# Group 17 Rugby League

Group 17 is a rugby league competition based in the Riverina and Central West regions of New South Wales, Australia. The competition collapsed in 2006 and reformed in 2018 as the Western Riverina Community Cup with six teams. It is currently sponsored by a chicken farm company called Proten which has been sponsoring the whole competition since 2018.
The season runs from mid-May to late July, and features a knockout, six regular season rounds, and a three week finals series culminating in the Grand Final which is hosted by a different team each year.

## History
### Early history

Group 17 was formed in 1935 and originally centred around Griffith and Leeton, but was suspended during World War II. However, when rugby league returned to normal competition after the war, Leeton, along with Griffith, Yenda, Yanco and others, joined the Wagga Wagga competition, Group 20. Group 20 later became the Griffith and District competition after the Wagga clubs joined Group 9.
Rugby league in the Western Riverina district began as an inter-town competition between Hillston, Merriwagga, Goolgowi and Hay. The competition was suspended during World War 2.
It reformed in 1947 as the 'Western Zone' with teams from Hay, Darlington Point, Goolgowi, Carrathool and two teams from Hillston, 'Town' and 'Country'. Tullibigeal joined during the 1950s, and won the 1965 Clayton Cup, the Country Rugby League's highest honour, but later departed to form the TLU Sharks with Lake Cargelligo in Group 20. In 1959, the league became known as Group 17, and featured two zones, with Zone 1 being centred around Hillston and Zone 2 around Hay.

### 1968 Clayton Cup "Final"

After both Euabalong and Darlington Point finished the 1968 season undefeated in Zones 1 and 2 respectively, and were left as the only two undefeated teams in the state, administrators were unsure of which side were more deserving of the coveted Clayton Cup as the best team in the Country Rugby League. The idea of settling who was the best overall Group 17 side had been resolved with a playoff match in the past, such as when Zone 1 side Tullibigeal defeated Hay (Zone 2) in 1967. Thus, a playoff final to determine the overall Group 17 Premier, and also the Clayton Cup winner, was set down for the 29th of September 1968 at Goolgowi.
* 29 September 1968 15:00 AEST (UTC+10:00)
| Darlington Point | 20–0 | Euabalong Tigers |
* Goolgowi Recreation Ground Attendance: 700 Referee: William "Bill" O'Brien (Weethalle)
In a one-way encounter, the Darlington Point Red & Blacks completed a 20-0 shutout of the Euabalong Tigers side, were awarded the Clayton Cup, and settled the annual dispute over which of the two zones was stronger. The match remains the only one of its kind to this day, which is significant given that the Clayton Cup has been awarded annually since 1937, and various other tiebreakers have been used on every other occasion two teams finish with identical records as the best team in the state.
Darlington Point were considered too strong for the competition after the result and joined Group 20 the following year in 1969. In around 1969-70 the two Group 17 "Zones" merged to form a single competition.

### 1970s-2006

The Deniliquin Blue Heelers were the dominant force in the early 1970s winning three consecutive premierships from 1969 to 1971, before folding in 1975. Coleambally also left in 1972 and merged with Darlington Point to form a combined club in Group 20 known as the DPC Roosters. Tullibigeal and Lake Cargelligo also merged to form a combined side known as Tullibigeal-Lakes United, with the new club joining Group 20 in 1972.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the competition sustained a decent standard, with eight clubs participating. More Clayton Cups were won by Group 17 clubs, with Rankins Springs (1993), Barellan (1999 and 2002) and Hillston (2006) all claiming the trophy. But by the 2000s, the Millennial Drought had caused many of the teams to be weakened, due to farming, the primary industry in the region, becoming not only unprofitable, but almost impossible. The competition collapsed after the 2006 season.

### Western Riverina Community Cup Era (2018-present)

The competition was revived in 2018 as the Group 17 Western Riverina Community Cup, with six teams participating. The format involved a knockout and five rounds followed by semi-finals and a grand final. In each round, all three games were played at the same venue, similar to the NRL's Magic Round concept. The season increased to six games the following year, where it has remained.

## Clubs

| Club | Nickname | Years | Home Ground | No of Premierships | Premiership Years |
| Barellan | Rams | 1950s–2004, 2018–present | Barellan Sports Ground | 9 | 1973–74, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1984, 1999, 2002–03 |
| Deniliquin | Blueheelers | 1960s–1977, 2025–present | Rotary Park, Deniliquin | 3 | 1969–71 |
| Goolgowi-Merriwagga | Rabbitohs | 1955–2006, 2018–present | Goolgowi Recreation Ground | 8 | 1965–66, 1977, 1985, 1992, 2004–05, 2019 |
| Hillston | Bluebirds | 1955–2006, 2018–present | Stan Peters Oval, Hillston | 8 | 1979–80, 1983, 1986–88, 1996, 2006 |
| Ivanhoe | Roosters | 1950s–2004, 2018–present | Sahara Oval, Ivanhoe | 0 | None |
| Narrandera | Lizards | 2001, 2018–present | Narrandera Sports Ground | 2 | 2022–23 |
| Rankins Springs | Dragons | 1955–2006, 2018–present | Rankins Springs Recreation Ground | 7 | 1962, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2018, 2021, 2024 |

### Previous clubs

Past participants in the Group 17 competition included:
* Carrathool Grasshoppers (defunct)
* Coleambally Greens (Merged with Darlington Point and joined Group 20 in 1973)
* Darlington Point Red & Black (Joined Group 20 as the Roosters in 1969, merged with Coleambally in 1973) – Premierships: 3 (1963–64, 1968)
* Finley Tigers (Reserve Grade, Moved to Goulburn Murray Rugby League)
* Griffith Black and Whites (moved to Group 20 in 1954)
* Griffith Three Ways United (Now only play in NSW Koori Knockout)
* Hanwood Crushers (defunct)
* Hay Magpies (now in Group 20) – Premierships: 12 (1959–61, 1967, 1972, 1975, 1982, 1989–91, 1994–95)
* Lake Cargelligo Sharks (Merged with Tullibigeal and joined Group 20)
* Merriwagga Eagles (Merged into Goolgowi RLFC)
* Murrin Bridge-Euabalong Tigers (No longer compete in regular competition)
* Tullibigeal (Merged with Lake Cargelligo and joined Group 20)
* Weethalle Kangaroos (defunct)
* Whitton Bulls (defunct)
* Yanco (merged with Wamoon, entered Group 20)
Bold indicates that the club fielded a team in the 2006 First-Grade competition.

## Grand Finals

Group 17 Zone 2 Grand Finals 1959-1972 :
| Season | Premiers | Score | Runners-up | Coach | Minor Premiers |
| 1959 | Hay Magpies | | Ivanhoe Roosters | | |
| 1960 | Hay Magpies | | Darlington Point | | |
| 1961 | Hay Magpies | | Goolgowi Rabbitohs | | |
| 1962 | Rankins Springs Dragons | | Darlington Point | | |
| 1963 | Darlington Point | | Hay Magpies | | |
| 1964 | Darlington Point | | Hay Magpies | | |
| 1965 | Goolgowi Rabbitohs | | Rankins Springs Dragons | | |
| 1966 | Goolgowi Rabbitohs | 5–3 | Hay Magpies | | |
| 1967 | Hay Magpies | 17–9 | Coleambally | | |
| 1968 | Darlington Point* | 32–12 | Hay Magpies | William "Bill" Watson | Darlington Point* |
| 1969 | Deniliquin Blue Heelers | | Coleambally | | |
| 1970 | Deniliquin Blue Heelers | 26–14 | Goolgowi Rabbitohs | Barry Cottam | |
| 1971 | Deniliquin Blue Heelers | 26–14 | Goolgowi Rabbitohs | Barry Cottam | |
| 1972 | Hay Magpies | 26–9 | Deniliquin Blue Heelers | B. Curtis | |
Group 17 Grand Finals 1973–present :
| Season | Premiers | Score | Runners-up | Coach | Report | Minor Premiers |
| 1973 | Barellan Rams | 41–2 | Goolgowi Rabbitohs | R. Murdoch | | |
| 1974 | Barellan Rams | 27–8 | Hay Magpies | R. Murdoch | | |
| 1975 | Hay Magpies | 25–11 | Goolgowi Rabbitohs | M. Johnston | | |
| 1976 | Barellan Rams | 9–3 | Goolgowi-Merriwagga Rabbitohs | Greg Smith | | |
| 1977 | Goolgowi-Merriwagga Rabbitohs | 23–19 | Hay Magpies | Greg Byrnes | | |
| 1978 | Barellan Rams | 9–5 | Hillston Bluebirds | J. Campbell | | |
| 1979 | Hillston Bluebirds | 16–10 | Rankins Springs Dragons | G. Saddler | | |
| 1980 | Hillston Bluebirds | 27–19 | Rankins Springs Dragons | John Sheridan | | |
| 1981 | Barellan Rams | 27–3 | Hillston Bluebirds | P. O'Brien | | |
| 1982 | Hay Magpies | 23–15 | Hillston Bluebirds | Kevin Goldspink | | |
| 1983 | Hillston Bluebirds | 38–36 | Weethalle Kangaroos | Laurie Townsend | TAN | Hay Magpies |
| 1984 | Barellan Rams | 14–2 | Goolgowi Rabbitohs | Mick Trembath | TAN | Goolgowi Rabbitohs |
| 1985 | Goolgowi Rabbitohs | 8–6 | Hay Magpies | Mick Turner | | Goolgowi Rabbitohs |
| 1986 | Hillston Bluebirds | 16–5 | Barellan Rams | Ray Schaefer | | Hillston Bluebirds |
| 1987 | Hillston Bluebirds | 34–29 | Ivanhoe Roosters | Ray Schaefer | | Hillston Bluebirds |
| 1988 | Hillston Bluebirds | 18–6 | Goolgowi-Merriwagga Rabbitohs | Ray Schaefer | | Hay Magpies |
| 1989 | Hay Magpies | 20–18 | Goolgowi-Merriwagga Rabbitohs | Neil-John Nisbet | | Hay Magpies |
| 1990 | Hay Magpies | 26–14 | Goolgowi-Merriwagga Rabbitohs | Neil-John Nisbet | | Goolgowi Rabbitohs |
| 1991 | Hay Magpies | 14–6 | Hillston Bluebirds | Neil-John Nisbet | | Hay Magpies |
| 1992 | Goolgowi Rabbitohs | 14–0 | Rankins Springs Dragons | John Barzan | TAN | Goolgowi Rabbitohs |
| 1993 | Rankins Springs Dragons* | 34–16 | Hay Magpies | Stuart Vearing | TAN | Rankins Springs Dragons |
| 1994 | Hay Magpies | 27–18 | Hillston Bluebirds | Chris Aylett | TAN YT | Ivanhoe Roosters |
| 1995 | Hay Magpies | 38–10 | Rankins Springs Dragons | Jack Byrnes | TAN YT | Barellan Rams |
| 1996 | Hillston Bluebirds | 22–8 | Whitton Bulls | John Townsend | TAN | Whitton Bulls |
| 1997 | Rankins Springs Dragons | 50–10 | Whitton Bulls | Steve Schmetzer | TAN | Rankins Springs Dragons |
| 1998 | Whitton Bulls | 20–12 | Barellan Rams | James Mason and Shane Bamblett | TAN | Whitton Bulls |
| 1999 | Barellan Rams* | 38–22 | Rankins Springs Dragons | John Waide | | Barellan Rams |
| 2000 | Rankins Springs Dragons | 34–20 | Barellan Rams | Stuart Vearing | TAN | Barellan Rams |
| 2001 | Whitton Bulls | 32–28 | Rankins Springs Dragons | John Pannowitz (Co-coach) | TAN | Whitton Bulls |
| 2002 | Barellan Rams* | 10–7 | Whitton Bulls | Clint Halden | TAN | Barellan Rams |
| 2003 | Barellan Rams | 22–2 | Rankins Springs Dragons | | | Hay Magpies |
| 2004 | Goolgowi Rabbitohs | 26–12 | Barellan Rams | Greg Borger | TAN | Goolgowi Rabbitohs |
| 2005 | Goolgowi Rabbitohs | 31–28 | Hillston Bluebirds | Greg Borger | TAN | Goolgowi Rabbitohs |
| 2006 | Hillston Bluebirds* | 32–0 | Rankins Springs Dragons | Steve Parr | | Hillston Bluebirds |
| 2007–17 hiatus due to drought & not enough clubs |||||||
| 2018 | Rankins Springs Dragons | 16–10 | Goolgowi Rabbitohs | Jamie Parsons & Joshua Curphey | YT TAN | Rankins Springs Dragons |
| 2019 | Goolgowi Rabbitohs | 22–6 | Narrandera Lizards | Alex Brown & John Michael Cahill | TAN | Goolgowi Rabbitohs |
| 2020 season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic |||||||
| 2021 | Rankins Springs Dragons | 10–8 | Goolgowi Rabbitohs | Jamie Parsons & John Power | | Goolgowi Rabbitohs |
| 2022 | Narrandera Lizards | 20–14 | Ivanhoe Roosters | Kye Longford | BFBF RG | Ivanhoe Roosters |
| 2023 | Narrandera Lizards | 20–14 | Ivanhoe Roosters | Kye Longford | BFBF | Narrandera Lizards |
| 2024 | Rankins Springs Dragons | 20–18 | Narrandera Lizards | Damian Walker & Josh Johnston | BFBF | Narrandera Lizards |
The use of (*) indicates that the premiers for that season won the Clayton Cup as the premier team in NSWCRL competitions statewide (regionally, excludes Sydney) for that year.

## Women's Nines Grand Finals

Group 17 Women's Nines Grand Finals 2022–present :
| Season | Premiers | Score | Runners-up | Coach | Report | Minor Premiers |
| 2022 | Narrandera Lizards | 16–0 | Goolgowi Rabbitohs | Owen Jones | BFBF RG | Narrandera Lizards |
| 2023 | Barellan Rams | 16–14 | Ivanhoe Roosters | Sam Everett | BFBF | Barellan Rams |
| 2024 | Barellan Rams | 26–6 | Ivanhoe Roosters | Brittany Everett | BFBF | Barellan Rams |

## Reserve Grade Premiers

Group 17 Reserve Grade Premiers 1970-1994 :
| Season | Premiers | Score | Runners-up |
| 1970 | Hay Magpies | | Hillston Bluebirds |
| 1971 | Goolgowi Rabbitohs | | Barellan Rams |
| 1972 | Hay Magpies | | Goolgowi Rabbitohs |
| 1973 | Barellan Rams | | Goolgowi Rabbitohs |
| 1974 | Barellan Rams | | Goolgowi Rabbitohs |
| 1975 | Finley Tigers | | Deniliquin Blue Heelers |
| 1976 | Ivanhoe Roosters | | Goolgowi Rabbitohs |
| 1977 | Barellan Rams | | Weethalle Kangaroos |
| 1978 | Weethalle Kangaroos | | Ivanhoe Roosters |
| 1979 | Hillston Bluebirds | | Barellan Rams |
| 1980 | Hillston Bluebirds | | Rankins Springs Dragons |
| 1981 | Barellan Rams | | Goolgowi Rabbitohs |
| 1982 | Hillston Bluebirds | | Goolgowi Rabbitohs |
| 1983 | Hay Magpies | | Barellan Rams |
| 1984 | Hay Magpies | | Goolgowi Rabbitohs |
| 1985 | Hay Magpies | | Goolgowi Rabbitohs |
| 1986 | Goolgowi Rabbitohs | | Barellan Rams |
| 1987 | Barellan Rams | | Rankins Springs Dragons |
| 1988 | Goolgowi Rabbitohs | | Barellan Rams |
| 1989 | Goolgowi Rabbitohs | | Hillston Bluebirds |
| 1990 | Weethalle/Three Ways United | | Rankins Springs Dragons |
| 1991 | Rankins Springs Dragons | | Weethalle Kangaroos |
| 1992 | Goolgowi Rabbitohs | | Hillston Bluebirds |
| 1993 | Rankins Springs Dragons | 10-6 | Hay Magpies |
| 1994 | Hillston Bluebirds | 32-8 | Barellan Rams |

## Group 17 Knockout - Ron Hunt Memorial Shield

Group 17 Knockout Winners 1974-1995 :
| Season | Winner |
| 1974 | Barellan Rams |
| 1975 | Goolgowi Rabbitohs |
| 1976 | Goolgowi Rabbitohs |
| 1977 | Hay Magpies |
| 1978 | Barellan Rams |
| 1979 | Hillston Bluebirds |
| 1980 | Hillston Bluebirds |
| 1981 | Barellan Rams |
| 1982 | Euabalong Tigers |
| 1983 | Hay Magpies |
| 1984 | Barellan Rams |
| 1985 | Goolgowi Rabbitohs |
| 1986 | Barellan Rams |
| 1987 | Goolgowi Rabbitohs |
| 1988 | Hay Magpies |
| 1989 | Goolgowi Rabbitohs |
| 1990 | Rankins Springs Dragons |
| 1991 | Hay Magpies |
| 1992 | Goolgowi Rabbitohs |
| 1993 | Rankins Springs Dragons |
| 1994 | Hillston Bluebirds |
| 1995 | Rankins Springs Dragons |

## Best and Fairest Winners
### First Grade

First Grade - Riverine Grazier Medal :
| Season | Player | Club |
| 1971 | Ian Springali | Hay Magpies |
| 1972 | Geoff Langford | Barellan Rams |
| 1973 | Greg Byrnes | Goolgowi Rabbitohs |
| 1973 | Neil Scobie | Hay Magpies |
| 1974 | Mick O'Connor | Deniliquin Blue Heelers |
| 1975 | Ray Hardie | Hillston Bluebirds |
| 1976 | Gary Gray | Griffith Three Ways United |
| 1977 | Neil Scobie | Hay Magpies |
| 1978 | Mick Ireson | Hay Magpies |
| 1979 | Paul McCanna | Rankins Springs Dragons |
| 1979 | Jim Hanlon | Hillston Bluebirds |
| 1980 | | |
| 1981 | Greg Reko | Hillston Bluebirds |
| 1981 | David Robertson | Rankins Springs Dragons |
| 1982 | Robert Matthews | Hay Magpies |
| 1983 | Michael Lewis | Weethalle Kangaroos |
| 1983 | Neil-John Nisbet | Hay Magpies |
| 1984 | Warren Butler | Barellan Rams |
| 1985 | Jim Vitucci | Goolgowi Rabbitohs |
| 1985 | Robert Matthews | Hay Magpies |
| 1986 | Ray Schaefer | Hillston Bluebirds |
| 1987 | Danny Byrnes | Hay Magpies |
| 1988 | Robert Matthews | Hay Magpies |
| 1989 | Wayne Dunbar | Hay Magpies |
| 1989 | Col Pickersgill | Rankins Springs Dragons |
| 1990 | Jim Vitucci | Goolgowi Rabbitohs |
| 1991 | John Woods | Hay Magpies |
| 1992 | Stuart Vearing | Rankins Springs Dragons |
| 1992 | Wayne Basham | Barellan Rams |
| 1993 | Paul Glyde | Rankins Springs Dragons |
| 1994 | Stuart Vearing | Rankins Springs Dragons |
| 1995 | Stuart Vearing | Rankins Springs Dragons |
| 1995 | Charlie Prince | Rankins Springs Dragons |
| 1996 | | |
| 1997 | | |
| 1998 | | |
| 1999 | | |
| 2000 | | |
| 2001 | | |
| 2002 | | |
| 2003 | | |
| 2004 | | |
| 2005 | | |
| 2006 | | |
| Recess 2007-17 |||
| 2018 | | |
| 2019 | | |
| 2020 | Not Awarded - COVID-19 | Not Awarded - COVID-19 |
| 2021 | | |
| 2022 | | |
| 2023 | William Charles | Ivanhoe Roosters |
| 2024 | Oswald Herrmann | Barellan Rams |

### Women's 9s

| Season | Player | Club |
| 2022 | | |
| 2023 | | |
| 2024 | Bobbi-Lee Goolagong | Ivanhoe Roosters |

### Reserve Grade

Reserve Grade - Referees' Association Medal :
| Season | Player | Club |
| 1971 | Ross Hulm | Goolgowi Rabbitohs |
| 1972 | Jock McRae | Hay Magpies |
| 1973 | David Coates | Goolgowi Rabbitohs |
| 1974 | Brian Peters | Deniliquin Blue Heelers |
| 1975 | Brian Peters | Deniliquin Blue Heelers |
| 1976 | Warren Clark | Hillston Bluebirds |
| 1977 | Leigh Heaslip | Weethalle Kangaroos |
| 1978 | Robert Clark | Ivanhoe Roosters |
| 1979 | Neil Baillie | Hillston Bluebirds |
| 1980 | David Robertson | Rankins Springs Dragons |
| 1981 | Max Hutchison | Hillston Bluebirds |
| 1982 | Lionel Garner | Hay Magpies |
| 1983 | Lester Apps | Hillston Bluebirds |
| 1984 | Rob Christian | Rankins Springs Dragons |
| 1985 | | |
| 1986 | David Beazley | Goolgowi Rabbitohs |
| 1987 | Geordie Groat | Rankins Springs Dragons |
| 1988 | Ian Sherer | Hay Magpies |
| 1988 | Wayne Kennedy | Hillston Bluebirds |
| 1989 | Wayne Parsons | Rankins Springs Dragons |
| 1990 | Wayne Parsons | Rankins Springs Dragons |
| 1991 | Glenn Judd | Weethalle Kangaroos |
| 1992 | Jamie Ziebath | Goolgowi Rabbitohs |
| 1993 | Paul Lamont | Rankins Springs Dragons |
| 1993 | Wayne Dunbar | Hay Magpies |
| 1994 | Troy Kennedy | Hillston Bluebirds |
| 1995 | Colin Thorpe | Euabalong Tigers |

## Sources

| Years | Item | Via |
| 1959–70 | Post: 19/07/2022 | Proten Community Cup Facebook |
| 1967–69, 1971–96 | Country Rugby League Annual Report | State Library of NSW |
| 1970 to 1995 | 1995 Carlton Group 17 Grand Final Program | Hard Copy |
| 1983 to 2005 | The Area News | Microfilm copies at State Library of NSW |
| 2003 to 2006 | Rugby League Week | Bound copies at State Library of NSW |
| 2003 to 2006 | Rugby League Week | eResources at State Library of NSW |
| 2018 to 2019 | Various Newspaper Websites | As referenced |
| 2022 | Battlers For Bush Footy | Website |
| 2022 | The Riverine Grazier | Website |