Winfield Cup

File:Winfield Cup.jpg

The Winfield Cup trophy

The Winfield Cup was an Australian rugby league trophy awarded to the winner of the New South Wales Rugby League premiership (NSWRL) Grand Final from 1982 to 1994, and then to the winner of the newly-founded Australian Rugby League (ARL) Grand Final in 1995.

Despite its name, the trophy was retired after the 1995 ARL season when cigarette manufacturer Winfield was forced to withdraw their sponsorship, following the Australian Federal Government's introduction of the Tobacco Advertising Prohibition Act 1992 which outlawed tobacco advertising in sports in Australia. Winfield were not the first tobacco company to sponsor the NSWRL Premiership, however; from 1960 to 1981 the pre-season competition was sponsored by W. D. & H. O. Wills.

A redesigned ARL premiership trophy, the Optus Cup, was introduced in 1996 and lasted until 1997 before the ARL and Super League merged to form the National Rugby League (NRL) in 1998.

The Gladiators

The Winfield Cup trophy was a three-dimensional bronze cast of a famous photo called The Gladiators, which depicted a mud-soaked Norm Provan of St. George and Arthur Summons of Western Suburbs embracing after the 1963 Grand Final. This image became symbolic of the camaraderie and 'mateship' in rugby league and the present-day National Rugby League Premiership Trophy (which evolved from the Winfield Cup) uses a similar design. The sculpture itself was designed by New Zealand-born sculptor Alan Ingham (b. 1920 – 1994).

Winners

Year	Winners	Runners-up	Final score	Minor Premiers
1982	Template:Leagueicon Parramatta Eels	Template:Leagueicon Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	21–8	Template:Leagueicon Parramatta Eels
1983	Template:Leagueicon Parramatta Eels	Template:Leagueicon Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	18–6	Template:Leagueicon Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
1984	Template:Leagueicon Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs	Template:Leagueicon Parramatta Eels	6–4	Template:Leagueicon Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
1985	Template:Leagueicon Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs	Template:Leagueicon St. George Dragons	7–6	Template:Leagueicon St. George Dragons
1986	Template:Leagueicon Parramatta Eels	Template:Leagueicon Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs	4–2	Template:Leagueicon Parramatta Eels
1987	Template:Leagueicon Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	Template:Leagueicon Canberra Raiders	18–8	Template:Leagueicon Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
1988	Template:Leagueicon Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs	Template:Leagueicon Balmain Tigers	24–12	Template:Leagueicon Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
1989	Template:Leagueicon Canberra Raiders	Template:Leagueicon Balmain Tigers	19–14	Template:Leagueicon South Sydney Rabbitohs
1990	Template:Leagueicon Canberra Raiders	File:Penrith colours.svg Penrith Panthers	18–14	Template:Leagueicon Canberra Raiders
1991	File:Penrith colours.svg Penrith Panthers	Template:Leagueicon Canberra Raiders	19–12	File:Penrith colours.svg Penrith Panthers
1992	Template:Leagueicon Brisbane Broncos	Template:Leagueicon St. George Dragons	28–8	Template:Leagueicon Brisbane Broncos
1993	Template:Leagueicon Brisbane Broncos	Template:Leagueicon St. George Dragons	14–6	Template:Leagueicon Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
1994	Template:Leagueicon Canberra Raiders	Template:Leagueicon Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs	36–12	Template:Leagueicon Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
1995	Template:Leagueicon Sydney Bulldogs	Template:Leagueicon Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	17–4	Template:Leagueicon Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles

See also

• Rugby league in New South Wales

External links

• 'Rugby League Was Better When It Was The Winfield Cup' A Facebook group dedicated to the years of the Winfield Cup

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