ARL Premiership
Rugby league competition
title: "ARL Premiership" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["defunct-rugby-league-competitions-in-australia", "1995-establishments-in-australia", "1997-disestablishments-in-australia", "rugby-league-in-australia", "sports-leagues-established-in-1995"] description: "Rugby league competition" topic_path: "sports" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARL_Premiership" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Rugby league competition ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox rugby league football competition"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Australian Rugby League Premiership |
| pixels | 150 |
| founded | 1995 |
| inaugural | 1995 |
| folded | 1997 |
| replaced | National Rugby League |
| teams | 20 (1995–1996) |
| 12 (1997) | |
| country |
| | gov_body | Australian Rugby League | | championtag | Premiers | | TV | Nine Network C7 Sport | | related_comps | New South Wales Rugby League premiership | ::
| name =Australian Rugby League Premiership | logo = | pixels = 150 | alt = | founded = 1995 | inaugural =1995 | folded =1997 | replaced =National Rugby League | ceotag = | ceo = | teams =20 (1995–1996) 12 (1997) | country =
| country2 = | gov_body =Australian Rugby League | championtag =Premiers | champion = | season = | most_champs = | count = | website = | TV = Nine Network C7 Sport | qualification = | related_comps = New South Wales Rugby League 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).
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, 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
::data[format=table] | |Club | |City | |Home venue(s) | |Est. | |Joined | |Exited | Auckland Warriors | Brisbane Broncos | Canberra Raiders | Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | Gold Coast Chargers1 | Illawarra Steelers | Manly Warringah Sea Eagles | Newcastle Knights | North Queensland Cowboys | North Sydney Bears | Parramatta Eels | Penrith Panthers | South Queensland Crushers | South Sydney Rabbitohs | St. George Dragons | Sydney Bulldogs2 | Sydney City Roosters | Sydney Tigers3 | Western Reds | Western Suburbs Magpies | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | NZ Auckland | Ericsson Stadium | 1995 | 1995 | 19964 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Queensland Brisbane | ANZ Stadium | 1988 | 1995 | 19964 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ACT Canberra | Bruce Stadium | 1981 | 1995 | 19964 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | NSW Sydney (Sutherland Shire) | Endeavour Park | 1967 | 1995 | 19964 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | New South Wales Tweed Heads | Seagulls Stadium (1995) | 1987 | 1995 | 1997 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | NSW Wollongong | Wollongong Stadium | 1980 | 1995 | 1997 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | NSW Sydney (Northern Beaches) | Brookvale Oval | 1947 | 1995 | 1997 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | NSW Newcastle | Marathon Stadium | 1988 | 1995 | 1997 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Queensland Townsville | Stockland Stadium | 1995 | 1995 | 19964 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | NSW Sydney | North Sydney Oval | 1908 | 1995 | 1997 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | NSW Sydney (Parramatta) | Parramatta Stadium | 1947 | 1995 | 1997 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | NSW Sydney (Penrith) | Penrith Stadium | 1967 | 1995 | 19964 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Queensland Brisbane | Suncorp Stadium | 1995 | 1995 | 1997 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | NSW Sydney | Sydney Football Stadium | 1908 | 1995 | 1997 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | NSW Sydney (St. George) | Kogarah Oval | 1998 | 1995 | 1997 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | NSW Sydney (Canterbury-Bankstown) | Parramatta Stadium | 1934 | 1995 | 19964 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | NSW Sydney | Sydney Football Stadium | 1908 | 1995 | 1997 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | NSW Sydney (Balmain) | Parramatta Stadium | 1908 | 1995 | 1997 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Western Australia Perth | WACA Ground | 1992 | 1995 | 19964 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | NSW 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
::data[format=table]
| Season | Grand Finals | Minor Premiers | Premiers | Score | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | [[File:Canterbury colours.svg | 16px]] Canterbury-Bankstown | 17–4 | [[File:Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg | 16px]] Manly-Warringah |
| 1996 | [[File:Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg | 16px]] Manly-Warringah | 20–8 | [[File:St. George colours.svg | 16px]] St. George |
| 1997 | [[File:Newcastle colours.svg | 16px]] Newcastle | 22–16 | [[File:Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg | 16px]] Manly-Warringah |
| :: |
References
References
- (2007-08-16). "SCGT - SFS".
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