Ron Massey Cup | |
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Current season or competition:: 2017 Ron Massey Cup |
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Sport | Rugby league |
Formerly known as | Inter-District Competition Second Division Metropolitan League Metropolitan Cup Jim Beam Cup Bundaberg Red Cup |
Instituted | 1963 |
Inaugural season | 1963 |
Number of teams | 13 |
Country | Australia |
Premiers | Mounties (2016) |
Most titles | Wentworthville Magpies (14 titles) |
Website | nswrl.com.au |
Broadcast partner | Fox Sports |
Related competition | Intrust Super Premiership NSW |
The Ron Massey Cup (formerly known as the Bundaberg Red Cup and Jim Beam Cup) is a semi-professional development level rugby league competition in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, run jointly by the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) and the Country Rugby League of New South Wales (CRL). The competition is run concurrently with the National Rugby League (NRL). It currently comprises 13 teams drawn from the Sydney metropolitan area. The competition is named after Ron Massey, a former rugby league coach. Ron Massey died 19 September 2016.
The competition is an expanded version of the former Metropolitan Cup and Second Division competitions. The competition was renamed the Bundaberg Red Cup after the 2008 season (the last Jim Beam Cup season), after Bundaberg replaced former sponsor Jim Beam. For the 2013 season, the competition was re-branded as the Ron Massey Cup, when Bundaberg Rum withdrew their sponsorship.
In 2017, 11 clubs are fielding teams in the Ron Massey Cup.
*: The season the team joined is in the Jim Beam Cup/Bundaberg Red Cup/Ron Massey Cup, not any other competition before this.
a- Asquith did not compete between 2008 to 2012.
b- Concord Burwood previously competed as a merged entity from 2012 to 2014.
c- Guildford did not compete between 2005 to 2012.
d- St Marys previously competed as a merged entity in 2003.
1 - Ourimbah withdrew from the competition midway through the 2005 season.
2 - Sydney Bulls withdrew from the competition midway through the 2011 season.
3 - St Johns Eagles joined the competition midway through the 2011 season, replacing the Sydney Bulls.
The Ron Massey Cup is the latest in a succession Sydney-based second tier, semi-professional Rugby League competitions.
The a second tier senior Rugby League competition in Sydney was the Inter-District Competition established in 1963 by the NSWRL. It was renamed the Second Division in 1964. Like succeeding competitions the Second Division had a high turnover of participating clubs. The 'promotion' of two of the two biggest clubs Penrith Panthers (1966 champions) and Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, at the conclusion of the 1966 season did not help the long-term stability of the competition.