The New Zealand rugby league season 1997 was the 90th 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 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 ...

. The main feature of the year was the Super League Challenge Cup that was run by 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 '' ...

Waikato Waikato () is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsul ...

won the Challenge Cup by defeating

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 ...

34-18 and also ended the season holding 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 ...

International competitions

A New Zealand side selected from Australasian-based New Zealanders lost to a

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

side 26–12 at Ericsson Stadium in May as part of the Super League Tri-series. The team also lost to

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

and failed to make the final. The side was coached by Graeme Norton and he served as a selector alongside

Frank Endacott Frank Morris Endacott , also known by the nickname of "Happy Frank", is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer, and coach. Background His son, Shane, also played rugby league. Playing career Endacott played for Addington an ...

and

Gary Kemble Gary Edward Kemble (born 23 August 1956), also known by the nickname "Crayfish", is a New Zealand rugby league coach and former player. He has both played and coached the New Zealand national rugby league team. He is the current head coach of t ...

. The squad for the two matches was Anthony Swann,

Sean Hoppe Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán (anglicized as ''Shaun/ Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan (Ulster variant; angli ...

, Tea Ropati,

Ruben Wiki Ruben James Wiki (born 21 January 1973) is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. A New Zealand international representative centre-turned-prop forward, he retired with the record for most ...

Richie Barnett Richie Barnett (born 21 April 1971) is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. A New Zealand international representative , he also captained the side during his career, during which he pla ...

, Gene Ngamu,

Stacey Jones Stacey William Jones (born 7 May 1976) is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer, who has been named amongst the greatest New Zealand has ever produced. He played as a , but he has also briefly played at during his disting ...

Quentin Pongia Quentin Lee Pongia (9 July 1970 – 18 May 2019) was a New Zealand rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand in the 1990s and 2000s. Background He was the grandson of fellow Kiwi international Jim Calder. His sister Megan Tahapeehi ...

, Syd Eru,

Joe Vagana Joseph Sonny Vagana (born 21 January 1975), also known by the nickname of "Big Joe", is a former professional rugby league footballer who played as a Prop forward in the 1990s and 2000s. During his career Vagana played for the Auckland Warriors, ...

, Tony Iro, captain Stephen Kearney,

Tawera Nikau Tawera Nuieia Nikau (born 1 January 1967) is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. A New Zealand national rugby league team, New Zealand international representative forward, he played club ...

, John Timu, Brady Malam, Tyran Smith and Marc Ellis. After losing to Australia in the inaugural ANZAC Test in 34-22 Sydney on 25 April, the

New Zealand national rugby league team The New Zealand national rugby league team ( Māori: Tīma rīki motu Aotearoa) has represented New Zealand in rugby league since 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of ...

hosted Australia in September at

North Harbour Stadium North Harbour Stadium is a stadium situated in Albany, in North Shore City, New Zealand. It was opened in 1997, after nearly a decade of discussion, planning and construction. Rugby union, association football, rugby league, and baseball are ...

. They were able to defeat them 30–12, the first time they had beaten Australia since 1991.

coached the Kiwis. The squad for the ANZAC Test was

, John Timu,

Daryl Halligan Daryl John Halligan (born 25 July 1966) is a rugby league commentator and former professional player. A New Zealand international winger, he was the pre-eminent goal-kicker of his era, retiring as the highest point scorer in Australian premiers ...

, Gene Ngamu,

, Grant Young, Syd Eru,

, Tony Iro, captain Stephen Kearney,

. Bench: Tea Ropati, Tyran Smith,

Robbie Paul Robert Rawiri Hunter-Paul (born 3 February 1976) is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer. He has since become a business owner and television pundit, runninXtra Mile Marketing an inbound and digital marketing company. Robbie retired fr ...

and

. For the second Test match Matthew Ridge returned as captain and

Richard Blackmore Sir Richard Blackmore (22 January 1654 – 9 October 1729), English poet and physician, is remembered primarily as the object of satire and as an epic poet, but he was also a respected medical doctor and theologian. Earlier years He was born ...

Kevin Iro Kevin Leslie Iro (born 24 May 1968), also known by the nickname of '"The Beast", is a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, and coached in the 2000s. He played at representative level for New Zeala ...

John Lomax John Avery Lomax (September 23, 1867 – January 26, 1948) was an American teacher, a pioneering musicologist, and a folklorist who did much for the preservation of American folk music. He was the father of Alan Lomax, John Lomax Jr. and Bess Lo ...

and Logan Swann all played. 17,456 fans turned out to North Harbour Stadium for the match. In the

Oceania Cup The Oceania Cup is an international men's field hockey competition organised by Oceania Hockey Federation (OHF). It is held every two years to determine which teams will receive an automatic berth to the Men's FIH Hockey World Cup and Summer Olymp ...

, the New Zealand XIII and the New Zealand Māori met in the final 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 ...

, with New Zealand XIII winning 20 – 15. New Zealand Māori were coached by Cameron Bell and included Dean Clark, Tukere Barlow, Frank Watene, Darryl Beazley and

Solomon Kiri Solomon Kiri (born 26 October 1972) is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s for the Adelaide Rams and the Western Reds. New Zealand Kiri played for the Counties Manukau Heroes in the 1994 ...

. New Zealand XIII were coached by

and included Glenn Coughlan, Blair Harding, Mike Dorreen,

Iva Ropati Iva Lewis Ropati is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s, and high school principal. He played at representative level for New Zealand, Auckland and Taranaki, and at club level for the Ota ...

Shane Endacott Shane Endacott (born ) is a New Zealand rugby league coach and former player. His position of preference was Five Eighth; however, he was also often used at lock, hooker or in the centres. He is the son of New Zealand national rugby league team ...

, captain Aaron Whittaker,

Mark Faumuina Mark Faumuina (born 2 October 1971) is a former Western Samoa international rugby league footballer. Playing career An Otahuhu Leopards junior, Faumuina represented Auckland, playing for the Under 17's in 1987 and the under 18's in 1991. In 199 ...

, Denvour Johnston, Hitro Okesene,

Jerry Seuseu Jerry Seuseu (born 19 April 1974) is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s, as a . He represented New Zealand and Samoa at international level. After retirement he became Wellbeing and Educa ...

, Bryan Henare, Meti Noovao, Brad Williams, Joe Galuvao, Fa'ausu Afoa, Ben Fahey, Jason Kerapa, Keneti Asiata and Paul Staladi. Richard Stewart replaced Shane Endacott when he withdrew due to injury.''New Zealand Rugby League Annual '97'',

New Zealand Rugby Football 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 '' ...

, 1997. p.124 Before the series began the New Zealand Māori bet the New Zealand XIII 21–19 at Ericsson Stadium.

Graham Norton Graham William Walker (born 4 April 1963), better known by his stage name Graham Norton, is an Irish actor, author, comedian, commentator, and presenter. Well known for his work in the UK, he is a five-time BAFTA TV Award winner for his comed ...

again was the selector-coach for the New Zealand World Nines team. The squad was

, Marc Ellis, captain Stephen Kearney,

, Tony Tatupu, Tony Iro, Tyran Smith, John Timu and Jason Williams.

Henry Paul Henry Paul (born 10 February 1974), also known by the nickname of "HP", is a former dual-code international rugby league and rugby union footballer. Paul represented New Zealand in rugby league and England in rugby union and rugby sevens. He ...

, Matthew Ridge,

, Grant Young and Gene Ngamu all withdrew due to injuries. New Zealand made the final and then defeated

Western Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...

16-0 to win the tournament.''New Zealand Rugby League Annual '97'',

, 1997. p.39 The

Junior Kiwis The Junior Kiwis side represents New Zealand in the sport of rugby league. They are commonly known as the Junior Kiwis, after the native bird of that name. Since 2010, they are an under-20s side, with players selected from the NRL, Intrust Super ...

were coached by Lex Clarke and included Brian Leauma,

Frank Puletua Frank Puletua (born 8 May 1978) is a former Samoa international rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. A , he played his club football in the National Rugby League for Australian clubs the Penrith Panthers and the Sout ...

, David Solomona, Tony Puletua, Kyle Leuluai, captain

Monty Betham La’auli Montgomery Junior "Monty" Betham (born 12 March 1978) is a professional boxer, and former professional rugby league footballer. A New Zealand international representative and , he played club football for the New Zealand Warriors i ...

, Odell Manuel, Ali Lauitiiti, Peter Lewis, Fred Petersen, Joe Galuvao and

Lesley Vainikolo Lesley Paea 'I'muli Vainikolo (born 4 May 1979) is a former professional rugby league and rugby union footballer. A dual code international, he has played for the New Zealand Kiwis in rugby league and England in rugby union. He began his caree ...

. The team won the first match 17-16 before losing 14–18 in the second to draw the series.''New Zealand Rugby League Annual '97'',

, 1997. p.43 A New Zealand Academy side, which included Leslie Vainikolo, Wairangi Koopu, Mark Leafa, Filimone Lolohea and Ali Lauitiiti, lost to Australia under-17's 42–26 in the curtain raiser to the Super League Tri-series final. The

Kiwi Ferns The New Zealand women's national rugby league team, also known as the Kiwi Ferns or New Zealand Kiwi Ferns, represents New Zealand in Women's rugby league. They are administered by the New Zealand Rugby League. New Zealand won the Women's Ru ...

defeated Australia 2–0 in an unofficial Test series. The first match was won 34–26 in Wellington while the second was hosted at

in Auckland. The Kiwi Ferns won 40–16.''New Zealand Rugby League Annual '97'',

, 1997. p.47 The Australian Women's side won tour matches against Gisborne East Coast and Hawkes Bay. Stephen Kearney won the

's player of the year award.''New Zealand Rugby League Annual '97'',

, 1997. p.4

National competitions

Rugby League Cup

won the

from

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 ...

32–26 in June and then defended it against West Coast (twice), Tasman,

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 ...

and

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 ...

before losing it to

34–18 in the Challenge Cup final.Coffey, John and Bernie Wood ''Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909-2009'', 2009. , p.317.

Super League Challenge Cup

The

Sky The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from outer space. In the field of astronomy, ...

Challenge Cup replaced the

Lion Red Cup The Lion Red Cup was a New Zealand domestic rugby league competition that ran from 1994 to 1996 sponsored by brewers Lion Nathan. It was created due to the increase in public awareness of domestic rugby league due to the Auckland Warriors being a ...

as the main domestic competition. It was cost conscious after the expensive Lion Red Cup and focused on regional pools to save on travel costs. The Competition started in August and finished on the 12 October with a grand final. Sixteen teams were grouped into four regions. Each regional pool consisted of a round robin followed by a regional three-match play off series to determine quarter final rankings, the competition then moved into a knock out phases including two teams from each region.

Northern Region

The Northern Zone included two Auckland sides; the Auckland Heroes, who were coached by

Brian McClennan Brian "Bluey" McClennan (born 16 February 1962) is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer and coach. He was previously the head coach of the New Zealand national team (with whom he won the 2005 Tri-nations) and then England' ...

and included captain Duane Mann, Tama Hohaia,

Phillip Leuluai Phillip Leuluai (born 16 July 1977) is a former Samoa international rugby league footballer who played as a or occasional for the Salford City Reds in the Super League. Background Leuluai in Greenlane, Auckland, New Zealand. He is of Samoa ...

, Dean Clark, Ben Lythe, Anthony Seuseu, Don Stewart, Hare Te Rangi, Willie Wolfgramme,

Paki Tuimavave Paki Tuimavave is a Samoan former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. He played at representative level for Western Samoa, and at club level for Waitakere City and North Harbour, as a . Background Also see '' ...

, Charlie Kennedy, Darryl Beazley, Boycie Nelson and

, and the Auckland Raiders, who represented Auckland Rugby League's second division and were coached by Dominic Clark. The Raiders included

Tyrone Pau Tyrone Pau (birth unknown) is a former professional rugby league who played in the 2000s. He played at representative level for the Cook Islands, Auckland and the New Zealand Residents, and at club level for the Hibiscus Coast Raiders, Limoux Gri ...

.''New Zealand Rugby League Annual '97'',

, 1997. p.140 Other teams included the Waikato Cougars, who were coached by Bill Kells and featured Tukere Barlow,

Darryl Fisher Darryl Fisher is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer, coach and administrator who played professionally for the Western Suburbs Magpies. His father, Kevin, represented New Zealand. Playing & Coaching career Fisher first p ...

and Kelly Shelford, and the Northland Wild Boars, who were coached by Phil Marsh and included Jason Mackie.''New Zealand Rugby League Annual '98'',

, 1998. p.131 The Auckland Heroes were unbeaten in their six-round robin games while the Auckland Raiders won just once in the round robin. Waikato won three of their six matches. On the 14 September Waikato defeated the Auckland Heroes at

for the first time since 1943, while Northland eliminated the Raiders from the competition. Northland were subsequently eliminated by the Auckland Heroes.

Eastern Region

The Eastern Region featured the

Bay of Plenty Stags The Bay of Plenty rugby league team (also known as the Bay of Plenty Lakers) are a New Zealand rugby league team who represents the Bay of Plenty Rugby League in New Zealand Rugby League competitions. Between 1994 and 1996 they competed in the ...

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. They competed in the Lion Red Cup between 1994 and 1996 ...

Coastline The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in ...

and the

Gisborne-East Coast Lions The Gisborne Tairawhiti rugby league team are New Zealand rugby league team that represents the Gisborne Tairawhiti Rugby League. In the past they were known as the Gisborne East Coast Lions. History The Gisborne and East Coast region has not be ...

. Bay of Plenty included Patrick Kuru and Mark Woods. Coastline included

Andrew Leota Andrew Leota is a Tongan rugby footballer who represented Tonga in rugby league at the 2000 World Cup. Playing career Leota originally played rugby league, being named in the Tonga squad for the 2000 World Cup and representing Coastline bet ...

Central Region

The Central Zone featured the

Wellington Dukes The Wellington Dukes are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Wellington, Ontario, Canada. They are in the Eastern Division of the Ontario Junior Hockey League and used to be a part of the Metro Junior A Hockey League. Originally a Junior C team in ...

, Wellington Pumas, Taranaki Rockets, coached by

Howie Tamati Howard Kevin Tamati (born 3 January 1953), generally known as Howie Tamati, is a New Zealand politician and former professional rugby league footballer and coach who played for New Zealand. He is the cousin of fellow international Kevin Tamati ...

and including Artie Shead, and the Manawatu Mustangs.

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 ...

approached the

Auckland Warriors The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as ...

about releasing Syd Eru and Stephen Kearney for the competition, but they were unsuccessful. The Wellington Dukes included Denvour Johnston. The Wellington Pumas were a second XIII from the region. The Dukes won the zone with the Rockets finishing second. Manawatu did not win a game. The Rockets them eliminated the Pumas in a close zonal play-off match.

Southern Region

The Southern Zone featured the West Coast Chargers, Canterbury Reds, who included

Simon Angell Simon Alexander Angell is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. He played representative level for New Zealand and Canterbury, and at club level for Hornby (of the Canterbury Rugby League), ...

, Blair Harding, Mark Nixon and were coached by Gerard Stokes, the Tasman Orcas and the Southland Rams. Southland had defeated Otago 34-20 to qualify for the round robin.''New Zealand Rugby League Annual '97'',

, 1997. p.130 Canterbury hosted the West Coast at

Lancaster Park Lancaster Park, also known as Jade Stadium and AMI Stadium for sponsorship reasons, was a sports stadium in Waltham, a suburb of Christchurch in New Zealand. The stadium was closed permanently due to damage sustained in the February 2011 eart ...

, the first time they had played there since 1920. Canterbury were undefeated in the round robin while Tasman failed to win a match. Canterbury defeated West Coast in a close South zone final, 28–21, on the 14 September.John Coffe
Coasters give Reds a shock
''The Press'', 15 September 1997

Finals

In the first round of finals on 28 September Canterbury defeated Taranaki while West Coast also advanced to the semi-finals with a shock 34–22 win over the Wellington Dukes.John Coffe

''The Press'', 27 September 1997 In the semi finals on the 5 October Canterbury defeated the West Coast 24–30. In the other semi final Waikato defeated the Auckland Heroes for the second time to eliminate them from the competition. In the grand final on 12 October, which was played in

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...

Rugby League Park Orangetheory Stadium is a rugby football stadium in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was formerly called AMI Stadium, and before that, the Addington Showgrounds. History The park is part of a complex with Christchurch Arena and Addington Raceway a ...

, Waikato defeated Canterbury 34-18 to win both the Challenge Cup and the Rugby League Cup.John Coffe
Cougars justify ranking
''The Press'', 13 October 1997 After the victory, Lion Breweries' Kevin Moore declared that the Cougars deserved a public parade.

National School's Competition

Aranui High School upset St. Paul's College, defeating them 48–6 in the final held at

. Mark Leafa, Wairangi Koopu and

Henry Perenara Henry Edward Perenara (born 16 June 1980) is a New Zealand rugby league referee and former professional footballer who represented New Zealand. He played as a , though he could also play in the . He is also the first NRL referee in history to s ...

all competed in the competition, for De Le Salle, Rakaumanga and Lynfield College respectively.

Australian competitions

The

competed in the Super League's Telstra Cup Premiership and World Club Championship. They finished 7th in the Super League but made the semi finals of the World Club Championship. The final of the World Club Championship, between

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

and Hunter, was held in Auckland's Ericsson Stadium.

Club competitions

Auckland

The

Glenora Bears The Glenora Bears are a rugby league football club based in Glen Eden, New Zealand who compete in Auckland Rugby League's Fox Memorial competition. History The club was established in 1931 when the Auckland Rugby League Junior Management Com ...

won the Super 10 Fox Memorial grand final, beating 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 ...

34–14. The Glenora side included Duane Mann, Cliff Beverley, Boycie Nelson and Ben Lythe. Mangere East had finished the season as minor premiers while Marist won the Roope Rooster pre-season trophy and Otara won the Stormont Shield. Tukere Barlow from Mangere East won the season's best and fairest award. Mangere East also included George Tuakura and Anthony Seuseu. This was the first year of the Super 10 competition. The ten teams involved were: Glenora, Mangere East, Northcote, Marist/ Roskill, Otahuhu,

Manurewa Manurewa is a major suburb in South Auckland, New Zealand. It was part of Manukau City before the creation of the Auckland super city in 2010. It is located south of the Manukau City Centre, and southeast of Auckland CBD. The suburb is b ...

Manukau Manukau (), or Manukau Central, is a suburb of South Auckland, New Zealand, centred on the Manukau City Centre business district. It is located 23 kilometres south of the Auckland Central Business District, west of the Southern Motorway, so ...

, Te Atatu, the Central Sharks and Ellerslie. Mt Albert, Mt Wellington,

Hibiscus Coast The Hibiscus Coast is a populated area on a stretch of the Hauraki Gulf coast in New Zealand's Auckland Region. It has a population of making it the 11th most populous urban area in New Zealand, and the second most populous in the Auckland Re ...

and Richmond applied to join the competition but were unsuccessful. The Central Sharks consisted of Richmond, Ponsonby, Mt Albert and City-Pt Chev. Richmond defeated

30–20 in the final of the Sharman Cup.

Willie Wolfgramm Willie Wolfgramm is a former professional rugby league and rugby union player who represented Tonga at two Rugby League World Cups and the 1993 Rugby World Cup Sevens. Background He is the cousin of fellow Tongan international Greg Wolfgramm ...

played for Marist while Don Stewart and

Paul Rauhihi Paul Rauhihi (born 3 July 1973) is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand. Rauhihi played in both the National Rugby League and Super League as a . Background Rauhihi was born in Porirua, New Zeal ...

played for the Northcote Tigers. Otahuhu included Dean Clark and Hare Te Rangi. In the regional cup, James Leuluai coached Mt Wellington,

coached the

Hibiscus Coast Raiders The Hibiscus Coast Raiders are a rugby league club based on the Hibiscus Coast, New Zealand. They compete in Auckland Rugby League's Fox Memorial competition and between 2000 and 2005 were also involved in the Bartercard Cup competition. History ...

and

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 ...

coached the

Richmond Bulldogs The Richmond Rovers Rugby League Club is a rugby league club based in Grey Lynn, New Zealand. The premier team is called the Richmond Bulldogs and compete in Auckland Rugby League's Fox Memorial competition. Early history The club was formed in ...

Wellington

The Upper Hutt Tigers won the Appleton Shield. The team included Denvour Johnston.''New Zealand Rugby League Annual '98'',

, 1998. p.153

Canterbury

Hornby, coached by former Kiwi

Wayne Wallace Wayne John Wallace is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer and coach who represented New Zealand in the 1988 World Cup Final. Playing career Wallace played in the Canterbury Rugby League club competition for Hornby, although he spent on ...

, and Papanui met in 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 ...

grand final. Hornby defended the Pat Smith Challenge Trophy 20–12. Mark Nixon played for Hornby but missed the final due to injury however

did appear in the final. Blair Harding played for Papanui while Phil Prescott coached Halswell. West Coast's Cobden-Kohinoor Kea's won the

Thacker Shield The Thacker Shield is a rugby league football trophy awarded on an annual basis to the winner of a match between the champion clubs of the Canterbury Rugby League and West Coast Rugby League. History The shield was donated by Dr Henry Thacker in ...

match against Hornby, defeating them 30–10.

Other Competitions

The Otaika Eagles, led by Jason Mackie, defeated the Hokianga Pioneers 23–20 in the Northland Rugby League grand final. This was the first year of a Northland wide competition. The Taniwharau Rugby League Club won the Waikato Rugby League title, defeated Turangawaewae 21–20 in the grand final.Waikato clubs to clash in pre-season tournament
''Waikato Times'', 11 March 1998 Kevin Fisher coached Huntly South.''New Zealand Rugby League Annual '97'',

, 1997. p.148 Putaruru United won the Rotorua-Midlands competition for a second year in a row, defeating Pikiao 18–10. The Turanga Panthers defeated the Paikea Whalers 44-32 to win the Gisborne-East Coast Rugby League grand final. Ranginui won the Coastline grand final 30-22 over Te Paamu. However, Te Paamu won a Rotorua/Coastline combined Super 12 competition, defeating Taupo 42–12 in the final. The Western Suburbs Tigers defeated the Waitara Bears 30–28 in 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 ...

grand final. Otaki defeated Castlecliff 34–18 in the Manawatu Rugby League grand final. In the

Hawke's Bay Hawke's Bay ( mi, Te Matau-a-Māui) is a local government region on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. The region's name derives from Hawke Bay, which was named by Captain James Cook in honour of Admiral Edward Hawke. The region i ...

, Taradale won their fourth consecutive title. They defeated the Napier Bulldogs 29–28. In the South Island, the Whakatu Firebirds defeated the Motueka Tigers 28–4 in the Tasman Rugby League grand final and Cobden-Kohinoor won the

West Coast Rugby League West Coast Rugby League (WCRL) is the local sporting body responsible for the administration of rugby league in the West Coast region of New Zealand, centred around Greymouth. The WCRL own Wingham Park and are represented by the West Coast rugby ...

competition, defeating Waro-Rakau 20–6. South Pacific won the Otago Rugby League club competition, beating the Wakatipu Cougars 32–24. He Tauaa defeated Bluff 40–16 in the Southland Rugby League grand final.

References

{{1997 in rugby league New Zealand rugby league seasons