The Foley Shield is a rugby league competition in North Queensland administered by the Queensland Rugby League .
41-748: The Queensland Rugby Football League (QRL) is the governing body for rugby league in Queensland . It is a member of the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARL Commission) and selects the members of the Queensland rugby league team . The QRL aims to "foster, develop, extend, govern and control Rugby League Football throughout the State of Queensland". Today the QRL administers the rugby league through its regional divisions. It
82-567: A Brisbane champion in 1996 and 1997, the BRL was officially disbanded after 75 seasons in 1997. The Brisbane Rugby League (2001) was re-established as a third-tier competition below the NRL and Queensland Cup. This completed a remarkable fall from grace for the local Brisbane competition in stature, from a top level competition alongside the NSWRL until 1987, to a second-tier league from 1988 to 1997 and then
123-574: A hastily assembled Queensland team played the touring New Zealand "All Golds" side in Brisbane . Later that month there were three representative games against New South Wales , which acted as selection trials for a national team. In 1909, club rugby league officially began, with W. Evans scoring the inaugural try before backing up with another as North Brisbane beat Toombul 8–0 at the Brisbane Cricket Ground , although Valleys were
164-535: A more popular competition. However Queensland maintained a strong rugby league culture, with the state continuing to perform well in interstate rugby league . The later advent of the State of Origin series ensured that players would return to represent their state. Regarded as “Australian sport's greatest rivalry”, the term "Origin fever" is used by the media to describe the passion of the Queenslanders public for
205-411: A representative team, they play three games a year against New South Wales in the competition known as the State of Origin , thus named because players represent their state of birth or the state where they played their first senior game of football. They are currently captained by Daly Cherry-Evans and coached by Billy Slater . The Queensland and New South Wales teams are heavily competitive. During
246-775: A second tier competition with the advent of the ARL Premiership in 1995. The Bulimba Cup was similar to the Foley Shield in that it was contested by city representative sides in a region, this time the South East Region , with the teams being Brisbane, Ipswich and Toowoomba. The QRL administers rugby league in Queensland through the following divisions. Former Top-Flight Competition: Brisbane Rugby League premiership Rugby league in Queensland In Queensland , Rugby league
287-592: A third-tier league from 2001, although most BRL clubs joined the Queensland Cup exclusively in 1998 and their reserve grade teams compete in the current BRL competition along with community clubs. The Queensland Rugby League (QRL) is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Queensland. It is a member of the Australian Rugby League (ARL) and selects the members of Queensland State of Origin teams. The National Rugby League (NRL)
328-536: A year later the first organised club competition took place in Brisbane. By 1887, the switch of private schools to rugby and regular contests between Queensland and New South Wales saw rugby's popularity overtake the Australian code, resulting in its complete demise in the colony by 1892. On 16 May 1908 the first game of rugby league was played in the state when the touring New Zealand team played Queensland at
369-641: Is Australia's top-level competition for the sport of rugby league. The first Queensland teams joined the New South Wales Rugby League Premiership (the forerunner to the NRL) in 1988, which ultimately led to the downfall of the local Brisbane Premiership. These teams to begin play in the NSWRL were the Brisbane Broncos and Gold Coast-Tweed Giants . Following this, the NSWRL expanded again in 1995, changing its name to
410-747: Is also responsible for the Queensland Rugby League team . The QRL's headquarters are on Vulture Street, Woolloongabba in Brisbane . The Queensland Rugby Football League was formed in 1908 by seven rugby players who were dissatisfied with the administration of the Queensland Rugby Union (QRU) as the Queensland Rugby Association. Those founding fathers were Micky Dore , George Watson , Jack Fihelly , J O'Connor. E Buchanan, Alf Faulkner and Sine Boland . Discussion about breaking away from
451-687: Is because in 1996 and 1997 it was contested parallel to the Brisbane Rugby League , which was considered the premier competition in the state. The Queensland Cup grew out of the Winfield State League . Since its formation in 1995, the Queensland Cup has been known as the Queensland Cup, Bundy Gold Cup, Channel 9 Cup. For sponsorship reasons it is currently known as the Intrust Super Cup. Also known as
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#1732773023217492-530: Is home to four professional clubs, the Brisbane Broncos (1987), North Queensland Cowboys (1992), Gold Coast Titans (2007) and The Dolphins (2023) all participating in the National Rugby League (NRL). Lang Park , the spiritual home of the code in Queensland, is home to the two Brisbane based clubs. The Broncos, the oldest and most popular in the state, records the highest annual revenue of all NRL clubs. Along with financial competitiveness,
533-560: Is in 1876, when the Brisbane Football Club , formed in 1866 to play 'Victorian Rules', commenced playing according to the recently codified Rugby (Union) rules, to fit in with two newly formed football clubs (Rangers and Bonnet Rouge), before reverting to Australian Rules (with occasional Rugby matches) in 1879. The Queensland Rugby Union was subsequently constituted as the Northern Rugby Union in 1883, and
574-705: The Australian Rugby League (ARL) to reflect the growth of the competition from a state based league into creating two Queensland expansion teams, the North Queensland Cowboys (Townsville) and South Queensland Crushers (Brisbane). However, the Super League War led to the demise of the South Queensland Crushers and the Gold Coast Chargers (name change of the aforementioned Giants), who were culled by
615-756: The Brisbane Exhibition Ground . The advent of professional rugby league in New South Wales saw many Queensland rugby players leaving for Sydney to play rugby league. In 1908, the Queensland Rugby Union banned its players from going to Sydney to play rugby league, which resulted in disgruntled players forming the Queensland Amateur Rugby Football League (QARFL) (later renamed Queensland Rugby League ). The new organisation
656-460: The Brisbane Rugby League premiership being considered by most senior rugby league historians to have become a second-tier league in this year, as almost all of the top players in the competition left to play for either of the two new Queensland franchises in the NSWRL, including Wally Lewis , Gene Miles , Colin Scott , Joe Kilroy , Bryan Niebling , Greg Conescu , and Greg Dowling who all joined
697-708: The Carlton Cup was contested in North Queensland . This was revamped, and renamed in honour of Arch Foley , a member of the 1918 Townsville representative team that travelled north to Cairns , and south throughout Central Queensland . He was a founding member of the Townsville Souths rugby league club, and with later Australian Prime Minister Arthur Fadden formed the North Queensland Rugby League in 1919. In 1948
738-822: The Winfield State League would run in parallel to the BRL competition from 1982 to 1995. From 1909 to 1987, the Queensland Rugby Football League Premiership and the Brisbane Rugby League were considered to be top tier competitions parallel to the NSWRL premiership . This changed when, in 1988, the newly formed Brisbane Broncos and the Gold Coast-Tweed Giants joined the New South Wales Rugby League premiership . This led to
779-673: The 1980s Queensland had the upper hand (8 out of 10 to Qld); during the 1990s, factoring in Super League which took out most of the Queensland team (through the Brisbane Broncos), the results were reasonably similar (6 out of 10 to NSW); and during the first decade of the 2000s, New South Wales has had the upper hand, but are by no means dominant (4 out of 7 to NSW, with the most recent to Qld). Former Top-Flight Competition: Brisbane Rugby League premiership Foley Shield Prior to 1948 an inter-town competition known as
820-542: The BRL competition. Clubs found themselves in financial hardship, and the public began to support the Sydney competition which by then was being broadcast in Queensland. However, a small resurgence in the popularity of the Brisbane competition occurred after Queensland dominated the Interstate Series under new State of Origin rules. A statewide top tier short-format competition similar to the NSWRL 's Amco Cup -
861-491: The Brisbane Rugby Football League (BRFL, later BRL) was formed out of dissatisfaction with the way the QRL ran the game. Those involved took particular exception to the salary being earned by Harry Sunderland as secretary of the QRL. It remained the premier competition in Queensland for 75 years and the premier level of rugby league in the state until 1988. By the late-1970s, crowds began to desert
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#1732773023217902-890: The Broncos have been voted one of Australia's most popular and most watched football teams, and has one of the highest average attendances of any rugby league club in the world; 33,337 in the 2012 NRL season . Since 2019 Brisbane has also hosted Magic Round , a special NRL round in which all matches are played at Lang Park, the event is highly popular and averages near capacity for attendance at Lang Park. Queensland origin legends include: Wally Lewis , Darren Lockyer , Mal Meninga , Allan Langer , Johnathan Thurston , Arthur Beetson , Shane Webcke , Gordon Tallis , Wendell Sailor , Greg Inglis , Bob Lindner , Trevor Gillmeister , Cameron Smith , Billy Slater , Cooper Cronk , Paul Vautin , Lote Tuquiri , and Petero Civoniceva . The earliest record of rugby football being played in Queensland
943-605: The Commission's role as supreme governing authority for the code, the QRL retains responsibility for both management of the Queensland State of Origin team in Origin series, as well as day-to-day accountability for the operations of the Queensland Cup second-tier league, and junior representative Rugby League, plus divisional leagues, throughout Queensland. The Queensland Cup has been contested since 1996. Since 1998
984-677: The FOGS Cup & FOGS Colts Challenge, they are run by the Queensland Rugby League's South East Division . It is made up of 12 clubs, 7 of which play in the Queensland Cup. Generally, it is regarded as the division below the Queensland Cup . The FOGS Cup and FOGS Colts Challenge used to be known as the Quest Cup and Mixwell Cup, respectively. The Foley Shield competition began in North Queensland in 1948. With
1025-499: The NRL: Brisbane Broncos , Dolphins , Gold Coast Titans , and North Queensland Cowboys . The Gold Coast Chargers played in the 1988-1998 seasons and the South Queensland Crushers competed from 1995 to 1997. Moreton Daily Stadium 11,500 (4 home games) The Queensland Cup has been contested since 1996. Since 1998 the team winning the Queensland Cup is considered to be the premier club team in Queensland. This
1066-480: The QRL's original bid, the Brisbane Broncos. After the Broncos and Giants joined the NSWRL, the Brisbane Rugby League , along with its companion statewide competition the Winfield State League , remained, at least officially, first tier competitions. Both competitions eventually merged with each other into the statewide Queensland Cup in 1996, and after existing as a short post-season tournament to find
1107-419: The competition and the chant "Queenslander!", attributed to Billy Moore in 1995, has become the state's battle cry . The Queensland Rugby League is the governing body and has 63,628 adult and 33,940 child tackle players. Rugby league authorities often count touch football players as participants, though that sport is only loosely affiliated and is separately governed by Touch Football Queensland. Queensland
1148-461: The competition was structured into a Northern Zone ( Cairns , Babinda , Tully and Eacham ) and a Southern Zone ( Mackay , Ayr and Townsville ). The following year, a Central Zone ( Herbert River , Charters Towers and Home Hill ) was added. The grand final was played in Townsville , and was a highlight of the rugby league calendar. The Foley Shield continued to be held annually until
1189-879: The competition, and the Shield was played as a round robin at the Townsville Sports Reserve over the Easter weekend in 2009. In 2010, the competition was moved to the Labour Day Long Weekend, with a preliminary round played in regional centres over the Anzac Day Long Weekend. In 2011, the competition moved to the 20th to 22 May to be played in Townsville, with no preliminary round played. Townsville will split into two zones, Townsville City and Townsville Country. This brings
1230-427: The first premiers. Other teams that entered the competition include: Milton (1909), South Brisbane (1909), West End (1910), Natives (1912), Merthyr (1917) and Coorparoo (1917). In 2012, the QRL formally joined with the NSWRL and each National Rugby League club, to form the Australian Rugby League Commission , which is the overarching governing body for all of Rugby League throughout Australia. Notwithstanding
1271-640: The introduction of the Queensland Cup in 1996 the Foley Shield competition was scrapped, only to be reintroduced in 2000. Since the revamp in 2000 it has only contested by the three largest cities in North Queensland ; Cairns , Mackay and Townsville . Like the Northern Division's "Foley Shield" or the South-East Division's "Bulimba Cup" the "47th Battalion Shield" is run as the Central Region's regional Carnival and none of
Queensland Rugby League - Misplaced Pages Continue
1312-399: The introduction of the Queensland Cup in 1996 the Foley Shield competition was scrapped, only to be reintroduced in 2000. Since the revamp in 2000 it has only contested by the three largest cities in North Queensland ; Cairns , Mackay and Townsville . The Brisbane Rugby League Premiership was a former top-flight rugby league competition. The competition ran fom 1922 until 1997, but became
1353-463: The introduction of the statewide Queensland Cup competition in 1996. In 2000 the competition was reinstated, and was contested by Cairns , Mackay and Townsville . In an attempt to re-invent the competition and renew the tradition and passion in the shield, Mount Isa, with the Mid-West league, (Mount Isa-Mid West) and Innisfail-Eacham returned to the competition and Cape York/Torres Strait joined
1394-587: The league at the end of the 1997 and 1998 seasons respectively. In 2007, after nine years, top level rugby league returned to the Gold Coast with the admission of the Gold Coast Titans to the NRL. As of 2021, there is great speculation that a second Brisbane team to finally replace the Crushers franchise of the 1990s will be added in the next few seasons. There are four Queensland based teams in
1435-491: The professional levels of the game. Named after famous Queensland rugby league personalities Cyril Connell and Mal Meninga , the Cups have proved popular. Both competitions have the same structure of sixteen team split into two geographically aligned groups. Pool A contains teams from outside of Brisbane while Pool B comprises teams from the Brisbane metropolitan area and two Gold Coast Rugby League selections. The Cyril Connell Cup
1476-403: The rugby 'union' and forming a professional 'league' in Queensland can be traced as far back as 1905 through the visions of then Deputy State Premier, Michael Allison . On 14 March 1908, the breakaway group was first mentioned in the local media, and a fortnight later the first official announcement was made regarding the formation of the Queensland Rugby Association was made. On 16 May that year
1517-511: The team winning the Queensland Cup is considered to be the premier club team in Queensland. The Brisbane A-Grade Rugby League , also known as the FOGS Cup, and the FOGS Colts Challenge is run by the Queensland Rugby League's South East Division . It is regarded as the division below the Queensland Cup . The Cyril Connell & Mal Meninga Cups were introduced in 2009 to provide a pathway for young rugby league players to reach
1558-473: The teams are club teams, with the only exception being some of the Women's teams. Its traditionally held over one weekend and normally at one venue with multiple grounds to play on. There are over 250 clubs in Queensland , across over 20 competitions: The game in the state is administered by five regions, these being: The Queensland State of Origin side is by far Queensland's most loved football team. Purely
1599-540: Was attacked by the local press and the QRU for introducing professionalism, which they claimed would destroy the sport. The first official club competition kicked off in Brisbane on May 8, 1909. The league put down strong roots in the bush and in working class communities and these areas are still the heartland of the modern game of rugby league. Between 1914 and 1918 some major rugby union clubs switched to rugby league. By 1920, rugby union ceased to exist in Queensland. In 1922
1640-483: Was discontinued after 2016. The teams are: Like the Northern Division's "Foley Shield" or the South-East Division's "Bulimba Cup" the "47th Battalion Shield" is run as the Central Region's regional Carnival and none of the teams are club teams, with the only exception being some of the Women's teams. Its traditionally held over one weekend and normally at one venue with multiple grounds to play on. The Foley Shield competition began in North Queensland in 1948. With
1681-435: Was introduced in 1908 and is the most watched winter sport in the state and the second most participated football code after soccer . Within its first decade it surpassed rugby union there to become the most popular football code as players switched to play professionally in the Queensland Rugby League (QRL). In the 1920s, Queenslanders began leaving to play professionally in the New South Wales Rugby League which became