The 2009 Auckland Rugby League season was the 2009 season of senior

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 112 ...

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

. The

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 ...

ran the various competitions. The season commenced on 14 March with the start of the Phelan Shield and ended on 5 September with the Fox Memorial Grand Final. This was the 100th season of the competition, which began with the 1910 season. The season followed the same format as 2008, with a qualification series in the first half of the year giving sixteen teams the opportunity to enter the Fox Memorial competition. Beginning 7 June two games a week were broadcast in both English and Māori on

Māori Television Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

and Te Reo respectively.

Fox Memorial Qualification Series

The Lion Red Fox Memorial Qualification Series involved sixteen teams divided into two pools, with the top eight teams entering the Fox Memorial competition. It started on 21 March and concluded on 2 May. The bottom eight teams instead entered the Sharman Cup.

Phelan Shield

The Mandron Masonry Phelan Shield began on 14 March and features eleven teams. The regular season concluded on 5 September with a grand final. The New Lynn Stags were the defending champions. Minor premiers the

Manukau Magpies The Manukau Magpies are a rugby league football club based in Mangere, a suburb of Auckland in New Zealand, who compete in the Auckland Rugby League. The club was established in March 1912 after a meeting in Onehunga (where they were originally ...

defeated the

Waiheke Rams 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 fir ...

in the final to win the Shield.

Sharman Cup

The bottom eight teams in the Fox Memorial Qualification Series took part in the SAS Sharman Cup. 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 ...

were the defending champions. The grand final was held on 5 September and saw minor premiers the

Howick Hornets The Howick Hornets are a rugby league club based in Howick, New Zealand. The premier team competes in Auckland Rugby League's senior competitions. The club currently competes in the top division, the Fox Memorial Trophy. The club has a rivalry wi ...

defeat the Glenora Bears 19–12 to win the Cup. Hibiscus Coast were relegated to the Phelan Shield with the Manukau Magpies being promoted.

Fox Memorial

The top eight teams in the Fox Memorial Qualification Series took part in the Lion Red Fox Memorial. The

Mt Albert Lions The Mount Albert Lions are a rugby league club based in Mount Albert, New Zealand. The Lions home ground is at Fowlds Park. Their patron is the former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark. In 2008 and 2009 the Lions won the Fox Memorial. ...

were the defending champions and managed to defend their title, defeating the

Papakura Sea Eagles The Papakura Sea Eagles are an Auckland rugby league club based in Papakura. The Sea Eagles currently compete in the Fox Memorial competition run by the Auckland Rugby League. History The Papakura Rugby League Club formed in 1931. On March 26 th ...

32–10 in the final. As minor premiers the

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

were awarded the Rukutai Shield.

Awards

The Auckland Rugby League's 2009 Awards were announced on 24 October.November 2009 Newsletter
''Auckland Rugby League''

Lion Red Lion Red is a New Zealand lager beer brewed by Lion Breweries in Auckland, part of Lion. The beer is 4.0% alcohol. Because of its relatively low alcohol content it is widely regarded as an excellent 'session' beer, that is, a beer that can be co ...

Fox Memorial Player of the Year: Phillip Kahui (Mt Albert) George Rainey Medal Fox Memorial Team of the Year:
Fullback: James Blackwell (Otahuhu)
Winger: Phillip Kahui (Mt Albert)
Centre:

Toshio Laiseni Toshio Laiseni (born 19 June 1985) is a Tongan former professional rugby league footballer who played as or er. Early career Laiseni was born in Nukuʻalofa, Tonga. Laiseni started his football at the Otahuhu Leopards before being selected ...

(Papakura)
Standoff: Zensei Inu (Te Atatu)
Halfback: Aaron Woodhouse (Manurewa)
Prop: Dylan Davis (Marist)
Hooker: Zac Tippins (Te Atatu)
2nd Row: Sala Faalogo (Mt Albert)
Lock: Tui Samoa (East Coast Bays) Mandron Masonry Phelan Shield Player of the Year: Itaifale Tolefoa (Navy/North Shore Dolphins)
SAS Sharman Cup Player of the Year: Aaron Booth (Glenora Bears)

Rookie of the Year:

Stephen Shennan Stephen Shennan, FBA is a British archaeologist and academic. Since 1996, he has been Professor of Theoretical Archaeology. He was Director of the Institute of Archaeology at the University College London from 2005 to 2014. Shennan focuses on cu ...

(Te Atatu Roosters)
Premiership Coach of the Year: Brent Gemmell (Mt Albert)

References

External links

Official Site
{{2009 in rugby league Auckland Rugby League seasons Auckland Rugby League season