Mid West Cup


The Mid West Cup is a rugby league competition in the Central West area of New South Wales, under the auspices of the Group 10 Rugby League. It is currently the second tier competition of Group 10. The premiers are awarded the Blayney Citizens' Cup, the oldest continuously award trophy in Country Rugby League, with Neville the first recipients in 1913. It currently encompasses teams from Bathurst, Blackheath, Kandos, Lithgow Oberon, Orange and Portland.

Current teams

Eight teams will compete in the 2020 season, including former Group 10 side Oberon Tigers. The teams will be:
ClubCityHome GroundNo. of TitlesPremierships
Blackheath BlackcatsBlackheathBlackheath Oval101980, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 2002, 2005, 2015, 2018
CSU MungoesBathurstDiggings Oval41975, 2012, 2014, 2019
Kandos WaratahsKandosWaratah Park41972, 1974, 2009, 2013
Lithgow BearsLithgowTony Luchetti Showground22010, 2011
Oberon TigersOberonOberon Sports Ground12003
Orange BarbariansOrangeMax Stewart Park0N/A
Orange UnitedOrange0N/A
Portland ColtsPortlandKremer Park31984, 1998, 2008

History

The Mid West Cup was originally organised as a rugby union competition but made the switch to rugby league after the First World War. The first winner of the competition was Neville and the club awarded the Blayney Citizens' Cup, the oldest trophy still in regular use in Country Rugby League.
While the competition was traditionally based in around the Blayney region, in the 1950s it expanded into Rockley, Carcoar and Cullen Bullen before it was absorbed in the Group 10 Rugby League and renamed the Group 10 Second Division. It adopted its current name of the Mid West Cup in 1990. The competition only featured four teams in 2019, including CSU Mungoes, Lithgow Bears, Orange Barbarians and Portland Colts, but will expand to eight in 2020 with the inclusion of the reformed Blackheath Blackcats and Kandos Waratahs, Oberon Tigers and the newly-formed Orange United.
More than 40 teams have reportedly featured in the Mid West Cup over the course of its history. They include:
ClubNo. of PremiershipsPremiership YearsMoved to
Barry11932Amalgamated with Neville
Barry-Neville21952, 1953Disbanded
Binnaway Bombshells0NACastlereagh Cup
Blayney Bears31922, 1970, 2006Group 10 Rugby League
Blayney Blues11923Disbanded
Blayney Institute11948Disbanded
Blayney Milita21924, 1925Disbanded
Blayney Waratahs21926Disbanded
Browns Creek21927, 1928Disbanded
Canobolas0NADisbanded
Carcoar Crows131931, 1949, 1950, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1994Disbanded
Cargo Blue Heelers0NAWoodbridge Cup
Coolah Kangaroos0NAGroup 14 Rugby League
Cullen Bullen0NADisbanded
Dunedoo Swans0NACastlereagh Cup
Gulgong Terriers51987, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2007Castlereagh Cup
Mandurama11918NA
Manildra Rhinos0NAWoodbridge Cup
Merriwa Magpies0NAGroup 14 Rugby League
Mudgee Tigers11996Disbanded
Millthorpe11951Disbanded
Neville11913Amalgamated with Barry
Newbridge11914Disbanded
Orange Old Boys0NADisbanded
Rockley11956Disbanded
Rylstone-Kandos Waratahs31978, 1979, 1981Disbanded
Villages United12015Disbanded
Wallerawang Warriors61976, 1977, 1991, 2000, 2001, 2017Disbanded
Woodstock11983Disbanded

Premierships