The 1917 New Zealand rugby league season was the tenth season of rugby league that had been played in New Zealand.

International competitions

New Zealand played in no international matches in 1917.

National competitions

Northern Union Cup

Auckland again held the Northern Union Cup at the end of the season.

Club competitions

Auckland

Auckland Rugby League The Auckland Rugby League (ARL) is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It is responsible for rugby league in the region, including both club and school rugby league. It began in 1910 when the fi ...

's competition and the Roope Rooster.Lion Red Rugby League Annual 1990 ''New Zealand Rugby League'', 1990. p. 72 The

Auckland Rugby Union The Auckland Rugby Union is a New Zealand provincial rugby union. The union was established in 1883 and was originally responsible for the administration of the sport in most of the former Auckland Province, although its boundaries have since ...

champions, Railway (themselves a War time combination of the Marist and City clubs), split with a breakaway group led by Conrad McDevitt challenging Ponsonby United to a game of rugby league. Railway XIII, who included most of the club's leading players, defeated Ponsonby United 12–3 at the

Auckland Domain The Auckland Domain, also known as Pukekawa / Auckland Domain, is a large park in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the oldest park in the city, and at is one of the largest. Located in the central suburb of Grafton, the park land is the remains o ...

. They then lost to the

City Rovers The City Newton Dragons are a defunct New Zealand rugby league club that was based at Victoria Park, Auckland. The club was created in 1948 by a merger of two original clubs, the City Rovers and Newton Rangers. Both the Rovers and the Rangers par ...

6–18. Railway XIII included Ces Dacre, who later represented New Zealand at cricket. In 1918 the club merged with Grafton Athletic. McDevitt was later involved in the formation of the Marist club in 1919.Coffey, John and Bernie Wood ''Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909–2009'', 2009. .

Canterbury

Sydenham won the Canterbury Rugby League's competition, for which they were awarded the Thacker Shield. Federal, Hornby, Linwood and Sydenham were the only senior teams. During the year former Canterbury captain and New Zealand international Bill Bussell was killed in action.Coffey, John. ''Canterbury XIII'', Christchurch, 1987

Other Competitions

The

Wellington Rugby League Wellington Rugby League is the local sporting body responsible for the administration of Rugby league in the Greater Wellington region. It is responsible for the local competition of the same name, as well as its representative team, the Wellingto ...

's competition was suspended from 1916 until 1918.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1917 New Zealand Rugby League Season New Zealand rugby league seasons *