The Bulimba Cup was an Australian rugby league football competition contested by the Brisbane, Ipswich and Toowoomba representative rugby league sides during the mid 20th century. In 1931, a team from Lismore, New South Wales participated. It was first contested in 1925 but was cancelled in 1972 due to waning public interest caused by a greater focus on Brisbane club football.
The competition was normally played as a round-robin with each team playing each other twice. On the rare occasions when teams finished evenly at the conclusion of 6 games, a playoff was held to determine the winner. From 1969 onwards, a final was held.
In 2005 the Queensland Rugby League issued a commemorative jersey to celebrate the 80th anniversary of this competition.[2]
Winners
The competition has been won by Brisbane 19 times, Toowoomba 16 times and Ipswich 11 times.
Herb Steinohrt tackling a Brisbane player in the Bulimba Cup in the 1920s
List of Bulimba Cup Champions:
1925: Toowoomba
1926: Ipswich
1927: Toowoomba
1928: Toowoomba
1929: Ipswich
1930: Brisbane
1931: Brisbane defeated Toowoomba 24 – 13
1932: Brisbane
1933: Ipswich
1934: Ipswich
1935: Ipswich
1936: Toowoomba
1937: Ipswich
1938: Ipswich
1939: Ipswich
1940: Brisbane
1941: Brisbane
1942: Not contested due to WWII
1943: Not contested due to WWII
1944: Toowoomba
1945: Toowoomba
1946: Brisbane
1947: Brisbane
1948: Brisbane
1949: Brisbane
1950: Brisbane
1951: Toowoomba
1952: Toowoomba
1953: Toowoomba
1954: Toowoomba
1955: Toowoomba
1956: Toowoomba
1957: Ipswich
1958: Ipswich defeated Toowoomba 15 – 10
1959: Toowoomba defeated Ipswich 10 – 7
1960: Toowoomba
1961: Brisbane
1962: Brisbane
1963: Brisbane
1964: Brisbane
1965: Toowoomba
1966: Ipswich defeated Brisbane 7 – 2
1967: Brisbane
1968: Brisbane
1969: Brisbane defeated Toowoomba 27 – 8
1970: Toowoomba defeated Brisbane 18 – 17
1971: Brisbane defeated Toowoomba 22 – 13
1972: Brisbane defeated Toowoomba 55 – 2 at Lang Park[3]
