and then starting their own competition in 1910. (Other country areas were playing "football" before this time, which should be referenced. A photograph exists of
66-549: A group of indigenous Australian Aboriginal people that were united by a common language, strong ties of kinship and survived as skilled hunter–fisher–gatherers in family groups or clans scattered throughout central New South Wales. In the 21st century, major Wiradjuri groups live in Condobolin, Peak Hill, Narrandera and Griffith. There are significant populations at Wagga Wagga and Leeton and smaller groups at West Wyalong, Parkes, Dubbo, Forbes, Cootamundra, Cowra and Young. Gold
88-706: A large meeting in Maitland , thus becoming the first branch of the New South Wales Rugby League in "the bush" (i.e. outside the urban centres of Sydney and Newcastle). The HDRFL territory encompassed a lower part of the Hunter Valley from Singleton down to the Maitland district and towns on the nearby coalfields (the major ones being Cessnock , Kurri Kurri and Weston ). Competition games were scheduled to kick off on 13 May but were pushed back to 20 May when clubs complained they had not had enough time to practice
110-405: A new constitution and the CRL voted to wind up its affairs immediately. The decisions made on 19 October and merger mean that the aim of a unified administration of the sport in NSW was achieved over a year ahead of time. The CRL administered the following senior competitions: * = Top-level Country leagues; Premiers eligible for Clayton Cup as best regional team in
132-450: Is rugby league . The Goldfields Rugby League was established in 1911, and, along with Tamworth and Wollongong, was one of the first leagues outside of Sydney and Newcastle . The town hosts a number of different sports club, catering for both adults and junior players. The West Wyalong Advocate newspaper is an independent publication, printed on Fridays. It also services nearby towns including Ungarie and Barmedman. 94.5 GOLD FM
154-632: The Bowraville team of 1907 who presumably played other teams in the district. If the team played Rugby Union, some reference should be made in this History section as to when this region converted to Rugby League. Local research required since early editions of the local newspaper are not in the National Archives.) On 11 February 1911, the Hunter District Rugby Football League (HDRFL) was established at
176-463: The CRL. On 24 August 2018, the NSWRL and CRL announced that they had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding which will involve formal discussions in relation to a possible merger that would see a merger of the two organisations. This would result with Rugby League in NSW governed by one body for the first time in more than 80 years. In October 2019 CRL merged with the NSWRL after the NSWRL agreed
198-778: The Queensland State side twice and a Queensland Country representative side once. They then travelled to Sydney to play the Sydney Metropolitan team, again winning 31–24. On 13 May 1911, another branch of the NSWRL was established in the Wollongong area. In 1911, a Goldfields' League was formed in West Wyalong , and games were played in Tamworth , Aberdeen , and along the South Coast . The game
220-739: The crossroads of the Newell Highway between Melbourne and Brisbane , and the Mid-Western Highway between Sydney and Adelaide . The West Wyalong district is the largest cereal-growing centre in NSW. Eucalyptus oil production started in 1907 and the West Wyalong area became one of the major world exporters of the product. The Wiradjuri people were the first to inhabit this region. (Wiradjuri northern dialect pronunciation [wiraːjd̪uːraj]) or Wirraayjuurray people (Wiradjuri southern dialect pronunciation [wiraːjɟuːraj]) are
242-671: The direction of West Wyalong with several motels built at Central Wyalong. A shared bicycle and pedestrian track was constructed in 1994 to link Wyalong with West Wyalong. The population has stabilised recently. This is due, in part, to the Cowal Gold Mine adjacent to Lake Cowal , 45 km northeast and Pace Farm's egg production facility. West Wyalong has long, hot and dry summers, and contrastingly cool winters with extended overcast periods not uncommon, with an increased susceptibility to cold fronts due to its far western location. Mean maximum temperatures range substantially between
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#1732797642119264-472: The fold with a promise that a committee would be set up to sort things out. Eventually the CRL gave in on the grounds that it was in no one's best interests to have the game divided during World War II . The NSWRL and CRL have since cooperated in the running of rugby league in NSW, including various 'joint ventures' such as the Ron Massey Cup which features three teams from areas under the control of
286-459: The most productive in the colony in 1899. As mining declined West Wyalong became the main service centre for agriculture in the surrounding district, although for many years there was rivalry between the towns. Both towns wanted the Temora railway line, but settled on a compromise of a station midway between the two towns, called Wyalong Central. Development since the 1970s has expanded Wyalong in
308-558: The new code. In the first senior-grade games played, West Maitland def. Kurri Kurri (12–0) and Cessnock def. Morpeth (23–0) in a double-header on the enclosed Albion Ground at Maitland. The first City v. Country match (advertised as such by the NSWRL in the Sydney Morning Herald of 10/6/1911) was played at the Sydney Agricultural Ground on that same Saturday, with City winning 29–8. The Country team
330-525: The seasons. There is a stark difference in sky conditions between high summer and mid winter, especially for this northern latitude; in March there are 13.9 clear days and 6.0 cloudy days, whereas in July there are only 7.4 clear days but 12.5 cloudy days. This too is evident by the mean afternoon humidity readings. The last occurrence of snow in the township was in 1929. The most popular sport in West Wyalong
352-627: The state. In 2008, rugby league football's centenary year in Australia, the Country Rugby League named its 'Team of the Century': West Wyalong West Wyalong is the main town of the Bland Shire in the Riverina region of New South Wales , Australia . Located 467 kilometres (290 mi) west of Sydney as well as being 262 m (860 ft) above sea level, it is situated on
374-712: Was composed exclusively of players from the Newcastle ("Northern") and the Hunter competitions. The first ever country divisional match (described as such in the Maitland Daily Mercury of 31/7/1911) was played at Newcastle on 29/7/1911 between Newcastle and Hunter. Newcastle won 29–14. The first NSW Country team to tour was a squad of 17 players (12 from Newcastle and 5 from Hunter) that played three matches in Queensland between 5/8/1911 and 12/8/1911, defeating
396-515: Was discovered at Wyalong in September 1893 by Joseph Neeld. In 1895 West Wyalong was developed 5 kilometres (3 mi) from Wyalong around the bullock track, without the benefit of town planning, resulting in curious kinks in the road where it avoided trees. As well as the mines, the White Tank water supply was located here. This is now the location of McCann Park. The goldfield was declared
418-521: Was donated by Reub Clayton, an early rugby league administrator in country NSW. 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. New South Wales Country Rugby League The Country Rugby League of New South Wales (CRL ), formed in 1934 and disbanded in 2019,
440-494: Was introduced to Orange in 1912 and spread quickly through the western districts. In 1913 branch leagues were formed at Bathurst , Dubbo , Nowra and Tamworth. In 1920, the NSWRL set up a Country Committee. NSW Country was divided into six sections: South Coast, Northern Districts, Central Northern Districts, Western Districts, Southern, and North Coast. The group system was introduced in 1922, with neighbouring towns being organised into 12 groups. The Country Rugby League (CRL)
462-534: Was officially formed in 1934, "subject to the NSW Rugby League still being the paramount institution." In 1939 a dispute arose between the CRL and the NSWRL. The CRL wanted a new administration structure, an equal partnership in which the NSWRL looked after league in Sydney, and the CRL looked after it in the bush. When their proposal was rejected the CRL broke away from the NSWRL for a week, but returned to
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#1732797642119484-538: Was the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in areas of New South Wales outside the Sydney metropolitan area until it merged with NSW Rugby League in 2019. The CRL was superseded by 6 NSWRL Country Divisions represented by 4 members of the nine-person NSWRL board. Despite its name, the CRL also governed rugby league in the Australian Capital Territory . Apart from selecting
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