Waikato Rugby League is the local sporting body responsible for the administration 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 ...

in the

Waikato region 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 ...

of New Zealand. The WRL are represented by the

Waikato rugby league team The Waikato rugby league team (also known as the Waikato Cougars, formerly as South Auckland) 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 ...

. They are currently part of the Upper Central Zone along with Coastline Rugby League and

Bay of Plenty Rugby League Bay of Plenty Rugby League is the local sporting body responsible for the administration of Rugby league in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand. Following the restructuring of the New Zealand Rugby League they are part of the Upper Central Zone ...

History

The league was constituted as the South Auckland Rugby League on 28 April 1921.Coffey, John and Bernie Wood ''Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909-2009'', 2009. , p.74.

Current domestic teams

Premier Division clubs 2018

Taniwharau Rugby League The Taniwharau Rugby League Club is a rugby league club from Huntly, New Zealand. They compete in the Waikato Rugby League and WaiCoa club competitions. The club plays in a green and gold strip and are based at Waahi Pa Huntly. History Taniwhara ...

(Huntly) - Davies Park * Turangawaewae (Ngaruawahia) - Paterson Park * Ngaruawahia Panthers (Ngaruawahia) - League Park * Hamilton City Tigers (Hamilton) - Resthills Park * College Old Boys (Hamilton) - Resthills Park

Premier Reserve Division clubs for 2018

(Huntly) - Davies Park *Ngaruawahia Panthers (Ngaruawahia) - League Park *Ngaruawahia Lions (Ngaruawahia) - Patterson Park *Hamilton City Tigers (Hamilton) - Resthills Park *Hamilton Hornets (Hamilton) - Resthills Park *Fairfield Falcons (Hamilton) - Swarbrick Park *Hukanui (Hukanui) - Swabric Park *Morrinsville Bulls (Morrinsville) *Turangawaewae (Ngaruawahia) - Paterson Park *College Old Boys (Hamilton) - Resthills Park

Defunct clubs

*Coast Steelers (Taharoa) - Taharoa Domain *Huntly South Chargers (Huntly) - Davies Park *Rangiriri Eels (Maurea) *Otorohanga Tigers (Otorohanga) - Island Reserve *Kio Kio Hunters (Maihihi) - Kio Kio United Sports Ground *Frankton Albions (Hamilton) - Swarbrick Park *Whatawhata Wolves (Whatawhata) *Jaradites Rugby League (Hamilton) *Huntly United (Huntly) - Davies Park *Cambridge Raiders (Cambridge) *Waipa Wildcats (Kihikihi) *Thames Wanderers (Thames/Coromandel) *Ohinemuri Warriors *Whaingaroa Divers (Raglan) *Glen Afton (Glen Afton) *Chartwell Lions

Past winners Premier grades

Waikato club championship winners since 1986: *1986-Huntly South def Taniwharau (Davies Park, Huntly) *1987-Frankton Albions def Huntly South (Davies Park, Huntly) *1988-Ngaruawahia Panthers def Hamilton City Tigers (Davies Park, Huntly) *1989-Turangawaewae def Ngaruawahia Panthers (Davies Park, Huntly) *1990-Turangawaewae def Ngaruawahia Panthers (Davies Park, Huntly) *1991-Hamilton City Tigers def Ngaruawahia Panthers (Resthills Park, Hamilton) *1992-Turangawaewae def Ngaruawahia Panthers (Davies Park, Huntly) *1993-Hamilton City Tigers 50-10 Ngaruawahia Panthers (Davies Park, Huntly)''Lion Red Rugby League Annual 1993'',

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 '' ...

, 1993. p.p.160-163 *1994-Turangawaewae 30-23 Hamilton City Tigers (Davies Park, Huntly)''Lion Red Rugby League Annual 1994'',

, 1994. p.p.174-175 *1995-Turangawaewae 20-15 Taniwharau (Resthills Park, Huntly)''Lion Red Rugby League Annual 1995'',

, 1995. p.190 *1996-Turangawaewae 26-18 Taniwharau (Resthills Park, Huntly) *1997- Taniwharau def Turangawaewae (Davies Park, Huntly) *1998-Turangawaewae 35-18 Hamilton City Tigers (Resthills Park, Hamilton) *1999-Turangawaewae 32-22 Hukanui(Davies Park, Huntly) *2000-Turangawaewae def Hamilton City Tigers (Davies Park, Huntly) *2001-Hukanui def Turangawaewae (Davies Park, Huntly) Between 2002 - 2007 Waikato aligned itself with Coastlines and the

Bay of Plenty The Bay of Plenty ( mi, Te Moana-a-Toi) is a region of New Zealand, situated around a bight of the same name in the northern coast of the North Island. The bight stretches 260 km from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaw ...

to create the Waicoa Bay Championship: *2002- Taniwharau def Turangawaewae (Davies Park, Huntly)Grand final a fitting end for tangi teams
''Waikato Times'', 25 August 2006 *2003-Turangawaewae def Taniwharau (Davies Park, Huntly) *2004-[Ngongotaha def Ngaruawahia Panthers (Puketewhero Park, Rotorua) *2005-Turangawaewae def Hamilton City Tigers (Davies Park, Huntly) *2006-Turangawaewae def Taniwharau (Davies Park, Huntly) *2007- Taniwharau 24-18 Turangawaewae (Davies Park, Huntly) *2008- Taniwharau 40-4 Otumoetai Eels (Davies Park, Huntly) The Waikato club championship resumed in 2009 *2009- Taniwharau 16 - 2 Ngaruawahia Panthers (Davies Park, Huntly) *2010-Hamilton City Tigers 19-12 Taniwharau (Resthills Park, Hamilton) *2011- Ngaruawahia Panthers 24-4 Hamilton City Tigers (Davies Park, Huntly) *2012- Hamilton City Tigers 34-4 Taniwharau (Davies Park, Huntly) WaiCoa Bays Championship resumed in 2011: *2011- Hamilton City Tigers 26-6 Taniwharau (Resthills Park, Hamilton) *2012- Hamilton City Tigers 26-12 Ngaruwahia Panthers (Davies Park, Huntly) Bay of Plenty Clubs break away from the competition, Leaving it as The "WaiCoa Championship" *2013- Taniwharau 18-16 Hamilton City Tigers (Resthills Park, Hamilton) *2014- Taniwharau 20-18 Otumoetai Eels (Davies Park, Huntly) The Waikato club championship resumed in 2015: *2015- Hamilton City Tigers 33 - 12 Taniwharau (Davies Park, Huntly) WaiCoa Bays Championship resumed in 2016: *2016- Hamilton City Tigers 24 - 19 Pacific (Resthills Park, Hamilton) The Waikato club championship resumed in 2017: *2017- Taniwharau 16 - 14 Hamilton City Tigers (Davies Park, Huntly) *2018- Taniwharau 28 - 12 College Old Boys (Davies Park, Huntly) *2019- Taniwharau 28 - 22 College Old Boys (Resthills Park, Hamilton)

National competitions

The

has competed in New Zealand Rugby League competitions, notably the Lion Red Cup as The ''Waikato Cougars'' and Bartercard Premiership. They were represented in the Bartercard Cup by the Waicoa Bay Stallions a team that represented Waikato, Coastlines and

Players of note

Brad Clark Brad Clark (born 1960) is a Canadian politician in Ontario, Canada. He was the councillor in Ward nine in Hamilton, Ontario from December 2006 to December 2014. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario fro ...

- (Huntly South) Melbourne Storm, Canterbury Bulldogs, Penrith Panthers, NZ Maori *

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 ...

- (Rangiriri Eels) *Kiwis, NZ Maoris, Castleford, Cronulla Sharks, Melbourne Storm * Wairangi Koopu - (Taniwharau) *Kiwis, NZ Maoris, NZ Warriors, Melbourne Storm * Tukere Barlow - (Hamilton City Tigers) NZ Maoris, Warrington Wolves * Martin Moana - (Huntly South) *Kiwis, NZ Warriors, Halifax *

Lance Hohaia Lance Koro Hohaia (born 1 April 1983), also known by the nickname of "The Huntly Hurricane", is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer. A New Zealand international representative utility back, he played in the NRL for the Ne ...

- (Taniwharau) *Kiwis, NZ Warriors, Kiwis Rugby League World Champion 2008, Saint Helens * Sam Rapira - (Hukanui) *Kiwis, NZ Warriors, Kiwis Rugby League World Champion 2008 * Steve Rapira - (Hukanui) NZ Warriors Juniors 2008, North Queensland Cowboys, NZ Warriors * Kurt Kara - (Turangawaewae) NZ Warriors Juniors 08' 09', Newtown Jets * Herewini Rangi - (Taniwharau) NZ Warriors 2004, Wynnum Manly Seagulls, Australian Bush Footy * Aoterangi Herangi - (Turangawaewae) NZ Warriors 2004, Wynnum Manly Seagulls *

Jesse Royal Jesse Te Ahukaramu Royal (born 22 March 1980) is a professional rugby league footballer from New Zealand who currently plays for the Kurri Kurri Bulldogs in the Newcastle Rugby League. He has previously played in the NRL for the Newcastle Knigh ...

- (Turangawaewae, Ngaruawahia Panthers) Penrith Panthers, Newcastle Knights, NZ Warriors * Tainui Raihe - (Taniwharau, Hamilton City Tigers) NZ Maoris, Waikato 1998-2000 * Hekewaru Muru - (Turangawaewae) NZ Maoris, Waikato Rugby League *

Shaun Kenny-Dowall Shaun Kenny-Dowall (born 23 January 1988) is a New Zealand international rugby league footballer who plays as a and er for Hull Kingston Rovers in the Super League. He is the current club captain. He previously played for the Sydney Rooste ...

- (Turangawaewae, Ngaruawahia Panthers) *Kiwis, NZ Maoris, Waikato Rugby League, Sydney Roosters, NRL All Stars *

Isaac John Isaac John (born 12 December 1988) is a former New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who previously played for the Mount Pritchard Mounties in the Intrust Super Premiership. A Cook Islands and New Zealand international representati ...

- (Turangawaewae, Pacific Sharks) NZ Warriors, Penrith Panthers *

Sam Perrett Sam Perrett (born 14 May 1985), also known by the nickname of "Pez"' or "Sammy", is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer. A representative for New Zealand at international level, he was a versatile back who was capable o ...

- (College Old Boys) Sydney Roosters, Bulldogs, NZ Maoris, NZ Kiwis * Zoram Watene - (College Old Boys) Penrith Panthers u/20s 2007, Winsor Wolves 2009-2012, Auckland Vulcans 2013NSWRL.com, Aucklandvulcans.co.nz * Malakai Watene-Zelezniak - (College Old Boys) Penrith Panthers u/20s 2008, Winsor Wolves 2011, Auckland Vulcans 2013NSWRL.com *

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (born 17 August 1995) is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a er or for the New Zealand Warriors in the NRL and New Zealand at international level. He previously played for the Penrith Pant ...

- (College Old Boys) Penrith Panthers u/20s 2013, NSW u18s 2013, Australian Schoolboys 2013 *

Louis Anderson Louis Manu Anderson (born 27 June 1985) is a New Zealand rugby league footballer who plays for Villegailhenc-Aragon XIII in the Elite Two Championship. A New Zealand former international representative forward, he previously played for the Ne ...

- (Taniwharau) NZ Warriors, Kiwis 2004-06, Tonga * Donavan Briggs - (Hamilton City Tigers) Cronulla Sharks u/18s 2015/2016 New Zealand Kiwis u/16s 2014 * Harlan Lawrence Rawiri Collins - (Taniwharau) Manly Sea Eagles u/20s 2015 * Dylan Rintoul - (College Old Boys) Canterbury Bulldogs u/20s 2013 * Te Maire Martin - (Turangawaewae) West Tigers u/20s 2014/2015 Penrith Panthers 2016 * Morgan Harper - (Ngaruawahia Panthers)

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. The team colours are maroon and white, while their namesake and logo is the sea eagle. They compete in Australia's premier rugb ...

* Austin Dias - (Turangawaewae) West Tigers

References

{{Rugby League in New Zealand Rugby league governing bodies in New Zealand Rugby league in the Waikato