ARL Premiership

The ARL Premiership was Australia's first grade rugby league competition between 1995 and 1997. It replaced the previous competition, the New South Wales Rugby League premiership, after the competition expanded to 20 teams with the admittance of four additional clubs to the competition; the North Queensland Cowboys (Townsville, Queensland), South Queensland Crushers (Brisbane, Queensland), Western Reds (Perth, Western Australia), and Auckland Warriors (Auckland, New Zealand).

Australian Rugby League Premiership
SportRugby league
Instituted1995
Inaugural season1995
Ceased1997
Replaced byNational Rugby League
Number of teams20 (1995-1996)
12 (1997)
Country Australia
 New Zealand (Australian Rugby League)
Broadcast partnerNine Network
C7 Sport
Related competitionNew South Wales Rugby League premiership

History

During the Super League war of the mid-1990s the Australian Rugby League (ARL) took over control of Australia's first grade competition from the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) who had run the Premiership since its inception in 1908. As the premiership expanded to Queensland, Australian Capital Territory, Western Australia, and New Zealand, the NSWRL relinquished its control to the ARL.

Although they only won one ARL Premiership in 1996, the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles dominated the competition in its three years under the ARL name, winning each minor premiership (1995-1997), and appearing in all three Grand Finals.

The Super League War reached its peak in 1997 with News Corporation following through on plans to run its rival Super League in direct competition with the Premiership. As a result, the ARL Premiership lost eight clubs to the newly formed league: Auckland Warriors, Brisbane Broncos, Canberra Raiders, Canterbury Bulldogs, Cronulla Sharks, North Queensland Cowboys, Penrith Panthers, and Perth Reds.

At the end of 1997, after an agreement was reached between the ARL and Super League owners News Corporation, the two competitions were absorbed into the newly created National Rugby League,[1] resulting in the immediate shut down of financially troubled clubs the Hunter Mariners (Super League), Perth Reds (Super League), and South Queensland Crushers (ARL).

Teams
Club City Home venue(s) Est. Joined Exited
Auckland Warriors New Zealand Auckland Ericsson Stadium 1995 1995 19964
Brisbane Broncos Queensland Brisbane ANZ Stadium 1988 1995 19964
Canberra Raiders Australian Capital Territory Canberra Bruce Stadium 1981 1995 19964
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks New South Wales Sydney (Sutherland Shire) Endeavour Park 1967 1995 19964
Gold Coast Chargers1 New South Wales Tweed Heads

Queensland Gold Coast

 Seagulls Stadium (1995)

Carrara Stadium (1996-1997)

 1987 1995 1997
Illawarra Steelers New South Wales Wollongong Woolongong Stadium 1980 1995 1997
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles New South Wales Sydney (Northern Beaches) Brookvale Oval 1947 1995 1997
Newcastle Knights New South Wales Newcastle Marathon Stadium 1988 1995 1997
North Queensland Cowboys Queensland Townsville Stockland Stadium 1995 1995 19964
North Sydney Bears New South Wales Sydney North Sydney Oval 1908 1995 1997
Parramatta Eels New South Wales Sydney (Parramatta) Parramatta Stadium 1947 1995 1997
Penrith Panthers New South Wales Sydney (Penrith) Penrith Stadium 1967 1995 19964
South Queensland Crushers Queensland Brisbane Suncorp Stadium 1995 1995 1997
South Sydney Rabbitohs New South Wales Sydney Sydney Football Stadium 1908 1995 1997
St. George Dragons New South Wales Sydney (St. George) Kogarah Oval 1998 1995 1997
Sydney Bulldogs2 New South Wales Sydney (Canterbury-Bankstown) Parramatta Stadium 1934 1995 19964
Sydney City Roosters New South Wales Sydney Sydney Football Stadium 1908 1995 1997
Sydney Tigers3 New South Wales Sydney (Balmain) Parramatta Stadium 1908 1995 1997
Western Reds Western Australia Perth WACA Ground 1992 1995 19964
Western Suburbs Magpies New South Wales Sydney Campbelltown Stadium 1908 1995 1997

1 Played as the Gold Coast Seagulls in 1995 before being rebranded ahead of the 1996 season.

2 Rebranded from Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in 1995 as a result of the Super League war.

3 Rebranded from Balmain Tigers in 1995 during the Super League war but reverted back for the 1997 season.

4 Exited to join the rival Super League for the 1997 season.

Premiers
For NSWRL top flight results before 1995, considered by the NRL as its own history, see NSWRL Premiership.
For the all-time list of top-flight Premiers since 1908, see Australian rugby league premiers.
Season Grand Finals Minor Premiers
Premiers Score Runners-up
1995 Canterbury-Bankstown 17–4 Manly-Warringah Manly-Warringah
1996 Manly-Warringah 20–8 St. George Manly-Warringah
1997 Newcastle 22–16 Manly-Warringah Manly-Warringah

References
  1. "SCGT - SFS". 2007-08-16. Archived from the original on 16 August 2007. Retrieved 2022-04-17.
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