NRL Under-20s


The NRL Under-20s was the top league of professional rugby league for players aged 20 years or younger in Australasia. Contested by sixteen teams, the Under-20s competition commenced in 2008 and was originally known as the Toyota Cup. The competition runs parallel to Australasia's professional competition, the National Rugby League, with NYC matches played immediately prior to the NRL games. Similar to the NRL, the NYC enforces a salary cap and puts a heavy focus on life outside football for the players.
The New Zealand Warriors were the most successful club in the competition's short history, with three premierships from four Grand Final appearances; in 2010, 2011 and 2014. In 2018, the NRL Under-20s was replaced by state-based under-20s competitions in New South Wales and Queensland.
WWW Official Site

History

The NRL Under-20s succeeded the Jersey Flegg Cup in 2008, which existed from 1961 to 2007. The competition was administered by the New South Wales Rugby League as an under-19s competition, until it was changed to an under-20s competition in 1998.
On October 28, 2016 it was announced that the 2017 season will be the last for the NRL Under-20s. It was to be replaced by stronger State-based competitions in NSW and QLD, these being the reformed Jersey Flegg Cup in NSW and the new Hastings Deering Colts in Queensland.

Premiership winners

Comprehensive regular season results

Comprehensive regular season results of the National Youth Competition by club.
Team2008200920102011201220132014
Brisbane Broncos2nd5th10th9th12th8th
Canberra Raiders1st8th6th13th3rd1st
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs7th11th3rd6th1st4th
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks14th16th14th3rd10th13th
Gold Coast Titans8th14th8th14th16th15th
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles11th1st7th16th14th16th
Melbourne Storm13th3rd13th4th9th9th
Newcastle Knights12th10th12th8th11th12th
New Zealand Warriors3rd7th2nd1st2nd6th
North Queensland Cowboys16th9th4th2nd13th10th
Parramatta Eels5th12th16th12th15th14th
Penrith Panthers4th13th15th10th5th2nd
St. George Illawarra Dragons6th2nd11th11th8th11th
South Sydney Rabbitohs10th6th1st15th6th7th
Sydney Roosters15th15th5th5th7th3rd
Wests Tigers9th4th9th7th4th5th

Awards

Player of the Year

The National Youth Competition Player of the Year award is the premier individual award in the National Youth Competition. The voting for the award is similar to the Dally M Medal voting, where after each National Youth Competition game 3 points are awarded to the best player on ground, 2 points to the second and 1 point to the third. As of 2017, every winner of the award has gone on to play first grade in the NRL. The inaugural winner was Ben Hunt from the Brisbane Broncos in 2008. Hunt is also the youngest player to win the award, at age 18 years, 5 months and 13 days.
YearWinnerPositionTeam
2008Ben Hunt Brisbane Broncos
2009Beau Henry St. George Illawarra Dragons
2010Tariq Sims Brisbane Broncos
2011Jack De Belin St. George Illawarra Dragons
2012David Klemmer Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
2013Bryce Cartwright Penrith Panthers
2014Kane Elgey Gold Coast Titans
2015Ashley Taylor Brisbane Broncos
2016Jayden Brailey Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
2017Jake Clifford North Queensland Cowboys

Jack Gibson Medal

The Jack Gibson Medal is awarded to the man of the match of the Toyota Cup grand final. The award is named after legendary rugby league coach, Jack Gibson. Gibson, who guided Eastern Suburbs to premierships in 1974 and 1975, the Parramatta Eels to three successive premierships from 1981 to 1983 and was named coach of the Team of the Century, died in 2008.
YearWinnerPositionTeam
2008Josh Dugan Canberra Raiders
2009Luke Kelly Melbourne Storm
2010Carlos Tuimavave New Zealand Warriors
2011Jordan Meads New Zealand Warriors
2012Matt Mulcahy Wests Tigers
2013James Roberts Penrith Panthers
2014Solomone Kata New Zealand Warriors
2015Soni Luke Penrith Panthers
2016Nat Butcher Sydney Roosters
2017Cade Cust Manly Warringah Sea Eagles

Television coverage

Australia

  • Free to air: Channel 9 showed the Grand Final as part of the Grand Final Coverage.
  • Subscription television: FOX Sports show 2 games live every weekend, live coverage of the Toyota Cup precede Fox Sports' Super Saturday and Sunday live NRL coverage.

New Zealand