The Mal Meninga Cup, known as the Auswide Bank Mal Meninga Cup due to sponsorship, is a junior rugby league football competition based in Queensland, played between teams made up of players aged under 18. The competition, administered by the Queensland Rugby League, features the junior representative teams of Queensland Cup clubs.[1][2]

Mal Meninga Cup
SportRugby league
Inaugural season2009
Number of teams15
CountryAustralia
Premiers Tweed Seagulls (3rd title)
Most titles Townsville Blackhawks (5 titles)
Websitewww.qrl.com.au
Related competitionSG Ball Cup

Since 2011, the winners of the Grand Final play the winners of the New South Wales’ under-18 competition, the S.G. Ball Cup, in the National Final.[3]

The Mal Meninga Cup is named after Mal Meninga, a 32-game Queensland representative and the most successful State of Origin coach of all time.[4]

Teams

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The Mal Meninga Cup consists of fifteen clubs: fourteen based in Queensland and one in New South Wales. The competition currently operates on a single group system, after using a pool system for eight seasons.

Fourteen of the fifteen clubs are junior representative teams for Queensland Cup clubs.
The Wide Bay Bulls currently have no Queensland Cup affiliation.

Current clubs

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Mal Meninga Cup
Club Established City State Stadium Tiles (Last)
  Brisbane Tigers 1917 Brisbane Queensland Totally Workwear Stadium 0
  Burleigh Bears 1934 Gold Coast Queensland UAA Oval 0
  Central Queensland Capras 1996 Rockhampton Queensland Browne Park 0
  Ipswich Jets 1982 Ipswich Queensland North Ipswich Reserve 0
  Mackay Cutters 2007 Mackay Queensland BB Print Stadium Mackay 0
  Northern Pride 2007 Cairns Queensland Barlow Park 0
  Norths Devils 1933 Brisbane Queensland Bishop Park 2 (2011)
  Redcliffe Dolphins 1947 Redcliffe Queensland Kayo Stadium 2 (2023)
  Souths Logan Magpies 1918 Brisbane Queensland Davies Park 2 (2022)
  Sunshine Coast Falcons 1996 Sunshine Coast Queensland Sunshine Coast Stadium 0
  Townsville Blackhawks 1998 Townsville Queensland Jack Manski Oval 5 (2016)
  Tweed Seagulls 1909 Tweed Heads New South Wales Piggabeen Sports Complex 3 (2023)
  Western Clydesdales 1996 Toowoomba Queensland Clive Berghofer Stadium 1 (2017)
  Wide Bay Bulls 2009 Bundaberg Queensland Various 0
  Wynnum Manly Seagulls 1951 Brisbane Queensland BMD Kougari Oval 0
  • Brisbane Tigers played as Easts Tigers from 2009 to 2020.
  • CQ Capras played as Central Comets from 2009 to 2011.
  • Townsville Blackhawks played as Townsville Stingers from 2009 to 2015.
  • Western Clydesdales played as Toowoomba Clydesdales from 2009 to 2016 and Western Mustangs 2017 to 2021.
  • Wide Bay Bulls rejoined the competition in 2021.

Previous clubs

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Mal Meninga Cup
Club Seasons City Stadium Premierships (Last)
  Central Crows 2011–2017 Bundaberg, Queensland Across the Waves Sportsground 0
  Gold Coast Blue 2010 Gold Coast, Queensland Merv Craig Sporting Complex 0
  Gold Coast Gold 2011–2012 Gold Coast, Queensland Pizzey Park 0
  Gold Coast Green 2010–2016 Gold Coast, Queensland Pizzey Park 0
  Gold Coast Vikings 2009 Gold Coast, Queensland Pizzey Park 0
  Gold Coast White 2013–2016 Gold Coast, Queensland Pizzey Park 0
  Northern Territory Rugby League 2009–2010 Darwin, Northern Territory Richardson Park 0
  Victoria Rugby League 2015–2018 Melbourne, Victoria Casey Fields 0
  Wests Panthers 2011–2012 Brisbane, Queensland Purtell Park 0
  • Central Crows played as Central United from 2011 to 2013.

Grand Final results

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Season Grand Finals
Premiers Score Runners-up Venue
2009   Norths Devils 20–18   Townsville Stingers Bishop Park
2010   Townsville Stingers 26–24   Norths Devils Langlands Park
2011   Norths Devils 28–10   Townsville Stingers Langlands Park
2012   Townsville Stingers 22–14   Redcliffe Dolphins BMD Kougari Oval
2013   Redcliffe Dolphins 44–16   Gold Coast White Langlands Park
2014   Townsville Stingers 22–18   Norths Devils Barlow Park
2015   Townsville Stingers 30–24   Easts Tigers Tapout Energy Stadium
2016   Townsville Blackhawks 38–16   Norths Devils Suzuki Stadium
2017   Western Mustangs 40–30   Souths Logan Magpies Suzuki Stadium
2018  Souths Logan Magpies 18–16   Norths Devils Bishop Park
2019  Tweed Heads Seagulls 28–24   Wynnum Manly Seagulls Kougari Oval
2020 Season cancelled
2021  Tweed Heads Seagulls 30–24   Townsville Blackhawks Jack Manski Oval
2022  Souths Logan Magpies 38–26   Townsville Blackhawks Sunshine Coast Stadium[5]
2023  Redcliffe Dolphins 36-18   Townsville Blackhawks Totally Workwear Stadium
2024  Tweed Seagulls 36-12   Burleigh Bears Kayo Stadium

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "David Fifita follows Meninga's path to greatness". NRL. 9 November 2018.
  2. ^ "Progress the focus in Auswide Bank Mal Meninga Cup". QRL. 9 March 2019.
  3. ^ "History against Tweed in under-18 league final". Queensland Times. 11 May 2019.
  4. ^ "Auswide Bank Mal Meninga Cup draw". QRL. 13 December 2019.
  5. ^ "Blackhawks v Magpies - Grand Final". qrl.com.au. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
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