City New South Wales rugby league team

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The Sydney Rugby League team, known as the City Rugby League team, or Sydney Firsts, or Sydney Capitals, is a representative rugby league team. From 2021, the men's team is to consist of players selected from the New South Wales Rugby League Ron Massey Cup competition to play against a combined team selected from Country, New South Wales competitions. The women's team is selected on a region of origin basis from the NSWRL Women's Premiership.

City
Team information
Governing bodyNew South Wales Rugby League
Head coachBrad Fittler
CaptainPaul Gallen
Most caps12Joe Pearce
Top try-scorer11Brian Carlson
Top point-scorer91Michael Cronin
Team results
First game
City 29–8 Country
(10 June 1911)
First City vs Country Origin
City Origin 30–22 Country Origin
(16 May 1987)
Biggest win
City 55–2 Country (17 May 1980)
Biggest defeat
Country Origin 42–10 City Origin (8 June 2001)

The reorganisation in 2021 means the Sydney / City team is selected from a third-tier competition, as the Ron Massey Cup sits below the first-tier National Rugby League and the second-tier New South Wales Cup. Previously, the Sydney / City team was selected from the first-tier competition. The first match by a Sydney Metropolitan team was held in 1909 against New Zealand. The first match against a Country representative team was held in 1911. Matches by Sydney against international touring teams continued until the 1970s. Annual matches by City against Country were played in most years until 1993. A City vs Country Origin match was introduced in 1987 and this ran until 2017, with a three season hiatus in the years 1998 to 2000.

History

The New South Wales City team first competed against New South Wales Country on 10 June 1911 which City won 2–8. The first time the match was made an annual event began in 1928 with NSW Country defeating City 35–34.

A Sydney team was assembled for the 1953 American All Stars tour of Australia and New Zealand. The first City V Country origin match occurred on 16 May 1987 with City running out winners 30–22.

In 2016, it was announced by the NRL that the City V Country fixture was to be scrapped beyond the 2017 season. The reasons behind the decision were to clubs pulling their players out of the match and others cited player drain as a reason for the fixture to be culled. There was also a sentiment that the fixture had gone from being a genuine audition match for a potential New South Wales origin jersey to being a regular game as most of the New South Wales side had already been picked prior to the match starting.[1]

On 14 May 2017, the final City v Country fixture was played with NSW City defeating Country 20–8.[2][3]

Overall, New South Wales City were much more successful than New South Wales Country winning a total of 68 games in the annual fixture as opposed to Country's 22 wins with City winning each year from 1976 to 1991.

Location

Any players whose junior football was played for a club within the greater area of Sydney city is deemed eligible to play for the City RL. Meanwhile, anyone from outside the Sydney area can be considered for selection for Country RL Team.

Men's City v Country Match

2022 Squad

The City squad for the 2022 Open Age Men's match against Country. The team is coached by Brett Cook.[4]

J#PositionPlayerRon Massey Cup Club
1Five-eighthClayton Faulalo Wentworthville Magpies
2WingEparama Navale Mounties
3Centre, Five-eighthEli Roberts Hills District Bulls
4CentreRaymond Lesoa St Marys Saints
5WingEdward Aiono St Marys Saints
6Five-eighth, HalfbackKeiran Hayman Hills District Bulls
7HalfbackJesse Marschke Hills District Bulls
8PropAntonio Pelesasa St Marys Saints
9HookerBrad Keighran Hills District Bulls
10PropNiko Apelu Wentworthville Magpies
11Second-rowSteven Tavita Hills District Bulls
12Second-rowPatrick Hollis St Marys Saints
13LockDenzal Tonise Hills District Bulls
14interchange, HookerJarrod Brackenhofer St Marys Saints
15interchange, Second-rowJoe Vaegaau St Marys Saints
16interchange, Second-rowCleveland McGhie Ryde-Eastwood Hawks
17interchange, PropD'rhys Miller Western Suburbs Magpies
18interchange, LockLopeti Mafi Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles

Note: Eli Levido, Manaia Rudolph, Caleb Uele (all Glebe) and Semisi Kioa (Mounties) were named in the selected squad but are not named in the programme.

Women's City vs Country Match

City v Country Women's matches were occasionally played prior to the re-introduction of a stand-alone match in 2017. In 2018 and 2019 the games were played within the National Championships. The 2020 National Championships were cancelled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Australia. In 2021 the National Championships were reorganised, and an open age City v Country Women's Origin was scheduled separately from the National Championships.

2022 Squad

The following players were selected in the City Origin Women's team to play on 14 May 2022 at 4 Pines Park.[4] The team was coached by Darrin Borthwick.

J#Player2022 State ClubPosition(s)CityNRLW2021 StateInterstateTestsAll
Stars
DbtSMTGPtsDbtSMTGPts2018201920202021
1Jaime Chapman Tweed HeadsFullback110002020293012 3m 6m 3t 4m 1t 2m 2t
2Taina Naividi MountiesWing202122000202115000 5m 10m 9t
3Mareva Swann MountiesCentre1100000000 8m 6t
4Andie Robinson CronullaCentre1110400000 9m 4t
5Leianne Fiaoo CronullaCentre, Wing11000202117208 7m 2t 11m 11t 1m 1t
6Emily Curtain Wests TigersFive-eighth11000202113104 3m 1t 10m 6t 32g
7Maddie Studdon CronullaHalfback20184821436201841311535 2m 4m 8g 2m 5m 1t 7g 9m 3t 45g 7m 1t 7g 6m 1t 13g 3m 2g
8Filomina Hanisi MountiesProp202022000202029000 4m 5m 9m 2m 1t
9Renee Targett North SydneyHooker202122000202116000 6m 10m
10Tommaya Kelly-Sines MountiesProp202122000202114000 4m 7m 2t 2m 1t
11Shaylee Bent Wynnum ManlySecond-row2019131042019313208 4m 1t 2m 7m 1t 6m 1m 4m
12Talei Holmes CronullaSecond-row202022000202027000 3m 4m 11m 13t 1m
13Kennedy Cherrington CronullaLock202022000202029000 4m 5m 10m 3t 1m 2m
14Shirley Mailangi South Sydneyinterchange, Hooker202122000202115000 5m 11m 4t 1g
15Fatafehi Hanisi Mountiesinterchange, Prop1100000000 2m
16Christian Pio Wests Tigersinterchange, Prop202122000202114208 4m 2t 10m 2t
17Brooke Anderson Cronullainterchange1100000000
18Tayla Preston Wests TigersFive-eighth1100000000 6m 2t 6g
19Rima Pirini Butler Wentworthvilleinterchange, Prop1100000000 9m 3t
Jocephy Daniels MountiesCentre202111208202113000 3m 10m 12t 1m
Aliti Namoce Sagano North SydneySecond-row, Prop201923000201927000 3m 4m 6m 3t

Match Details

15 May 2021
2:35 PM
City Origin40 – 16Country Origin
Tries: 9
Jessica Sergis 3
Shanice Parker 2
Jocephy Daniels 2
Tiana Penitani
Corban Baxter
Goals: 2
Maddie Studdon 2
Report[5]
Tries: 3
Jocelyn Kelleher
Tayla Predebon
Rachael Pearson
Goals: 2
Rachael Pearson 2
Bankwest Stadium,
Parramatta, New South Wales
Referee: Cameron Turner
Player of the Match: Jessica Sergis

2017 final City vs Country Origin Match

Squad

City NSW rugby league team
2017 squadCoaching staff

Head coach



Legend:
  • (c) Captain(s)
  • (vc) Vice-captain(s)



Match Details

7 May 2017
4:00pm (AEST)
Country Origin10 – 20City Origin
Tries:
Anthony Don (36') 1
Adam Elliott (58') 1
Goals:
Michael Gordon 1/2
(38')
[6]
Tries:
1 (10') David Gower
1 (49') James Tamou
1 (80') Bryce Cartwright
Goals:
3/3 Clint Gutherson
(12', 40' pen, 51')
1/1 Paul Gallen
(80')
Glen Willow Regional Sports Stadium,
Mudgee, New South Wales
Attendance: 8,322
Referee: Ashley Klein, Alan Shortall
Player of the Match: James Tamou

See also

References