The 1978 New Zealand rugby league season was the 71st season of

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 11 ...

that had been played in New Zealand.

International competitions

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

toured Australia and Papua New Guinea. The Kiwis lost 0–3 to Australia but defeated

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

in the first Test match between the two countries. Ron Ackland coached the Kiwis who were selected by Ackland, Bill Sorensen and Harry Walker and included;

Fred Ah Kuoi Fred "Freddie" Ah Kuoi (born 7 June 1956) is a Samoa-born New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand. Early years Ah Kuoi was born in Apia, Western Samoa, in 1956 and emigrated to New Zealand in 1962 wit ...

, Ray Baxendale,

Ian Bell Ian Ronald Bell (born 11 April 1982) is an English former cricketer who played international cricket in all formats for the England cricket team and county cricket for Warwickshire County Cricket Club. A right-handed higher/middle order batsm ...

, Tony Coll, Murray Eade, Olsen Filipaina, Mark Graham, Whetu Henry, Chris Jordan,

Dane O'Hara Dane Bradford Mark O'Hara is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand. At the time of his retirement he held the record for most international matches for New Zealand. Early years O'Hara attended St. Paul's Colle ...

Lyndsay Proctor Lyndsay Proctor is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand in the 1975 and 1977 World Cups. Playing career Proctor played for the Ellerslie Eagles in the Auckland Rugby League competition and also ...

Gary Prohm Gary Prohm (born 3 October 1956) is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer and coach who represented New Zealand, including in matches that counted towards the 1988 World Cup. Playing career Prohm played in the Auckland Rugby League com ...

Alan Rushton Alan Rushton is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand in the 1977 World Cup. Playing career Originally a second-row, Rushton moved to prop and then to hooker as his career evolved. Rushton was a Canterbury an ...

, John Smith, captain

Ken Stirling Kenneth Lorrie Stirling is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer, coach and administrator who represented New Zealand in the 1975 World Championship. Playing career Stirling played for the Ellerslie club in the Auckland Rugby League a ...

, Glenn Taylor, Shane Varley, Dennis Williams, Nick Wright, Steve McGregor and Warren Winter.

Barry Edkins Barry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name * Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 1950 ...

was injured on debut. The

New South Wales Rugby League The New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory and is a member of the Australian Rugby League Commission. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was ...

St. George Dragons The St. George Dragons is an Australian rugby league football club from St George District in Sydney, New South Wales that played in the top level New South Wales competition and Australian Rugby League competitions from the 1921 until th ...

defeated

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...

27–18 in September. A week later the Auckland Rugby League's

Otahuhu Leopards The Otahuhu Leopards are a rugby league club based in Otahuhu, Auckland. Founded in 1911, the club has produced 49 New Zealand national rugby league team players. The club competes in the Fox Memorial competition run by Auckland Rugby Leagu ...

defeated the

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales. They compete in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australasia's premier rugby leag ...

8–2. Olsen Filipaina won the

New Zealand Rugby League The New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) is the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in New Zealand. SPARC, 2009: 13 The NZRL was founded on 25 April 1910 in preparation for a tour of Great Britain that same year.Coffey and Wood '' ...

's player of the year award.

National competitions

Rugby League Cup

Taranaki Taranaki is a region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano of Mount Taranaki, also known as Mount Egmont. The main centre is the city of New Plymouth. The New Plymouth D ...

again held the

Rugby League Cup The Rugby League Cup is a New Zealand rugby league trophy that is contested between districts on a challenge basis. The trophy used to be known as the Northern Union Challenge Cup. It is the oldest rugby league competition in New Zealand. Histo ...

at the end of the season.

Inter-zone competition

Northern Zone defeated Southern Zone 11–5.Coffey, John. ''Canterbury XIII'', Christchurch, 1987.

Inter-district competition

retained the Rothmans trophy when they defeated

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...

20–13 at

Carlaw Park Carlaw Park was a multi-purpose stadium in Parnell, a central suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It neighboured the Auckland Domain's Northern end. It was primarily used for rugby league and had a peak spectator capacity of around 28,000 in the 1 ...

.Sky Rugby League Annual '98 ''New Zealand Rugby League'', 1998 Canterbury had defeated the West Coast 39–8 in Greymouth. Olsen Filipaina,

, Dennis Williams, Gray Prohm and Nick Wright played for Auckland, who were coached by Don Hammond.Coffey, John and Bernie Wood ''Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909–2009'', 2009. . Mocky Brereton played for Canterbury.

South Island Second Division

Canterbury B won the South Island second division title, defeating the West Coast B, Marlborough-Tasman Bays and Otago-

Southland Southland may refer to: Places Canada * Dunbar–Southlands, Vancouver, British Columbia New Zealand * Southland Region, a region of New Zealand * Southland County, a former New Zealand county * Southland District, part of the wider Southland Re ...

Australasian competition

lost in the quarter-finals

Amco Cup The Amco Cup (subsequently known by various other sponsors' names including the Tooth Cup, KB Cup, National Panasonic Cup and Panasonic Cup) was a mid-week rugby league competition held in Australia between 1974 and 1989. The format was usua ...

6–22 to the

Cronulla Sharks The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales. They compete in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australasia's premier rugby league ...

. They had defeated

Riverina The Riverina is an agricultural region of south-western New South Wales, Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation ...

to qualify for the quarter finals.

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by metr ...

lost 5–63 to

Illawarra The Illawarra is a coastal region in the Australian state of New South Wales, nestled between the mountains and the sea. It is situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the South Coast region. It encompasses the two cities of Wollongo ...

Wollongong Wollongong ( ), colloquially referred to as The Gong, is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near wa ...

in Round one.

Club competitions

Auckland

Otahuhu won the Auckland Rugby League's Fox Memorial Trophy, Rukutai Shield, Stormont Shield and Kiwi Shield.Lion Red Rugby League Annual 1990 ''New Zealand Rugby League'', 1990. p. 72 They defeated the

Mangere East Hawks The Mangere East Hawks are a rugby league based in Mangere, New Zealand. The Hawks compete in Auckland Rugby League's Fox Memorial competition. History The club was formed in 1963, the first fourteen junior teams took the field in 1964.''The Ha ...

18–4 in the Fox Memorial final. Glenora won the Roope Rooster, Te Atatu won the Sharman Cup and Pt Chevalier won the Norton Cup. Gene Swann (Marist) won the Lipscombe Cup, Olsen Filipaina (Mangere East) won the Rothville Trophy, Owen Wright (Otahuhu)and Warwick Freeman (Glenora) won the Bert Humphries Memorial, Brian Campbell (Richmond) won the Tetley Trophy, Phil Dryland (Richmond) won the Painter Rosebowl Trophy and

Graham Lowe Sir Graham Michael Lowe is the owner of the Bradford Bulls together with fellow New Zealander Andrew Chalmers. He is a New Zealand former rugby league football coach and administrator. He previously coached in Australia and England and was the ...

(Otahuhu) won the Hyland Memorial Cup. Steve McGregor played for the North Shore and

played for Ellerslie. Otahuhu were coached by

and included John Wright, Owen Wright, captain Mark Graham, Nick Wright and Glenn Taylor. Eastern United, a combined senior team from the Howick and

Pakuranga Pakuranga is an eastern suburb of Auckland, in northern New Zealand. Pakuranga covers a series of low ridges and previously swampy flats, now drained, that lie between the Pakuranga Creek and Tamaki River, two estuarial arms of the Hauraki Gu ...

, were coached by Murray Eade.

Wellington

Petone won 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 Appleton Shield.

Kevin Tamati Kevin Ronald Tamati (born 21 September 1953) is a New Zealand former rugby league representative player and coach. He played at representative level for New Zealand, New Zealand Māori, Auckland, Central Districts and Wellington, and professio ...

played for Upper Hutt.

Canterbury

Papanui won the

Canterbury Rugby League Canterbury Rugby League is the regional body that administers rugby league in Canterbury, New Zealand. CRL manages local competitions from senior level down to age group competitions. Canterbury Rugby League also manages the Canterbury rugby lea ...

's Pat Smith Challenge Trophy. The "United" club joined in 1978. It drew many members from the

Paparua Prison There are eighteen adult prisons in New Zealand. Three prisons house female offenders, one each in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. The remaining fifteen house male offenders; ten in the North Island and five in the South Island. In addit ...

Other Competitions

The Waitara Bears won the

Taranaki Rugby League Taranaki Rugby League is the local sporting body responsible for the administration of Rugby league in the Taranaki region of New Zealand. The TRL are represented by the Taranaki rugby league team. They are in the Mid-Central zone along with the ...

championship. Marist were the runners upTaranaki Grand Final Countdown
''rleague.com'', 11 July 2003

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1978 New Zealand Rugby League Season New Zealand rugby league seasons Rugby league season