Limestone Coast Rugby League
The Limestone Coast Rugby League is a rugby league competition held in the Wimmera and South West regions of Victoria and Eastern South Australia. The competition is co-administered by NRL South Australia and NRL Victoria, and features five clubs (three from Victoria and two from South Australia).[1]
| Sport | Rugby league |
|---|---|
| Instituted | 2017 |
| Inaugural season | 2017 |
| Number of teams | 5 |
| Country | Victoria |
| Premiers | Gunditjmara Bulls (2019) |
| Most titles | Naracoorte Jets (2 titles) |
| Website | NRL Victoria website |
History edit
The competition was founded in 2017, with four inaugural clubs; the Blue Lake Knights, Horsham Panthers, Naracoorte Jets and Warrnambool Raiders.[2]
The competition was initially dominated by the Naracoorte Jets, who won the first two titles, before Warrnambool broke through for their maiden premiership in 2019.[3]
The competition garnered national attention in 2022 after the ABC News channel ran a series of stories on the Stawell Mounties team which entered the competition for their inaugural season.[4][5] The side made their way into the Grand Final, where they were defeated 22-8 by the Gunditjmara Bulls.[6]
Clubs edit
Five clubs are competing in the 2022 season; Blue Lake (Mount Gambier), Gunditjmara (Warrnambool), Naracoorte, Stawell and Warrnambool.[4][7]
| Club | Moniker | Home Ground | District |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Lake | Knights | Apollo Soccer Grounds | Mount Gambier, South Australia |
| Gunditjmara | Bulls | Deakin University | Warrnambool, Victoria |
| Naracoorte | Jets | Naracoorte United Soccer Ground | Naracoorte, South Australia |
| Stawell | Mounties | North Park | Stawell, Victoria |
| Warrnambool | Raiders | Friendly Societies Park | Warrnambool, Victoria |
Former Clubs edit
| Club | Moniker | District |
|---|---|---|
| Horsham | Panthers | Horsham, Victoria |
| North Warrnambool | Warriors | Warrnambool, Victoria |
Grand Finals edit
| Year | Winner | Score | Loser | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Naracoorte Jets | 26-24 | Warrnambool Raiders | Naracoorte United Soccer Ground, Naracoorte |
| 2018 | Naracoorte Jets | 32-30 | Warrnambool Raiders | Deakin University, Warrnambool |
| 2019 | Warrnambool Raiders | 46-22 | Naracoorte Jets | Apollo Soccer Grounds, Mount Gambier |
| 2020 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria | |||
| 2021 | ||||
| 2022 | Gunditjmara Bulls | 22-8 | Stawell Mounties | North Park, Stawell |
References edit
- ^ "Limestone Coast Rugby League". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
- ^ "Limestone Coast Rugby League". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
- ^ "Growth of the game a bonus for grand finalist Raiders | video, photos". The Standard. 2018-12-15. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
- ^ a b "New rugby league team Stawell Mountaineers about to kick off". ABC Wimmera. 2022-09-06. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
- ^ "Pacific Islander-led rugby league revolution is in full swing in this Aussie Rules stronghold". ABC News. 2022-12-04. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
- ^ "Bulls are toast of the coast". The Standard. 2022-12-18. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
- ^ "Bulls eager to charge headfirst into debut season". The Standard. 2018-10-05. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
- ^ "Association: NRL SA Limestone Coast". www.playrugbyleague.com. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
- ^ "Competition: Limestone Coast Senior Mens Draw". www.playrugbyleague.com. Retrieved 2023-01-25.