South Pacific Championship

The South Pacific Championship (also known as SPC) was a rugby union competition that was introduced in 1986 and contested through to 1990. The competition featured six teams - three provinces from New Zealand; Auckland, Canterbury and Wellington, two Australian teams; Queensland and New South Wales, and one team representing Pacific Island rugby, Fiji.

South Pacific Championship
SportRugby union football
Inaugural season1986
Ceased1990
Replaced bySuper 6 (1992)
Super 10 (1993)
Number of teams6
CountryAustralia (2 teams)
Fiji (1 team)
New Zealand (3 teams)
HoldersAuckland (1990)
Most titlesAuckland (4 titles)
Broadcast partner
Related competition

The South Pacific Championship was the predecessor of the Super 6 and Super 10, as well as the professional-era Super 12 and Super 14 tournaments that subsequently expanded to become the Super Rugby competition.

Background

The AGC South Pacific Championship was organised by the New South Wales Rugby Union (NSWRU) on an invitational basis. The impetus for starting the competition was to provide regular matches for the New South Wales and Queensland teams in an attempt to compete against rugby league football - which was expanding its domestic competition in Australia.[1]

The New Zealand provincial teams Auckland and Canterbury were invited into the competition due to their close links with the New South Wales and Queensland unions respectively. A third New Zealand team, Wellington, was invited due to having an international airport in the city. Fiji was also invited into the competition as, at the time, it was the most competitive of the Pacific rugby teams.

History

The South Pacific Championship was dominated by New Zealand teams and, most particularly, by Auckland. Canterbury won the first title in 1986 and shared the second title with Auckland in 1987, but then Auckland won outright for the next three seasons in a row.[1]

The competition collapsed five years after it began, when the NSWRU found itself in financial difficulties before the 1991 season was started.[1]

SPC

Championship Winner:

  • 1986 Canterbury
  • 1987 Auckland and Canterbury
  • 1988 Auckland
  • 1989 Auckland
  • 1990 Auckland
  • 1991 No competition

Relaunch

After the demise of the South Pacific Championship, with no tournament played in 1991, the competition was relaunched as the Super 6 in 1992. This followed a resurgence of rugby fortunes after the 1991 Rugby World Cup. The Super 6 title was won by Queensland (Australia) in 1992.[1]

In 1993, the competition was revamped and expanded into the Super 10. South Africa's top three provincial teams were included and a fourth New Zealand province was added. Western Samoa, being the winner of the Pacific Tri-Nations, replaced Fiji. The Super 10 was won by Transvaal (South Africa) in 1993, and by Queensland (Australia) in 1994 and 1995.[1][2]

Super 6

Championship Winner:

  • 1992 Queensland
Super 10
Further information: Super 10 Rugby

Championship Winner:

  • 1993 Transvaal
  • 1994 Queensland
  • 1995 Queensland

1986 season
Standings
1986 South Pacific Championship
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD BP Pts
1New Zealand Canterbury 54019356+37117
2Australia Queensland 53027377-2113
3New Zealand Auckland 530210074+24012
4Australia New South Wales 5302112103+9012
5New Zealand Wellington 520311092+1819
6 Fiji 500554140-8611
Source: rugbyarchive.net
The top team (in green) after the round-robin is the championship winner.

1987 season
Standings
1987 South Pacific Championship
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD BP Pts
1New Zealand Auckland 540117579+96117
1New Zealand Canterbury 540112192+29117
3Australia Queensland 530212996+33113
4Australia New South Wales 530211295+17113
5 Fiji 510469181−11226
6New Zealand Wellington 500587150−6311
Source: rugbyarchive.net
The top team (in green) after the round-robin is the championship winner.

1988 season
Standings
1988 South Pacific Championship
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD BP Pts
1New Zealand Auckland 550018951+138020
2New Zealand Wellington 530288139–51012
3Australia New South Wales 5203118123−519
4New Zealand Canterbury 520388107−1919
5 Fiji 520394101−708
6Australia Queensland 510484140−5615
Source: rugbyarchive.net
The top team (in green) after the round-robin is the championship winner.

1989 season
Standings
1989 South Pacific Championship
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD BP Pts
1New Zealand Auckland 540119158+133117
2Australia New South Wales 54019992+7016
3Australia Queensland 530211978+41012
4New Zealand Wellington 520394138−4419
5 Fiji 520370171−10108
6New Zealand Canterbury 500592128−3633
Source: rugbyarchive.net
The top team (in green) after the round-robin is the championship winner.

1990 season
Standings
1990 South Pacific Championship
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD BP Pts
1New Zealand Auckland 550018854+134020
2Australia Queensland 540113568+67016
3Australia New South Wales 530283124−41012
4New Zealand Wellington 510494173−7915
5New Zealand Canterbury 510486131−4515
6 Fiji 510466102−3615
Source: rugbyarchive.net
The top team (in green) after the round-robin is the championship winner.

1992 Super 6

The South Pacific Championship was relaunched as the Super 6 in 1992. Queensland won the title,[1] in an undefeated Super 6 season for the Australian province.

The competition was the predecessor of the Super 10 that launched the following year in 1993 to include South African provinces. The Super 10 was, in turn, the predecessor of the Super 12, Super 14 and Super Rugby tournaments in the professional era of rugby union which started in 1996.

Standings
1992 Super 6
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD BP Pts
1Australia Queensland 550012058+62020
2New Zealand Auckland 540111549+66016
3Australia New South Wales 530215099+51113
4New Zealand Wellington 510499132−3304
5New Zealand Canterbury 510472119−4704
6 Fiji 510463162−9904
Source: rugbyarchive.net
The top team (in green) after the round-robin is the championship winner.
Matches
Canterbury New Zealand10–22New Zealand Auckland
Christchurch
29 March 1992
Queensland Australia23–6New Zealand Wellington
Ballymore
4 April 1992
Fiji 0–29New Zealand Auckland
Suva
5 April 1992
Canterbury New Zealand31–20New Zealand Wellington
Christchurch
11 April 1992
Fiji 9–21Australia Queensland
Suva
2 May 1992
Fiji 38–17New Zealand Canterbury
Suva
3 May 1992
Queensland Australia27–15New Zealand Auckland
Ballymore
3 May 1992
Wellington New Zealand18–35Australia New South Wales
Wellington
5 May 1992
Canterbury New Zealand14–35Australia New South Wales
Christchurch
10 May 1992
Auckland New Zealand38–10Australia New South Wales
Auckland
10 May 1992
Canterbury New Zealand10–26Australia Queensland
Christchurch
17 May 1992
Auckland New Zealand33–12New Zealand Wellington
Wellington
17 May 1992
New South Wales Australia52–6 Fiji
Concord Oval
24 May 1992
Queensland Australia23–18Australia New South Wales
Ballymore
24 May 1992
Wellington New Zealand43–10 Fiji
Wellington

See also

References
  1. "Tri Nations: The History". Rugby365. 26 July 2001. Archived from the original on 9 April 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  2. "History of the Super Competition". SARFU Archives. SARFU Media Unit. 9 February 2000. Archived from the original on 27 October 2012.

Bibliography
  • McIlraith, Matt (2005). Ten Years of Super 12. Hodder Moa. ISBN 1-86971-025-8.
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