Tarsha Gale Cup

The Tarsha Gale Cup is an elite under-18s Women's rugby league competition in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, Australia.

Harvey Norman Tarsha Gale Cup
Current season or competition:
2023 New South Wales Rugby League
SportRugby league
Instituted2017
Inaugural season2017
Number of teams12
Country Australia
Premiers Sydney Roosters Indigenous Academy (2022)
Most titles Penrith Panthers
Cronulla Sharks
Illawarra Steelers
St George Dragons
Sydney Roosters Indigenous Academy
(1 title each)
WebsiteTarsha Gale Cup
Related competitionNRL Women's Premiership
NSWRL Women's Premiership

In 2017, the New South Wales Rugby League announced the creation of a nine-a-side under-18s women's league, named the Tarsha Gale Nines after the former Australian Jillaroos and New South Wales captain of the 1990s.[1][2][3]

However, since 2020, the tournament has been played as a full 13-a-side game, and is the main bridge between juniors and the NSWRL Women's Premiership in the state of New South Wales.

History

Clubs

The Tarsha Gale Cup operates on a single table system, with no divisions, conferences nor promotion and relegation from other leagues. In 2018, the St. George Dragons and the Newcastle Knights entered teams into the competition for the first time.

Current clubs
Club Established City Stadium
Canberra Raiders 1981 Canberra, ACT Raiders Club, Belconnen
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 1934 Belmore, NSW Belmore Sports Ground
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 1967 Woolooware, NSW PointsBet Stadium
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 1946 Brookvale, NSW 4 Pines Park
Illawarra Steelers 1981 Wollongong, NSW Collegians Sporting Complex, Figtree
Sid Parrish Park, Figtree
Newcastle Knights 1987 Newcastle, NSW Maitland Sports Ground
Cessnock Sports Ground
Kurri Kurri Sports Ground
North Sydney Bears 1908 North Sydney, NSW North Sydney Oval
Parramatta Eels 1947 Cabramatta, NSW New Era Stadium
Penrith Panthers 1967 Penrith, NSW BlueBet Stadium,
Windsor Sporting Complex
South Sydney Rabbitohs 1908 Redfern, NSW Ironmark High Performance Centre
St George Dragons 1921 Kogarah, NSW Netstrata Jubilee Stadium
Mascot Oval
Sydney Roosters
Indigenous Academy		 1908 Marrickville Henson Park
Mascot Oval
Morry Breen Oval, Kanwal
Wests Tigers 1999* Concord, NSW Leichhardt Oval
Kirkham Oval, Camden
Wests Tigers Centre of Excellence

Venues
Main article: List of Australian rugby league stadiums

Season structure

Pre-season

Prior to the commencement of the home-and-away season teams are paired off to play an exhibition trial match. In 2017 these matches took place during varying weeks of January.

Grand final
Main article: Grand final

The two highest-place teams at the conclusion of the home-and-away season will qualify for the grand final. The winner of this match is determined the competition's premier.

Results by year
Year Age Premiers Score Runners-up Minor Premiers Wooden Spoon Notes
2017 U18s Penrith Panthers 26 – 18 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Wests Tigers Panthers[4]
2018 U18s Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 36 – 22 Newcastle Knights Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs NSWRL[5]
2019 U18s Illawarra Steelers 24 – 12 Newcastle Knights Illawarra Steelers Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs NSWRL[6]
2020 U18s Season began in February but was cancelled in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. No premiership was awarded.
2021 U19s St George Dragons 30 – 4 Sydney Roosters Indigenous Academy Newcastle Knights Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs NSWRL[7]
2022 U19s Sydney Roosters Indigenous Academy 12 – 10 Newcastle Knights Sydney Roosters Indigenous Academy South Sydney Rabbitohs NSWRL[8]

Premiership tally
No. Club Seasons
1 Indigenous Academy 1 (2022)
1 St George Dragons 1 (2021)
1 Illawarra Steelers 1 (2019)
1 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 1 (2018)
1 Penrith Panthers 1 (2017)

Bold means the team still currently plays in the competition.

Awards

The following major individual awards and accolades are presented each season

Media coverage

Television

TBA

Online

Selected games each week via NSWRL TV.

Corporate relations

Sponsorship

The Harvey Norman is the league's current and inaugural naming rights partner.

Merchandising

Official match day attire together with other club merchandise is sold through the NRL's stores and website as well through the clubs and through some retailers.

See also

References
  1. "New comp a 'gamechanger' for women". 24 August 2016.
  2. Media, NRL Digital (24 August 2016). "NSWRL Announces Tarsha Gale Nines".
  3. "NSWRL targets elite women's competition".
  4. Shamon, John (6 May 2017). "TG Cup Panthers make history". Penrith Panthers. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  5. Buxton, Matt (5 May 2018). "Sharks Hold off Knights to win Harvey Norman Tarsha Gale Cup". NSWRL. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  6. Honeysett, Stuart (4 May 2019). "Illawarra win the Tarsha Gale Cup". NSWRL. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  7. "Dragons too strong for Roosters in Tarsha Cup GF". NSWRL. 1 May 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  8. Honeysett, Stuart (30 April 2022). "Pule brilliance helps Roosters to Tarsha Gale Cup Grand Final glory". NSWRL. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
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