The Lion Red Cup was a New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 domestic rugby league

Rugby league

Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...

 competition that ran from 1994-1996 sponsored by brewers Lion Nathan

Lion Nathan

Lion Nathan National Foods is the parent company created in October 2009, into which Lion Nathan and National Foods were merged. It is fully owned by Kirin Holdings Company, Limited...

. It was created due to the increase in public awareness of domestic rugby league due to the Auckland Warriors

New Zealand Warriors

The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...

 being accepted into the Winfield Cup

Winfield Cup

The Winfield Cup was an Australian rugby league trophy awarded to the winner of the New South Wales Rugby League premiership's Grand Final from 1982 to 1994, and to the winner of the Australian Rugby League Grand Final in 1995...

. The competition was a huge success in its inaugural year, although it made a massive loss financially. Throughout its three year history it continued to make a loss, eventually being scrapped by the New Zealand Rugby League

New Zealand Rugby League

The New Zealand Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in New Zealand. The NZRL was founded on the 25 April 1910 in preparation for a tour of Great Britain that same year....

.

Teams

The teams that participated were:

Team	Seasons	Played	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Premierships	Runner Up	Minor Premierships	Wooden Spoon
Auckland City Vulcans Auckland City Vulcans For the current NSW Cup team see Auckland VulcansThe Auckland City Vulcans were a New Zealand rugby league club that represented Auckland City in the 1994 Lion Red Cup...	1994	23	14	1	8	539	393	119	0	0	0	0
Auckland Warriors Colts New Zealand Warriors The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...	1995	24	19	0	5	711	398	323	0	1	1	0
Bay of Plenty Stags	1994-6	67	15	4	48	1024	2028
0	0	0	2
Canterbury Country Cardinals Canterbury Country Cardinals The Canterbury Country Cardinals were a New Zealand rugby league club that represented Canterbury in the Lion Red Cup from 1994 to 1996. They were administered by the Canterbury Rugby League....	1994-6	69	32	5	32	1504	1475	197	0	0	0	0
Christchurch City Shiners Christchurch City Shiners The Christchurch City Shiners were a New Zealand rugby league club that represented Christchurch in the Lion Red Cup from 1994 to 1996. They were administered by the Canterbury Rugby League.Feeder clubs included Addington, Sydenham and Linwood.-Players:...	1994-6	66	21	1	44	1173	1692	-519	0	0	0	1
Counties Manukau Heroes	1994-6	76	53	3	20	2115	1332	801	1	1	1	0
Hawkes Bay Unicorns Hawkes Bay Unicorns The Hawke's Bay rugby league team are a New Zealand rugby league team that represents the Hawke's Bay Rugby League in New Zealand Rugby League competitions. They are nicknamed the Unicorns...	1994-6	66	24	2	40	1217	1545	-328	0	0	0	0
Hutt Valley Firehawks Hutt Valley Firehawks The Hutt Valley Firehawks were a New Zealand rugby league club that represented Hutt Valley in the Lion Red Cup from 1994 to 1996. In 1995 there nickname was shortened to just "Hawks" and 1996 they were known as the Hutt Valley Dolphins.... /Dolphins Hutt Valley Firehawks The Hutt Valley Firehawks were a New Zealand rugby league club that represented Hutt Valley in the Lion Red Cup from 1994 to 1996. In 1995 there nickname was shortened to just "Hawks" and 1996 they were known as the Hutt Valley Dolphins....	1994-6	67	33	2	32	1460	1429	52	0	0	0	0
Manawatu Mustangs	1996	22	5	0	17	404	732	-328	0	0	0	0
North Harbour Sea Eagles North Harbour Sea Eagles The North Harbour Sea Eagles were a New Zealand rugby league club that represented North Harbour in the Lion Red Cup from 1994 to 1996. For the first two seasons they were coached by Graeme Norton....	1994-6	75	50	1	24	1940	1235	1027	2	0	0	0
Taranaki Rockets	1994-6	66	23	2	41	1336	1744	-453	0	0	0	0
Waikato Cougars Waikato Cougars The Waikato rugby league team is a New Zealand rugby league team that represents the Waikato Rugby League in New Zealand Rugby League competitions. They competed in the Lion Red Cup from 1994 to 1996, the Super League Challenge Cup in 1997 and the Bartercard Premiership in 2008 and 2009...	1994-6	73	45	3	25	1696	1412	363	0	0	0	0
Waitakere City Raiders Waitakere City Raiders The Waitakere City Raiders were a New Zealand rugby league club that represented Waitakere City in the Lion Red Cup from 1994 to 1996.-Notable players:...	1994-6	68	39	2	27	1705	1257	404	0	1	1	0
Wellington City Dukes Wellington City Dukes The Wellington City Dukes were a New Zealand rugby league club that represented Wellington City in the Lion Red Cup from 1994 to 1996. In 1997 one of the two Wellington Rugby League sides that competed in the Super League Challenge Cup was also called the Dukes.-Season Results:...	1994-6	66	27	2	37	1446	1554	-108	0	0	0	0

Seasons

Year	Champions	Score	Score	Defeated	Minor Premiers	Wooden Spoon
1994	North Harbour Sea Eagles North Harbour Sea Eagles The North Harbour Sea Eagles were a New Zealand rugby league club that represented North Harbour in the Lion Red Cup from 1994 to 1996. For the first two seasons they were coached by Graeme Norton....	24	16	Counties Manukau Heroes	Counties Manukau Heroes	Bay of Plenty Stags Bay of Plenty Stags The Bay of Plenty rugby league team are a New Zealand rugby league team who represents the Bay of Plenty Rugby League in New Zealand Rugby League competitions...
1995	North Harbour Sea Eagles North Harbour Sea Eagles The North Harbour Sea Eagles were a New Zealand rugby league club that represented North Harbour in the Lion Red Cup from 1994 to 1996. For the first two seasons they were coached by Graeme Norton....	28	21	Auckland Warriors Colts	Auckland Warriors Colts	Bay of Plenty Stags Bay of Plenty Stags The Bay of Plenty rugby league team are a New Zealand rugby league team who represents the Bay of Plenty Rugby League in New Zealand Rugby League competitions...
1996	Counties Manukau Heroes	34	22	Waitakere City Raiders Waitakere City Raiders The Waitakere City Raiders were a New Zealand rugby league club that represented Waitakere City in the Lion Red Cup from 1994 to 1996.-Notable players:...	Waitakere City Raiders Waitakere City Raiders The Waitakere City Raiders were a New Zealand rugby league club that represented Waitakere City in the Lion Red Cup from 1994 to 1996.-Notable players:...	Christchurch City Shiners Christchurch City Shiners The Christchurch City Shiners were a New Zealand rugby league club that represented Christchurch in the Lion Red Cup from 1994 to 1996. They were administered by the Canterbury Rugby League.Feeder clubs included Addington, Sydenham and Linwood.-Players:...

Leading Scorers

Top Point Scorers 500: Paul Howell (Wellington City/Hutt Valley) 405: Blair Nickson (Taranaki) 395: Earl Va’a (Wellington City/Hutt Valley) 304: Ben Lythe Ben Lythe Ben Lythe is a former professional rugby league player. His position of preference was at Halfback. He was also a noted goalkicker.-Early years:...  (Waitakere City)

Top Try Scorers 36: Paul Howell (Wellington City/Hutt Valley) 34: Don Stewart Don Stewart (rugby league) Donald Stewart is a New Zealand former rugby league player who represented Western Samoa.-Playing career:A Northcote Tigers junior, Stewart began his career at Centre before moving into the forward pack...  (North Harbour) 30: Marlon Gardner (Bay of Plenty) 39: David Bailey David Bailey (rugby league) David Bailey is a former rugby league player. His position of preference was in the Centres although he also played at Five Eighth. He is the son of New Zealand international Roger Bailey.-Early years:...  (Waitakere City)

Most Appearances 73: Esau Mann Esau Mann Esau Mann is a Tongan former rugby league player who represented his country at the 2000 World Cup. He is a cousin of fellow internationals Duane and George Mann.-Playing career:...  (Counties Manukau) 72: Matthew Sturm Matthew Sturm Matthew Sturm is a former professional rugby league footballer who played in New Zealand and in the English Super League. In 2010 and 2011 he was part of the Mount Albert Lions.-Early years:Sturm was a Glenora Bears junior... (Counties Manukau) 68: Darryn Avery (Canterbury Country) 66: Paul Howell (Wellington City/Hutt Valley)

External links

• Zealand Competitions The Vault