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South Pacific Championship

For other events known as the South Pacific Championships, see South Pacific Championships.

The South Pacific Championship (also known as SPC) was a rugby union competition that was introduced in 1986 and contested through to 1990. The competition featured six teams - three provinces from New Zealand; Auckland, Canterbury and Wellington, two Australian teams; Queensland and New South Wales, and one team representing Pacific Island rugby, Fiji.

South Pacific Championship
SportRugby union football
Inaugural season1986
Ceased1990
Replaced bySuper 6 (1992)
Super 10 (1993)
Number of teams6
CountryAustralia (2 teams)
Fiji (1 team)
New Zealand (3 teams)
HoldersAuckland (1990)
Most titlesAuckland (4 titles)
Broadcast partner
Related competition

The South Pacific Championship was the predecessor of the Super 6 and Super 10, as well as the professional-era Super 12 and Super 14 tournaments that subsequently expanded to become the Super Rugby competition.

Background

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The AGC South Pacific Championship was organised by the New South Wales Rugby Union (NSWRU) on an invitational basis. The impetus for starting the competition was to provide regular matches for the New South Wales and Queensland teams in an attempt to compete against rugby league football - which was expanding its domestic competition in Australia.[1]

The New Zealand provincial teams Auckland and Canterbury were invited into the competition due to their close links with the New South Wales and Queensland unions respectively. A third New Zealand team, Wellington, was invited due to having an international airport in the city. Fiji was also invited into the competition as, at the time, it was the most competitive of the Pacific rugby teams.

History

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The South Pacific Championship was dominated by New Zealand teams and, most particularly, by Auckland. Canterbury won the first title in 1986 and shared the second title with Auckland in 1987, but then Auckland won outright for the next three seasons in a row.[1]

The competition collapsed five years after it began, when the NSWRU found itself in financial difficulties before the 1991 season was started.[1]

SPC

Championship Winner:

  • 1986 Canterbury
  • 1987 Auckland and Canterbury
  • 1988 Auckland
  • 1989 Auckland
  • 1990 Auckland
  • 1991 No competition

Relaunch

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After the demise of the South Pacific Championship, with no tournament played in 1991, the competition was relaunched as the Super 6 in 1992. This followed a resurgence of rugby fortunes after the 1991 Rugby World Cup. The Super 6 title was won by Queensland (Australia) in 1992.[1]

In 1993, the competition was revamped and expanded into the Super 10. South Africa's top three provincial teams were included and a fourth New Zealand province was added. Western Samoa, being the winner of the Pacific Tri-Nations, replaced Fiji. The Super 10 was won by Transvaal (South Africa) in 1993, and by Queensland (Australia) in 1994 and 1995.[1][2]

Super 6

Championship Winner:

  • 1992 Queensland
Super 10
Further information: Super 10 Rugby

Championship Winner:

  • 1993 Transvaal
  • 1994 Queensland
  • 1995 Queensland

1986 season

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Standings
1986 South Pacific Championship
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD BP Pts
1   Canterbury 5 4 0 1 93 56 +37 1 17
2   Queensland 5 3 0 2 73 77 -2 1 13
3   Auckland 5 3 0 2 100 74 +24 0 12
4   New South Wales 5 3 0 2 112 103 +9 0 12
5   Wellington 5 2 0 3 110 92 +18 1 9
6   Fiji 5 0 0 5 54 140 -86 1 1
Source: rugbyarchive.net
The top team (in green) after the round-robin is the championship winner.

1987 season

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Standings
1987 South Pacific Championship
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD BP Pts
1   Auckland 5 4 0 1 175 79 +96 1 17
1   Canterbury 5 4 0 1 121 92 +29 1 17
3   Queensland 5 3 0 2 129 96 +33 1 13
4   New South Wales 5 3 0 2 112 95 +17 1 13
5   Fiji 5 1 0 4 69 181 −112 2 6
6   Wellington 5 0 0 5 87 150 −63 1 1
Source: rugbyarchive.net
The top team (in green) after the round-robin is the championship winner.

1988 season

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Standings
1988 South Pacific Championship
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD BP Pts
1   Auckland 5 5 0 0 189 51 +138 0 20
2   Wellington 5 3 0 2 88 139 –51 0 12
3   New South Wales 5 2 0 3 118 123 −5 1 9
4   Canterbury 5 2 0 3 88 107 −19 1 9
5   Fiji 5 2 0 3 94 101 −7 0 8
6   Queensland 5 1 0 4 84 140 −56 1 5
Source: rugbyarchive.net
The top team (in green) after the round-robin is the championship winner.

1989 season

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Standings
1989 South Pacific Championship
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD BP Pts
1   Auckland 5 4 0 1 191 58 +133 1 17
2   New South Wales 5 4 0 1 99 92 +7 0 16
3   Queensland 5 3 0 2 119 78 +41 0 12
4   Wellington 5 2 0 3 94 138 −44 1 9
5   Fiji 5 2 0 3 70 171 −101 0 8
6   Canterbury 5 0 0 5 92 128 −36 3 3
Source: rugbyarchive.net
The top team (in green) after the round-robin is the championship winner.

1990 season

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Standings
1990 South Pacific Championship
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD BP Pts
1   Auckland 5 5 0 0 188 54 +134 0 20
2   Queensland 5 4 0 1 135 68 +67 0 16
3   New South Wales 5 3 0 2 83 124 −41 0 12
4   Wellington 5 1 0 4 94 173 −79 1 5
5   Canterbury 5 1 0 4 86 131 −45 1 5
6   Fiji 5 1 0 4 66 102 −36 1 5
Source: rugbyarchive.net
The top team (in green) after the round-robin is the championship winner.

1992 Super 6

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The South Pacific Championship was relaunched as the Super 6 in 1992. Queensland won the title,[1] in an undefeated Super 6 season for the Australian province.

The competition was the predecessor of the Super 10 that launched the following year in 1993 to include South African provinces. The Super 10 was, in turn, the predecessor of the Super 12, Super 14 and Super Rugby tournaments in the professional era of rugby union which started in 1996.

Standings
1992 Super 6
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD BP Pts
1   Queensland 5 5 0 0 120 58 +62 0 20
2   Auckland 5 4 0 1 115 49 +66 0 16
3   New South Wales 5 3 0 2 150 99 +51 1 13
4   Wellington 5 1 0 4 99 132 −33 0 4
5   Canterbury 5 1 0 4 72 119 −47 0 4
6   Fiji 5 1 0 4 63 162 −99 0 4
Source: rugbyarchive.net
The top team (in green) after the round-robin is the championship winner.
Matches
Canterbury  10–22  Auckland
Christchurch
29 March 1992
Queensland  23–6  Wellington
Ballymore
4 April 1992
Fiji  0–29  Auckland
Suva
5 April 1992
Canterbury  31–20  Wellington
Christchurch
11 April 1992
Fiji  9–21  Queensland
Suva
2 May 1992
Fiji  38–17  Canterbury
Suva
3 May 1992
Queensland  27–15  Auckland
Ballymore
3 May 1992
Wellington  18–35  New South Wales
Wellington
5 May 1992
Canterbury  14–35  New South Wales
Christchurch
10 May 1992
Auckland  38–10  New South Wales
Auckland
10 May 1992
Canterbury  10–26  Queensland
Christchurch
17 May 1992
Auckland  33–12  Wellington
Wellington
17 May 1992
New South Wales  52–6  Fiji
Concord Oval
24 May 1992
Queensland  23–18  New South Wales
Ballymore
24 May 1992
Wellington  43–10  Fiji
Wellington

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Tri Nations: The History". Rugby365. 26 July 2001. Archived from the original on 9 April 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  2. ^ "History of the Super Competition". SARFU Archives. SARFU Media Unit. 9 February 2000. Archived from the original on 18 July 2012.

Bibliography

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