QLD Cup Rugby Betting Guide
The Queensland Cup is the premier regional rugby league competition in Queensland, featuring 15 rugby league clubs that compete for silverware across 24 weeks. Beginning in February with preseason, the QLD Cup rugby league regular season is played until the end of August.
Fans are treated to the Queensland Cup Grand Finals series in September, as eight of the 15 teams battle to get their hands on the trophy. Many of the NRL’s future stars are produced by the Queensland Cup rugby league and its teams.
The competition is popular with rugby league fans and rugby bettors. It delivers six months of exciting action and heart-pumping thrills. Let’s learn more about the QLD Cup.
How To Bet on QLD Cup at LeoVegas New Zealand
The Queensland Cup is much-loved amongst rugby league punters. With matches taking place every weekend during the regular season, the QLD Cup provides bettors with plenty of chances to win big on rugby league games. Placing a bet on the QLD Cup at LeoVegas New Zealand couldn’t be easier.
- Simply log into your account and visit the LeoVegas rugby section.
- Click on Queensland Cup rugby to view the markets.
- Locate your preferred match, click on it, and check out the different markets
- Add the market of your choice to your bet slip.
- Enter your stake, double check your bet, and hit ‘bet’.Now, sit back and watch the hard-hitting action of the QLD Cup.
Structure of Queensland Cup Rugby
The Queensland Cup rugby competition consists of 13 teams from the state of Queensland. In addition, the competition has one team from New South Wales and a club from Papua New Guinea. Altogether, 15 teams participate in the rugby league tournament each season.
The QLD Cup’s current clubs:
- Brisbane Tigers
- Burleigh Bears
- Central Capras
- Ipswich Jets
- Mackay Cutters
- Northern Pride
- Norths Devils
- PNG Hunters
- Redcliffe Dragons
- Souths Logan
- Magpies Sunshine
- Coast Falcons
- Townsville Blackhawks
- Tweed Seagulls
- Western Clydesdales
- Wynnum Manly Seagulls
The Queensland Cup rugby competition doesn’t have promotion and relegation. The league has a closed system with the same 15 teams competing annually. Thirteen teams have withdrawn from the competition over the years, due to a variety of reasons, including financial issues.
Teams begin preseason for the QLD Cup in February and the regular season kicks off at the beginning of March. The regional rugby league runs for six months and concludes in August. Seven matches take place each weekend, with games played on Saturdays and Sundays. One team receives a bye each round.
The top eight teams at the end of the regular season qualify for the playoffs or finals series, which take place in September and whittle the teams down to the final two. The two clubs left standing compete in the QLD Cup Grand Final at the end of September.
Queensland Cup Teams: Battling for Glory
No team has won more QLD Cup Grand Finals than the Redcliffe Dolphins. The Dolphins have appeared in 13 Grand Final matches, winning on six occasions. Redcliffe last won a QLD Cup Grand Final match in 2018, and ended the 2022 season as runner-up. The club has experienced a title drought in recent campaigns.
Founded in 1947, the Redcliffe Dolphins have a long history in rugby league. The club’s success has led to a spin-off team, known simply as the Dolphins, competing in the NRL.
The Norths Devils are the QLD Cup rugby league’s current dynasty. The Devils won the 2021 and 2022 Grand Finals, their second and third victory, respectively. Norths Devils are just one Grand Final title off the Burleigh Bears. The Bears have won the second-most QLD Cup trophies: four.
Queensland Cup Betting Markets
Bookmakers provide a variety of markets for the Queensland Cup rugby league competition. Bettors can start the season with a wager on the outright Grand Final winner. This is a bet on the team you predict will win the Grand Final before the campaign starts.
Some bookmakers offer the outright Grand Final betting market throughout the season until the playoffs start in September. It goes without saying that the odds change throughout the season. Placing an outright winner bet before the season starts is a great way to lock in the odds.
Once the season starts, you can place bets every week on individual match markets. Bookmakers present a variety of markets for each QLD Cup match. Wagering options include ‘to win’, handicap, winning margin, and many more.
The most popular betting market for QLD Cup matches is the ‘to win’ bet. Simply wager on the team you expect to win the match. If the team wins, your bet is successful. Bookmakers also offer bet builders for some rugby matches along with team bets. There is always something to wager on when it comes to the Queensland Cup.
The Origins of Queensland Cup Rugby
The Queensland Cup was created in 1996, as a second-tier rugby competition. It aimed to provide a platform for aspiring players to display their skills, enabling youngsters to potentially earn a place with a team higher up the pro rugby ranks.
In addition, the Queensland Cup was established as the highest tier of rugby in the region of Queensland. The intense action quickly made the Queensland Cup a big favorite amongst local fans. Its popularity also increased when the Brisbane Rugby League folded two years after the Queensland Cup’s creation.
The competition saw several challenges in the early years. In 1997, just one year after the start, three clubs withdrew from the Queensland Cup. By 1998 however, the tournament had become the region’s top-tier rugby competition. Despite its popularity, multiple teams joined and left the Queensland Cup during the formative years. In 2003, the cup expanded into New South Wales, while a team from Papua New Guinea joined in 2014.
The league currently features 15 teams. Thirteen of the participating clubs are based in Queensland, along with a team from Papua New Guinea, plus one from New South Wales. Retaining clubs is one of the Queensland Cup’s biggest issues as thirteen teams dropped out over the years.
Recent Winners of the Queensland Cup
A regular season competition and a postseason determine the champion of the Queensland Cup. Qualification for the playoffs is based on points and a ladder system. The Grand Finals winner is crowned the Premiers of the competition.
- Toowoomba Clydesdales 1996
- Redcliffe Dolphins 1997
- Norths Devils 1998
- Burleigh Bears 1999
- Redcliffe Dolphins 2000
- Toowoomba Clydesdales 2001
- Redcliffe Dolphins 2002
- Redcliffe Dolphins 2003
- Burleigh Bears 2004
- North Queensland Young Guns 2005
- Redcliffe Dolphins 2006
- Tweed Seagulls 2007
- Souths Logan Magpies 2008
- Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles 2009
- Northern Queensland Pride 2010
- Wynnum Manly Seagulls 2011
- Wynnum Manly Seagulls 2012
- Mackay Cutters 2013
- Northern Queensland Pride 2014
- Ipswich Jets 2015
- Burleigh Bears 2016
- PNG Hunters 2017
- Redcliffe Dolphins 2018
- Burleigh Bears 2019
- NO QLD Cup Rugby 2020
- Norths Devils 2021
- Norths Devils 2022
Queensland Cup Rugby FAQs
What is the Queensland Cup Rugby?
The Queensland Cup Rugby competition is a rugby league tournament held in Queensland each year. The competition is the highest tier of regional rugby in Queensland.
How many teams participate in the competition?
The Queensland Cup consists of 15 teams, 13 from Queensland, one from New South Wales, and one from Papua New Guinea.
Who has won the Queensland Cup the most?
With six titles, the Redcliffe Dolphins are the leading all-time winners in Queensland Cup rugby history, followed by the Burleigh Bears that celebrated four trophies.
How does the promotion and relegation system work?
The Queensland Cup rugby competition does not have promotion or relegation. It is a closed system and features the same 15 teams each season unless a team cannot compete due to financial reasons.
What is the significance of the Queensland Cup in player development?
The Queensland Cup is a competition that develops and prepares players to move onto higher levels of rugby league. It also signs players who have competed at various higher levels in Australia or overseas. Due to the amount of money NRL teams can pay players, Queensland Cup players can be poached at the end of a season. For the most part, the competition is seen as a development pathway into NRL.
Are there any notable players who have risen from the Queensland Cup to the NRL?
Players have played in both competitions, with some succeeding in NRL after playing in the Queensland Cup. Chris Walker played during the 2000 Queensland Cup and later went on to play for the NRL’s Sydney Roosters, Melbourne Storm, and Parramatta Eels, to name a few teams. Shane Perry played for the Redcliffe Dolphins before moving on to the Brisbane Broncos. These are just two examples of NRL players who competed in the regional competition.
How can I watch Queensland rugby league?
Rugby fans can stream the Queensland Rugby League via the Qplus.tv app. Australia’s Channel 9 also broadcasts a selection of matches.