West Coast rugby league team
Encyclopedia
The West Coast rugby league team are New Zealand
rugby league
team that represents the West Coast Rugby League. They have been nicknamed the Chargers.
. That night the West Coast Rugby League was formed. Canterbury then played Blackball the next day, winning 23-10 before defeating Hokitika 33-8 on 5 June.
The team for the West Coast was; H.Lawrence, L.Smith, L.Hunter, A.Hobson, W.Kirk, Hay, R.Watts, J.Rear, S.Bligh, A.Kells, D.McCann, T.Todd, J.Stenhouse.
They next played in 1919 when they lost to Canterbury 5-3.
The West Coast recored their first win in 1923 when they defeated Wellington 12-6. They first defeated Canterbury in 1931, winning 37-19, before following it up the following year with a 53-26 win.
Since then rugby league has traditionally been the most successful team sport in the West Coast
. However since the 1990s the West Coast has usually participated in Second Division or South Island competitions and in particular the West Coast missed out on having a team in either the Lion Red Cup
or Bartercard Cup
, the two main New Zealand Rugby League
competitions of the 1990s and 2000s.
Despite this, the West Coast has had some success in recent years. In the 1995 season
the West Coast won the South Island division of the National Provincial competition and advanced to the final, losing to Wellington. The NPC was that year an invitational competition due to the Lion Red Cup
.
However, in 1997
the West Coast Chargers advanced to the semi finals of a full national competition, losing to Canterbury 24-40 in an away semi final.
In 2000
the West Coast competed in the Mainland Super 10, a competition involving three South Island districts and seven Canterbury Rugby League
clubs. The West Coast Chargers performed below expectations and finished eighth. The West Coast declined to take part in the 2001 edition of the competition after it was moved to the first half of the season.
In 2004 the West Coast played the touring Russian national team
.
The West Coast is currently represented by the South Island team
in the National Zonal Competition
.
, George Menzies
, Whetu Taewa
and Kiwis coach Cecil Mountford
.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
team that represents the West Coast Rugby League. They have been nicknamed the Chargers.
History
The West Coast side played its first match against Canterbury, losing 30-16 on 3 June 1915 at Victoria Park, GreymouthGreymouth
Greymouth is the largest town in the West Coast region in the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council. The population of the whole Grey District is , which accounts for % of the West Coast's inhabitants...
. That night the West Coast Rugby League was formed. Canterbury then played Blackball the next day, winning 23-10 before defeating Hokitika 33-8 on 5 June.
The team for the West Coast was; H.Lawrence, L.Smith, L.Hunter, A.Hobson, W.Kirk, Hay, R.Watts, J.Rear, S.Bligh, A.Kells, D.McCann, T.Todd, J.Stenhouse.
They next played in 1919 when they lost to Canterbury 5-3.
The West Coast recored their first win in 1923 when they defeated Wellington 12-6. They first defeated Canterbury in 1931, winning 37-19, before following it up the following year with a 53-26 win.
Since then rugby league has traditionally been the most successful team sport in the West Coast
West Coast, New Zealand
The West Coast is one of the administrative regions of New Zealand, located on the west coast of the South Island, and is one of the more remote and most sparsely populated areas of the country. It is made up of three districts: Buller, Grey and Westland...
. However since the 1990s the West Coast has usually participated in Second Division or South Island competitions and in particular the West Coast missed out on having a team in either the Lion Red Cup
Lion Red Cup
The Lion Red Cup was a New Zealand domestic rugby league competition that ran from 1994-1996 sponsored by brewers Lion Nathan. It was created due to the increase in public awareness of domestic rugby league due to the Auckland Warriors being accepted into the Winfield Cup. The competition was a...
or Bartercard Cup
Bartercard Cup
The Bartercard Cup was the top level rugby league club competition in New Zealand from 2000 until 2007. For the entire life of the tournament it was sponsored by Bartercard. The cup was administered by the New Zealand Rugby League...
, the two main New Zealand Rugby League
New Zealand Rugby League
The New Zealand Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in New Zealand. The NZRL was founded on the 25 April 1910 in preparation for a tour of Great Britain that same year....
competitions of the 1990s and 2000s.
Despite this, the West Coast has had some success in recent years. In the 1995 season
1995 New Zealand rugby league season
The 1995 New Zealand rugby league season was the eighty eighth season of rugby league that had been played in New Zealand. The main feature of the year was the second season of the Lion Red Cup competition that was run by the New Zealand Rugby League...
the West Coast won the South Island division of the National Provincial competition and advanced to the final, losing to Wellington. The NPC was that year an invitational competition due to the Lion Red Cup
Lion Red Cup
The Lion Red Cup was a New Zealand domestic rugby league competition that ran from 1994-1996 sponsored by brewers Lion Nathan. It was created due to the increase in public awareness of domestic rugby league due to the Auckland Warriors being accepted into the Winfield Cup. The competition was a...
.
However, in 1997
1997 New Zealand rugby league season
The New Zealand rugby league season 1997 was the ninetieth season of rugby league that had been played in New Zealand. The main feature of the year was the Super League Challenge Cup that was run by the New Zealand Rugby League...
the West Coast Chargers advanced to the semi finals of a full national competition, losing to Canterbury 24-40 in an away semi final.
In 2000
2000 New Zealand rugby league season
The 2000 New Zealand rugby league season was the ninety third season of rugby league that had been played in New Zealand. The main feature of the year was the inaugural season of the Bartercard Cup competition that was run by the New Zealand Rugby League...
the West Coast competed in the Mainland Super 10, a competition involving three South Island districts and seven Canterbury Rugby League
Canterbury Rugby League
Canterbury Rugby League is the regional body that administers rugby league in Canterbury, New Zealand. CRL manages local competitions from senior level down to age group competitions. Canterbury Rugby League also manages the Canterbury rugby league team which represents the region in New Zealand...
clubs. The West Coast Chargers performed below expectations and finished eighth. The West Coast declined to take part in the 2001 edition of the competition after it was moved to the first half of the season.
In 2004 the West Coast played the touring Russian national team
Russia national rugby league team
-2008 World Cup Qualifying:In 2006 Russia were involved in Europe Round One, defeating Netherlands national rugby league team and Serbia national rugby league team to finish second and keep their World Cup dream alive. They then went through to Europe Round Two in Europe Pool Two with Ireland and...
.
The West Coast is currently represented by the South Island team
South Island rugby league team
The South Island rugby league team represents the Southern Zone in the Albert Baskerville Trophy. The Zone represented the Southland, Otago, West Coast, Canterbury and Tasman districts. They are nicknamed the Scorpions...
in the National Zonal Competition
National Zonal Competition
The National Competition is the top level rugby league competition run by the New Zealand Rugby League. The competition replaced the Bartercard Premiership following a Sparc funded review and restructure of the New Zealand Rugby League. Seven teams compete in the competition each representing a Zone...
.
Notable players
The West Coast has produced many New Zealand Kiwis including Jock ButterfieldJock Butterfield
John Rutherford "Jock" Butterfield was a New Zealand rugby league footballer of the 1950s and 60s who has been named amongst the finest that country produced during the 20th century. A New Zealand international representative forward, he played his club football in various places in New Zealand,...
, George Menzies
George Menzies
George Menzies is a New Zealand former rugby league player and coach who represented his country at three World Cups and coached New Zealand at another World Cup.-Playing career:...
, Whetu Taewa
Whetu Taewa
Whetu Taewa is a former professional rugby league player who represented his country six times between 1989 and 1996.-New Zealand:...
and Kiwis coach Cecil Mountford
Cecil Mountford
Cecil "Ces" Mountford MBE was a New Zealand rugby league footballer and coach.Mountford was one of ten siblings, he and four of his brothers played rugby league for the South Island whilst Bill Mountford and Ken Mountford played for New Zealand...
.