West Coast Rugby League


West Coast Rugby League is the local sporting body responsible for the administration of rugby league in the West Coast region of New Zealand, centred around Greymouth. The WCRL own Wingham Park and are represented by the West Coast rugby league team.

History

The West Coast Rugby League was formed on 3 June 1915, after Canterbury and West Coast played each other earlier in the day.
On the 14 June Kohinoor left the West Coast Rugby Union and two days later, on the 16th, they started the senior club competition with Blackball and Hokitika. The Grey club was added on 6 July.
The West Coast Rugby League went into recess at the end of the year, until being revived in 1919 by J.D. Wingham. Blackball, Kohinoor and Runanga competed in the 1919 competition.
Since then rugby league has traditionally been the most successful team sport in the West Coast. However, since the 1990s the West Coast has usually participated in Second Division or South Island competitions and in particular the West Coast missed out on having a team in either the Lion Red Cup or Bartercard Cup, the two main New Zealand Rugby League competitions of the 1990s and 2000s.
In 2018, the region's premier club competition was cancelled due to a lack of player numbers. The region's sole remaining senior rugby league team, the Greymouth Greyhounds, began competing in the Canterbury Rugby League competition in 2023.

Grand Final Winners

These are the Grand Final winners from 1979 to 2012.
SeasonWinner
2012Runanga
2011Runanga
2010Runanga
2009Suburbs
2008Suburbs
2007Suburbs
2006Runanga
2005Runanga
2004Cobden-Kohinoor
2003Suburbs
2002Suburbs
2001Suburbs
2000Waro-Rakau
1999Cobden-Kohinoor
1998Marist
1997Cobden-Kohinoor
1996Waro-Rakau
1995Cobden-Kohinoor
1994Waro-Rakau
1993Waro-Rakau
1992Suburbs
1991Suburbs
1990Marist
1989Cobden-Kohinoor
1988Marist
1987Cobden-Kohinoor
1986Runanga
1985Runanga
1984Runanga
1983Runanga
1982Runanga
1981Runanga
1980Runanga
1979Runanga

Notable juniors competed in the NRL

Cobden-Kohinoor
Marist
Waro-Rakau
Suburbs