Queensland Premier Rugby
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 Competition logo |
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| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1887 |
| No. of teams | 10 |
| Country(ies) |  Australia |
| Most recent champion(s) | University |
Queensland Premier Rugby is a club rugby union competition in Queensland, Australia. Ten clubs compete in the competition, eight of which are from Brisbane, with a club each from the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast also competing. The competition has been contested in its present form since 1929.[1] Previous to 1920 the Hospitals Challenge Cup was established as a fund-raising exercise for the Brisbane General Hospital. After the devastation of World War I the competition was suspended until the Hospitals Cup was established. The current champions are University of Queensland who defeated Sunnybank in the 2012 grand final.
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History[edit]
Queensland Premier Rugby (QPR) evolved out of the Brisbane club competition that had been running since 1887. It was created by players, administrators, referees and coaches to expand and improve the top level of Queensland non-professional rugby. QPR provides Queensland rugby players a stepping stone for selection into the Queensland Reds and other teams in Super Rugby or other professional rugby competitions.
The Brisbane Club competition recommenced in 1929.
1975 championship final was played between the Brothers club and GPS. Brothers won the match, and became the first ever champions of the competition. Teachers-Norths, Wests and again Brothers won the next seasons. In 1979, the first ever draw in a final occurred with a 24-all draw between rivals University and Brothers, a reply of the final was held, which saw University defeat Brothers by a mere 3 points. Brothers dominated the next few seasons, winning the 1980 to 1984 premierships. Souths won their first title in 1986, and University won a number of titles at the end of the decade.
Souths came to major prominence during the 1990s, winning the competition five times in a row from 1991 through to 1995, and then again in 1998 and 2000. They also featured in the 1996 season final which GPS won, and the 1997 final which Easts won. Canberra also competed in the competition, and found major success, winning three titles in a row from 2001 to 2003. The Gold Coast Breakers also began to become a force in the competition, featuring in five finals from 2001 to 2007, although they were on the receiving end of the competitions largest ever grand final score being thrashed 85-19 by the Sunnybank Dragons in the 2007 Grand Final.
In future, teams from other Rugby regions in Queensland may also join the competition, thus encouraging the pursuit of Rugby excellence across the state, not just confining it Queensland's south-east corner.
Teams[edit]
| Club | Nicknames | Home Ground | Premierships | Foundation Date | Admitted to Premier Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Brothers |
Jack Ross Oval, Albion | 27 | 1905 | 1905 | |
 University of Queensland |
Red Heavies | Field 5A, St. Lucia | 29 | 1911 | 1912 |
 GPS Old Boys |
Jeeps | Ashgrove Sports Ground, Ashgrove | 5 | 1931 | 1931 |
 Southern Districts |
Magpies | R.A. "Chipsy" Wood Oval, Annerley | 9 | 1948 | 1948 |
 Eastern Districts |
Tigers | David Wilson Field, Coorparoo | 3 | 1947 | 1950 |
 West Brisbane |
Bulldogs | Sedgman Oval, Toowong | 3 | 1951 | 1955 |
 Sunnybank |
Dragons | Oldmac Oval, MacGregor | 3 | 1969 | 1989 |
 North Brisbane |
Eagles | Hugh Courtney Oval, Wooloowin | 0 | 1991 | 1991 |
 Gold Coast |
Breakers | Bond University Oval, Varsity Lakes | 1 | 1996 | 1997 |
 Sunshine Coast |
Stingrays | Sunshine Coast Stadium, Bokarina | 0 | 2005 | 2005 |
Grand Final Results, Hospital Cup Winners[edit]
| Year | Winner | Score | Loser |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Brothers | 23-6 | GPS |
| 1976 | Teachers-Norths | 16-4 | GPS |
| 1977 | Wests | 15-10 | Brothers |
| 1978 | Brothers | 19-15 | University |
| 1979 | University | 16-13 | Brothers |
| 1980 | Brothers | 19-0 | Souths |
| 1981 | Brothers | 36-13 | Teachers-Norths |
| 1982 | Brothers | 25-16 | University |
| 1983 | Brothers | 30-15 | University |
| 1984 | Brothers | 18-3 | Easts |
| 1985 | Wests | 10-7 | University |
| 1986 | Souths | 31-13 | Brothers |
| 1987 | Brothers | 20-19 | Souths |
| 1988 | University | 18-10 | Souths |
| 1989 | University | 34-9 | Souths |
| 1990 | University | 19-10 | Brothers |
| 1991 | Souths | 22-15 | Wests |
| 1992 | Souths | 44-10 | University |
| 1993 | Souths | 27-8 | Sunnybank |
| 1994 | Souths | 19-8 | Sunnybank |
| 1995 | Souths | 27-11 | Easts |
| 1996 | GPS | 12-6 | Souths |
| 1997 | Easts | 18-16 | Souths |
| 1998 | Souths | 34-18 | Wests |
| 1999 | Easts | 16-15 | Wests |
| 2000 | Souths | 34-30 | Wests |
| 2001 | Canberra | 32-10 | Gold Coast |
| 2002 | Canberra | 45-3 | Easts |
| 2003 | Canberra | 29-16 | Gold Coast |
| 2004 | Gold Coast | 24-18 | University |
| 2005 | Sunnybank | 41-17 | Gold Coast |
| 2006 | Wests | 23-22 | Brothers |
| 2007 | Sunnybank | 85-19 | Gold Coast |
| 2008 | Easts | 22-21 | Brothers |
| 2009 | Brothers | 26-19 | Souths |
| 2010 | University | 19-11 | Sunshine Coast |
| 2011 | Sunnybank | 35-24 | Brothers |
| 2012 | University | 46-20 | Sunnybank |
Total Premierships (since 1975)
| Team | Premiers (Hospitals Challenge Cup) | Runners-up (Vince Nicholls Memorial Shield) |
|---|---|---|
| Brothers | 9 | 7 |
| Souths Magpies | 8 | 7 |
| University of Queensland | 6 | 6 |
| Easts Tigers | 3 | 3 |
| Wests Bulldogs | 3 | 4 |
| Sunnybank Dragons | 3 | 3 |
| Gold Coast Breakers | 1 | 4 |
| GPS Old Boys | 1 | 2 |
| Sunshine Coast Stingrays | 0 | 1 |
| Norths Eagles | 0 | 0 |
| Canberra Vikings | 3 | 0 |
| Teachers-Norths | 1 | 1 |
Former Premier Grade teams (since 1929)[edit]
- B.G.S. Old Boys, Y.M.C.A., Valleys, Wynnum, Past Commercials/Technical College Old Boys
- West End, South Brisbane, Combined High School Old Boys, Starlights(Ipswich)
- Valley Playground Old Boys, Eagle Junction, New Farm, Bretts-Windsor
- Mayne, Windsor, R.A.A.F.
- Maristonians, Police, Northern Districts
- United Services, Amberley, Army
- Teachers, Gold Coast Eagles, Q.I.T./Colleges, Ipswich Rangers
- Redcliffe, Teachers-Norths, Kenmore
- Canberra Vikings
See also[edit]
- Brisbane Club Rugby
- Queensland Reds
- Queensland Rugby Union
- National Rugby Competition
- Doughty Shield
References[edit]
External links[edit]
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