1917 New Zealand rugby league season
The 1917 New Zealand rugby league season was the tenth season of rugby league that had been played in New Zealand.
International competitions[]
New Zealand played in no international matches in 1917.
National competitions[]
Northern Union Cup[]
Auckland again held the Northern Union Cup at the end of the season.
Club competitions[]
Auckland[]
Ponsonby United won the Auckland Rugby League's competition and the Roope Rooster.[1]
The Auckland Rugby Union champions, Railway (themselves a War time combination of the Marist and City clubs), split with a breakaway group led by Conrad McDevitt challenging Ponsonby United to a game of rugby league. Railway XIII, who included most of the club's leading players, defeated Ponsonby United 12-3 at the Auckland Domain. They then lost to the City Rovers 6-18. Railway XIII included Ces Dacre, who later represented New Zealand at cricket.[2] In 1918 the club merged with Grafton Athletic. McDevitt was later involved in the formation of the Marist club in 1919.[2]
Canterbury[]
Sydenham won the Canterbury Rugby League's competition, for which they were awarded the Thacker Shield.[1]
Federal, Hornby, Linwood and Sydenham were the only senior teams.
During the year former Canterbury captain and New Zealand international Bill Bussell was killed in action.[3]
Other Competitions[]
The Wellington Rugby League's competition was suspended from 1916 until 1918.
References[]
- New Zealand rugby league seasons
- 1917 in New Zealand rugby league