Western Australia Rugby League
Encyclopedia
The Western Australia Rugby League (WARL) is responsible for administering the game of rugby league in Western Australia
. Western Australia is an Affiliated State of the overall Australian governing body the Australian Rugby League
.
The League has a team in the S.G. Ball Cup
known as the WA Reds.
During the 62 years the Western Australian Rugby League has been established rugby league in the state has experienced many highs and several low points.
matches in the late 1980s and early 1990s led to a push for a Perth-based entry into the Australian Rugby League
competition. In 1992 the Western Reds club was accepted into the national competition and would play its first season in 1995
. The Reds would play in 1996 and in the Australian Super League
in 1997
under the Perth Reds moniker.
Debt and issues surrounding the Super League war
and formation of the National Rugby League
led to the club being wound-up at the end of the 1997 season.
board accepted a proposal to establish a Western Australia Rugby League representative side to play in the NSWRL Jim Beam Cup
for seasons 2008 & 2009, known as the WA Reds and played home matches at Members Equity Stadium
. In season 2010 the decision was made to enter the WA Reds team into the SG Ball Cup Under 18 competition. The season was a tough one with the 'Reds' finishing next to bottom of the ladder winning only their opening game of the season. The 2011 season saw the young Reds side improve their credentials finishing 13/18 with 3 wins from 9 matches for the season.
The entry of this side is viewed as a longer term strategy for a Western Australian-based National Rugby League
(NRL) franchise to be established in 2013 - 2014.
each year. Western Australia is considered to have the strongest state team of the four non Rugby League states in mainland Australia and have won 9 of the 13 Affiliated States Championships held to date.
Rugby league in Western Australia
Rugby league in Western Australia describes the sport of rugby league, which is currently a minority sport, as it is played at amateur level and watched by people in Western Australia. The state was once represented at the highest level, by the Western Reds/Perth Reds until it was decided they...
. Western Australia is an Affiliated State of the overall Australian governing body the Australian Rugby League
Australian Rugby League
The Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
.
The League has a team in the S.G. Ball Cup
S.G. Ball Cup
The S G Ball Cup is a junior rugby league football competition played in New South Wales, played between teams made up of players aged under 18. The competition is administered by the New South Wales Rugby League. The competition includes both junior representative teams of NRL and NSW Cup clubs...
known as the WA Reds.
Governance
The WARL is the state governing body and headed by a board of five directors the Western Australian Rugby League has an Operations Manager and nine staff working full time to ensure the strong development and survival of rugby league in the future of Western Australia.History
The WARL was formed in 1948 with Fremantle, Perth, South Perth & Cottesloe as foundation clubs.During the 62 years the Western Australian Rugby League has been established rugby league in the state has experienced many highs and several low points.
Western/Perth Reds
The successful staging of New South Wales Rugby League premiershipNew South Wales Rugby League premiership
The New South Wales Rugby League premiership was the first rugby league football club competition established in Australia. Run by the New South Wales Rugby League from 1908 until 1994, the premiership was the state's and later the country's elite rugby league competition...
matches in the late 1980s and early 1990s led to a push for a Perth-based entry into the Australian Rugby League
Australian Rugby League
The Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
competition. In 1992 the Western Reds club was accepted into the national competition and would play its first season in 1995
Australian Rugby League season 1995
The 1995 ARL premiership was the 88th season of professional rugby league football in Australia, and the first to be run by the Australian Rugby League. For the first time since 1988, the League expanded again, with the addition of four new clubs from North Queensland, Western Australia, South...
. The Reds would play in 1996 and in the Australian Super League
Super League (Australia)
Super League was an Australian rugby league football administrative body that conducted professional competition in Australasia for one season in 1997. Along with Super League of Europe, it was created by News Corporation during the Super League war which arose following an unsuccessful attempt to...
in 1997
Super League (Australia) season 1997
The 1997 Super League season was the 90th season of professional rugby league football in Australia and the first and only to be run by the News Limited-controlled Super League organisation...
under the Perth Reds moniker.
Debt and issues surrounding the Super League war
Super League war
The Super League war is the common name given to the corporate dispute that was fought in and out of court during the mid-1990s between the Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation-backed Super League and the Kerry Packer and Optus Vision-backed Australian Rugby League organisations over broadcasting...
and formation of the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
led to the club being wound-up at the end of the 1997 season.
Jim Beam Cup entry
On 12 December 2006 the Australian Rugby LeagueAustralian Rugby League
The Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
board accepted a proposal to establish a Western Australia Rugby League representative side to play in the NSWRL Jim Beam Cup
NSWRL Jim Beam Cup
The Bundaberg Red Cup is a semi-professional development level rugby league competition in New South Wales , Australia, run jointly by the New South Wales Rugby League and the Country Rugby League of New South Wales . The competition is run concurrently with the National Rugby League...
for seasons 2008 & 2009, known as the WA Reds and played home matches at Members Equity Stadium
Members Equity Stadium
Perth Oval, known by its sponsored name nib Stadium since July 2010, is a sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia. It has been the home of A-League club Perth Glory since 1996 and has housed the administrative facilities of the Western Australia Rugby League since 2003...
. In season 2010 the decision was made to enter the WA Reds team into the SG Ball Cup Under 18 competition. The season was a tough one with the 'Reds' finishing next to bottom of the ladder winning only their opening game of the season. The 2011 season saw the young Reds side improve their credentials finishing 13/18 with 3 wins from 9 matches for the season.
The entry of this side is viewed as a longer term strategy for a Western Australian-based National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
(NRL) franchise to be established in 2013 - 2014.
State Representative Team
The WARL also forms a state team to compete in the Affiliated States ChampionshipAffiliated States Championship
The Affiliated States Championship is an annual rugby league competition run by the Australian Rugby League involving the four affiliated states plus the Australian Police and Australian Defence Force.Following the Championship, an Australian representative side is selected from the teams to tour...
each year. Western Australia is considered to have the strongest state team of the four non Rugby League states in mainland Australia and have won 9 of the 13 Affiliated States Championships held to date.
| Year | Champions |
|---|---|
| 1994 | Western Australia |
| 1995 | Newcastle |
| 1996 | Western Australia |
| 1997 | Australian Capital Territory |
| 2003 | Western Australia |
| 2004 | Northern Territory |
| 2005 | Western Australia |
| 2006 | Western Australia |
| 2007 | Western Australia |
| 2008 | Western Australia |
| 2009 | Victoria |
| 2010 | Western Australia |
| 2011 | Western Australia |
State Rugby League - Harvey Norman Premiership
| Club | District | Ground |
|---|---|---|
| Fremantle Roosters | Fremantle | Ken Allen Field |
| Goldfields Titans | Kalgoorlie-Boulder | Goldfields Oasis |
| Joondalup Giants | Joondalup | Admiral Reserve |
| Kalamunda Bulldogs | Belmont | Pioneer Park |
| North Beach Sea Eagles | North Beach | Charles Riley Reserve |
| Rockingham Coastal Sharks | Rockingham | Lark Hill Sports Complex |
| South Perth Lions | South Perth | George Burnett Park |
| Willagee Bears | Willagee | Webber Reserve |
Premier Grade
In addition to the above first grade teams, the following teams appear in Premier Grade.- South-West Warriors - Bunbury - Bunbury Runners Club
First Grade Premiers
| Year | Club | Titles |
|---|---|---|
| 1948 | South Perth | 1 |
| 1949 | South Perth | 2 |
| 1950 | Fremantle | 1 |
| 1951 | Perth | 1 |
| 1952 | South Perth | 3 |
| 1953 | South Perth | 4 |
| 1954 | South Perth | 5 |
| 1955 | Cottesloe | 1 |
| 1956 | Victoria Park | 1 |
| 1957 | South Perth | 6 |
| 1958 | South Perth | 7 |
| 1959 | Victoria Park | 2 |
| 1960 | Victoria Park | 3 |
| 1961 | Fremantle | 2 |
| 1962 | Victoria Park | 4 |
| 1963 | Fremantle | 3 |
| 1964 | Applecross | 1 |
| 1965 | Applecross | 2 |
| 1966 | Applecross | 3 |
| 1967 | Applecross | 4 |
| 1968 | Victoria Park | 5 |
| 1969 | Applecross | 5 |
| 1970 | Applecross | 6 |
| 1971 | North Beach | 1 |
| 1972 | Applecross | 7 |
| 1973 | South Perth | 8 |
| 1974 | North Beach | 2 |
| 1975 | South Perth | 9 |
| 1976 | Fremantle | 4 |
| 1977 | Fremantle | 5 |
| 1978 | Canning | 1 |
| 1979 | Mosman-Cottesloe | 2 |
| 1980 | North Beach | 3 |
| 1981 | Mosman-Cottesloe/Fremantle | 3/6 |
| 1982 | South Perth | 10 |
| 1983 | South Perth | 11 |
| 1984 | North Beach | 4 |
| 1985 | North Beach | 5 |
| 1986 | Applecross | 8 |
| 1987 | Belmont | 1 |
| 1988 | Belmont | 2 |
| 1989 | Belmont | 3 |
| 1990 | Canning | 2 |
| 1991 | Canning | 3 |
| 1992 | Applecross | 9 |
| 1993 | Rockingham | 1 |
| 1994 | Canning | 4 |
| 1995 | Belmont | 4 |
| 1996 | South Perth | 12 |
| 1997 | Fremantle | 7 |
| 1998 | North Beach | 6 |
| 1999 | Canning | 5 |
| 2000 | Joondalup | 1 |
| 2001 | North Beach | 7 |
| 2002 | South Perth | 13 |
| 2003 | North Beach | 8 |
| 2004 | South Perth | 14 |
| 2005 | South Perth | 15 |
| 2006 | North Beach | 9 |
| 2007 | North Beach | 10 |
| 2008 | South Perth | 16 |
| 2009 | South Perth | 17 |
| 2010 | South Perth | 18 |
| 2011 | South Perth | 19 |
Goldfields Rugby League
| Club | Town | Ground |
|---|---|---|
| Goldfields Titans Goldfields Titans The Goldfields Titans are a semi professional rugby league club based in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Western Australia, Australia. They compete in the Western Australia Rugby League's Harvey Norman Cup first grade competition from 2010 and home games are played at the Goldfields Oasis Playing Fields.The... |
Kalgoorlie-Boulder | Goldfields Oasis |
| Goldfields Juniors | Kalgoorlie-Boulder | Goldfields Oasis |
Pilbara Rugby League
| Club | Town | Ground |
|---|---|---|
| Karratha Broncos | Karratha | |
| Karratha Roosters | Karratha | |
| Port Hedland Juniors | Port Hedland | Marimarland Oval |
| South Hedland Cougars | South Hedland | Marimarland Oval |
| Wickham Wasps | Wickham | |