Queensland Premier Rugby
Encyclopedia
Queensland Premier Rugby is a club rugby union
competition in Queensland
, Australia
. Ten clubs compete in the competition, eight of which are from Brisbane
, with a club each from the Gold Coast
and Sunshine Coast
also competing. The competition has been contested in its present form since 1929. Previous to 1920 the Hospital Football Challenge was established as a fund-raising exercise for the Brisbane hospitals. After the devastation of World War I the competition was suspended until the Hospitals Cup was established. The current champions are Sunnybank Rugby who defeated Brothers Old Boys
in the 2011 grand final.
non-professional rugby. QPR provides Queensland rugby players a stepping stone for selection into the Queensland Reds
and other teams in the Super 14
or other professional rugby competitions.
The Brisbane Club competition recommenced in 1929.
1975 championship final was played between the Brothers club and GPS. Brothers won the match, and became the first ever champions of the competition. Teachers-Norths, Wests and again Brothers won the next seasons. In 1979, the first ever draw in a final occurred with a 24-all draw between rivals University and Brothers, a reply of the final was held, which saw University defeat Brothers by a mere 3 points. Brothers dominated the next few seasons, winning the 1980 to 1984 premierships. Souths won their first title in 1986, and University won a number of titles at the end of the decade.
Souths came to major prominence during the 1990s, winning the competition five times in a row from 1991 through to 1995, and then again in 1998 and 2000. They also featured in the 1996 season final which GPS won, and the 1997 final which Easts won. Canberra also competed in the competition, and found major success, winning three titles in a row from 2001 to 2003. The Gold Coast Breakers also began to become a force in the competition, featuring in five finals from 2001 to 2007, although they were on the receiving end of the competitions largest ever grand final score being thrashed 85-19 by the Sunnybank Dragons in the 2007 Grand Final.
In future, teams from other Rugby regions in Queensland may also join the competition, thus encouraging the pursuit of Rugby excellence across the state, not just confining it Queensland's south-east corner.
Total Premierships (since 1975)
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
competition in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Ten clubs compete in the competition, eight of which are from Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, with a club each from the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
and Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast, Queensland
The Sunshine Coast is an urban area in South East Queensland, north of the state capital of Brisbane on the Pacific Ocean coastline. Although it does not have a central business district, by population it ranks as the 10th largest metropolis in Australia and the third largest in...
also competing. The competition has been contested in its present form since 1929. Previous to 1920 the Hospital Football Challenge was established as a fund-raising exercise for the Brisbane hospitals. After the devastation of World War I the competition was suspended until the Hospitals Cup was established. The current champions are Sunnybank Rugby who defeated Brothers Old Boys
Brothers Old Boys
The Brothers Old Boys are an Australian rugby union club, based in Brisbane,Queensland. The team currently competes in the Queensland Premier Rugby competition against nine of the states best Rugby Union clubs. The club was established in 1905 and has won 27 premierships since...
in the 2011 grand final.
History
Queensland Premier Rugby (QPR) evolved out of the Brisbane club competition that had been running since 1887. It was created by players, administrators, referees and coaches to expand and improve the top level of QueenslandQueensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
non-professional rugby. QPR provides Queensland rugby players a stepping stone for selection into the Queensland Reds
Queensland Reds
The Queensland Reds represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996 they were a representative team selected on merit from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland...
and other teams in the Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
or other professional rugby competitions.
The Brisbane Club competition recommenced in 1929.
1975 championship final was played between the Brothers club and GPS. Brothers won the match, and became the first ever champions of the competition. Teachers-Norths, Wests and again Brothers won the next seasons. In 1979, the first ever draw in a final occurred with a 24-all draw between rivals University and Brothers, a reply of the final was held, which saw University defeat Brothers by a mere 3 points. Brothers dominated the next few seasons, winning the 1980 to 1984 premierships. Souths won their first title in 1986, and University won a number of titles at the end of the decade.
Souths came to major prominence during the 1990s, winning the competition five times in a row from 1991 through to 1995, and then again in 1998 and 2000. They also featured in the 1996 season final which GPS won, and the 1997 final which Easts won. Canberra also competed in the competition, and found major success, winning three titles in a row from 2001 to 2003. The Gold Coast Breakers also began to become a force in the competition, featuring in five finals from 2001 to 2007, although they were on the receiving end of the competitions largest ever grand final score being thrashed 85-19 by the Sunnybank Dragons in the 2007 Grand Final.
In future, teams from other Rugby regions in Queensland may also join the competition, thus encouraging the pursuit of Rugby excellence across the state, not just confining it Queensland's south-east corner.
Grand Final Results, Hospital Cup Winners
| Year | Winner | Score | Loser |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Brothers | 23-6 | GPS |
| 1976 | Teachers-Norths | 16-4 | GPS |
| 1977 | Wests | 15-10 | Brothers |
| 1978 | Brothers | 19-15 | University |
| 1979 | University | 16-13 | Brothers |
| 1980 | Brothers | 19-0 | Souths |
| 1981 | Brothers | 36-13 | Teachers-Norths |
| 1982 | Brothers | 25-16 | University |
| 1983 | Brothers | 30-15 | University |
| 1984 | Brothers | 18-3 | Easts |
| 1985 | Wests | 10-7 | University |
| 1986 | Souths | 31-13 | Brothers |
| 1987 | Brothers | 20-19 | Souths |
| 1988 | University | 18-10 | Souths |
| 1989 | University | 34-9 | Souths |
| 1990 | University | 19-10 | Brothers |
| 1991 | Souths | 22-15 | Wests |
| 1992 | Souths | 44-10 | University |
| 1993 | Souths | 27-8 | Sunnybank |
| 1994 | Souths | 19-8 | Sunnybank |
| 1995 | Souths | 27-11 | Easts |
| 1996 | GPS | 12-6 | Souths |
| 1997 | Easts | 18-16 | Souths |
| 1998 | Souths | 34-18 | Wests |
| 1999 | Easts | 16-15 | Wests |
| 2000 | Souths | 34-30 | Wests |
| 2001 | Canberra | 32-10 | Gold Coast |
| 2002 | Canberra | 45-3 | Easts |
| 2003 | Canberra | 29-16 | Gold Coast |
| 2004 | Gold Coast | 24-18 | University |
| 2005 | Sunnybank | 41-17 | Gold Coast |
| 2006 | Wests | 23-22 | Brothers |
| 2007 | Sunnybank | 85-19 | Gold Coast |
| 2008 | Easts | 22-21 | Brothers |
| 2009 | Brothers | 26-19 | Souths |
| 2010 | University | 19-11 | Sunshine Coast |
| 2011 | Sunnybank | 35-24 | Brothers |
Total Premierships (since 1975)
| Team | Wins | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| Brothers | 9 | 7 |
| Souths | 8 | 7 |
| University | 5 | 6 |
| Easts | 3 | 3 |
| Wests | 3 | 4 |
| Canberra | 3 | 0 |
| Sunnybank | 3 | 2 |
| Gold Coast | 1 | 4 |
| GPS | 1 | 2 |
| Teachers Norths | 1 | 1 |
| Sunshine Coast | 0 | 1 |
Former teams
- Canberra VikingsCanberra VikingsThe Canberra Vikings were an Australian rugby union football club that played in the now-defunct Australian Rugby Championship. The Vikings were formed as the only club from the Australian Capital Territory that participated in the inaugural season of the championship, which started in August 2007...
- Redcliffe
- Teachers-Norths (Teachers ceased as a club but Norths continued and later merged into the current Norths/QUT)
See also
- Brisbane Club Rugby
- Queensland RedsQueensland RedsThe Queensland Reds represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996 they were a representative team selected on merit from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland...
- Queensland Rugby UnionQueensland Rugby UnionThe Queensland Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in Queensland. It is a member and founding union of the Australian Rugby Union.-See also:*Queensland Reds*Australian Rugby Union*The Wallabies*Rugby union in Queensland...
- National Rugby CompetitionNational Rugby CompetitionThe Australian Rugby Championship, often abbreviated to the ARC , was a domestic Rugby union football club competition in Australia which ran for only one season in August–October 2007...
- Doughty ShieldDoughty ShieldThe Doughty Shield is a rugby union competition in Brisbane, Australia.From 1929 to 1941 inclusive, the Doughty Shield was awarded to the A Grade Premiers....