1907 Canterbury rugby union players Duncan McGregor, ‘Jum’ Turtill, Joseph Lavery and Charles Pearce, Dunedin-born Otago rugby union reps ‘Massa’ Johnston and Tom Cross, and Takaka-born Golden Bay rugby union rep Con Byrne tour with the All Golds.

1908 Otago and Southland play some of New Zealand’s first provincial rugby league matches at Dunedin’s Calendonia Ground and Queens Park in Invercargill.

1908 Canterbury produces first New Zealand rugby league Test captains, Turtill and Pearce.

1910 Southland’s former All Black Ned Hughes and Nelson’s Charles James represent New Zealand in one-off Test against touring England team in Auckland; England plays first match on South Island soil against New Zealand Māori in Nelson.

Con Byrne plays for North Sydney in NSWRL premiership.

1911 Billy Mitchell becomes Canterbury’s fifth international and plays for North Sydney in NSWRL premiership.

1912 Rugby league founded in Canterbury, first provincial games played against Wellington and Hawke’s Bay.

Canterbury plays against an overseas team for the first time, with a Charles Pearce-led team losing 28-15 to a New South Wales side containing pioneering legends Arthur ‘Pony’ Halloway and Frank Burge.

1913 Original four clubs formed (Addington, Sydenham, St Albans, Linwood) and Canterbury inter-club competition starts, with Sydenham the inaugural champions.

First CRL president, Henry Thacker, donates Thacker Shield, first played for with Sydenham defeating Auckland’s North Shore.

Canterbury plays against Auckland for the first time, a 48-12 loss at Victoria Park in Auckland.

1915 West Coast Rugby League formed in June after inaugural West Coast v Canterbury match; Kohinoor leaves West Coast Rugby Union to start senior club competition with Blackball, Hokitika and Grey.

1917 Hornby joins CRL premier competition.

1919 Sydenham Park the venue for first Test match in Christchurch, New Zealand v Australia. Arthur Brundsen becomes Canterbury’s first Test referee.

1920 British tourists play two games at Lancaster Park – one Test against New Zealand and a maiden encounter with Canterbury – as well as a historic clash with West Coast at Greymouth’s Victoria Park.

1921 Rugby league’s only club fixture at Lancaster Park staged.

1922 Waimari, which later becomes Papanui, joins CRL premier competition.

1923 West Coast records historic away win over Wellington.

1924 Third Test between New Zealand and England attracts 14,000-strong crowd to Dunedin’s Tahuna Park.

Canterbury’s Marist Old Boys’ rugby union club switches codes.

1925 Monica Park opened, Canterbury achieve first win over Auckland.

1926 Kiwis touring squad to Britain includes five Canterbury players, two from West Coast, and Otago’s Harry Thomas and South Canterbury’s Bill Devine.

Thacker Shield rules amended from national to South Island basis, with Hornby successfully defending it against Runanga and Otago’s Christian Brothers.

1928 New Zealand v England Tests held at Dunedin’s Caledonia Ground with a crowd of 12,000 and Christchurch’s English Park in front of 21,000 supporters.

British tourists play matches against Buller Region in Westport and West Coast in Greymouth.

1929 Wigan’s Len Mason becomes first Canterbury product to win a Challenge Cup final in Britain.

South Island claims first win over North Island, 22-13.

1930 Jim Calder, Norm Griffiths and Johnny Dodds selected for New Zealand’s tour of Australia, with Mick O’Brien ruled out by a broken leg, reflects West Coast’s increasing strength. Otago and Canterbury also contribute two players each to the squad.

South Island draws 22-all with North Island.

1931 West Coast achieve first win over Canterbury in inaugural Anisy Shield fixture in Greymouth.

Riccarton joins premier competition.

Runanga becomes first West Coast club to win Thacker Shield, defeating Addington – the first of three straight years they would win the annual clash.  

1932 England beats New Zealand in only Test held at Christchurch’s Monica Park.

1934 Northern Union Cup won by Canterbury for the first time.

1936 England plays against South Island for the first time at Addington Showgrounds, winning 17-3.

West Coast defeat Canterbury for the first time in Christchurch.

1937 All Blacks great George Nepia guests at fullback for Hornby and Canterbury.

1946 West Coast records famous 17-8 win over Great Britain ‘Indomitables’ in Greymouth, coached by ex-Kiwi Johnny Dodds; West Coast reps Charlie McBride, Bob Aynsley, Jack Newton and Bill Mountford, and Canterbury’s Arthur Gilman play in New Zealand’s 13-8 one-off Test win at Carlaw Park.

Christchurch club joins premier competition, later becomes Eastern Suburbs (1968) and Aranui (2006), then Eastern Eagles (2018).

South Island carves out record 25-11 win over North Island.

1947 Monica Park recommissioned and renamed Athletic Park; Papanui joins premier competition.

Canterbury’s uncapped Pat Smith chosen as captain of 1947-48 Kiwis tour of Great Britain and France, skippers New Zealand in all 10 of his Test appearances from 1947-49. The squad, coached for Canterbury’s Scotty McClymont, includes seven West Coast players.

1949 Australia plays against South Island for the first time, winning 38-8 in Christchurch.

1950 New Zealand defeat Great Britain 16-10- at Addington Showdgrounds.

1951 Canterbury Rugby League leases Addington Showgrounds.

Canterbury plays France for the first time, losing 13-7 at Addington Showgrounds.

The ‘Blackball Bullet’, Ces Mountford, becomes the first overseas player to win the Lance Todd Trophy as player of the match in the Challenge Cup final at Wembley after helping Wigan to a 10-0 win over Barrow.

Canterbury’s Alistair Atkinson and Lory Blanchard, and West Coast’s Frank Mulcare begin long Kiwis tenures when selected for the tour of Great Britain and France.

1952 West Coast greats George Menzies, Bill McLennan and Frank Mulcare, and Canterbury’s Jimmy Haig, Lory Blanchard and Alister Atkinson feature in Kiwis’ historic Test series victory in Australia, with Canterbury’s Jim Amos the coach.

Marist joins CRL premier competition, later become Marist Western-Suburbs (1968-96).

1953 Canterbury beats American All Stars touring team 39-8, while West Coast beats them 27-10.

Dunedin’s University Oval hosts South Island’s clash with Clive Churchill-led Australia.

New Zealand thrashes Australia 25-5 in nations’ first Test at Addington Showgrounds.

1954 Otago All Black and Canterbury Kiwi Jimmy Haig returns to Otago and captains New Zealand against Great Britain, including in a 20-14 win in first-ever Test match in Greymouth.

1955 Canterbury earns first win over an international opponent, defeating France 24-13 at Addington Showgrounds.

1962 Canterbury’s first Rugby League Cup victory over Auckland.

Mel Cooke becomes first New Zealand Player of the Year winner from Canterbury.

Runanga, coached by former Kiwi Norm Griffiths, contains seven players who gained New Zealand selection.

Future Kiwis Pat White and Mita Mohi become Canterbury’s first New Zealand Māori representatives

1963 Addington Showgrounds venue for first schoolboy international match.

West Coast legend Jock Butterfield, who debuted for New Zealand from CRL club Sydenham in 1954 before returning to Brunner, plays the last of his record 36 Tests and 99 games for the Kiwis.

1964 Six Canterbury players in New Zealand’s 18-8 win over France in Christchurch. Champion Hornby lock Mel Cooke plays the last of his 22 Tests – all in succession – the last eight of which he was captain.

Butterfield and Trevor Kilkelly become first ex-West Coast and Canterbury representatives to feature in NSWRL premiership, playing for Manly.

Kaiapoi joins premier competition, later becomes Northern Bulldogs (2010).

1965 Canterbury plays against Australia for the first and last time, going down 19-4 at Addington Showgrounds.

1967 Playoffs and grand final system introduced to Canterbury club competition, with Hornby beating Addington 17-10 in the inaugural decider to win Pat Smith Trophy.

1968 Canterbury’s Jim Bond captains Kiwis at the World Cup.

1970 First night game played in Canterbury at English Park.

1971 Lory Blanchard coaches Kiwis to international ‘Grand Slam’ (wins over Australia, Great Britain and France).

1974 Lighting installed at Addington Showgrounds for night football.

Former Linwood, Canterbury and Kiwis prop Bill Noonan becomes first New Zealander to appear in a NSWRL grand final in 1974 in Canterbury-Bankstown’s loss to Eastern Suburbs.

1975 Former Kiwi halfback Gary Clarke coaches Canterbury’s first win over Auckland at Carlaw Park.

1976 Canterbury makes first appearance in Australasian Amco Cup knockout tournament.

1977 Nelson-Marlborough team plays as independent district for first time.

1979 Halswell joins CRL premier competition.

West Coast icon Ces Mountford takes over as Kiwis coach.

1980 South Island beats Australia 12-11 in Christchurch.

1981 Eight Cantabrians selected in first Junior Kiwis touring squad.

1982 Canterbury referee controls game three decider of first-ever State of Origin series.

West Coast legend Tony Coll - whose father, Peter, featured in the province’s famous 1946 win over Great Britain - plays the last of 29 Tests for the Kiwis.

1983 Regular midweek inter-schools games played in Christchurch.

Canterbury great Mark Broadhurst’s 17-Test Kiwis tenure concludes with key role in New Zealand’s first win over Australia in 12 years, 19-12 at Lang Park.

1984 Tony Drake becomes first Canterbury referee to control overseas Test match (Australia v Great Britain, Sydney).

Kiwis’ dominant series cleansweep of touring Lions includes 28-12 second-Test win at Addington Showgrounds.

1985 Ray Haffenden-coached Canterbury achieve first Rugby League Cup win in North Island.

Canterbury defeats English club St Helens 30-24 at Addington Showgrounds.

Halfback Glen Gibb last West Coast-based New Zealand representative, touring Great Britain and France with the Kiwis.

1986 Canberra Raiders pay $37,200 transfer fee to sign Linwood, Canterbury and Kiwis prop Brent Todd.

Canterbury’s Robert Moimoi (who transferred from Otago soon before), Richard Setu, Mike Kerrigan and future Kiwi Esene Faimalo chosen in Western Samoa’s Pacific Cup squad.

1988 New Zealand beats Great Britain at Addington Showgrounds to reach World Cup final.

Hornby, Canterbury and Kiwis prop Adrian Shelford plays in the first of three straight Challenge Cup final victories at Wembley for Wigan.

1989 Brent Todd becomes first South Island product to win an Australian premiership, featuring in Canberra’s iconic extra-time win over Balmain.

West Coast pulls off drought-breaking home win over Canterbury.

A crowd of 17,000 attends most recent trans-Tasman Test staged in South Island, Australia’s 26-6 win over New Zealand at Christchurch’s QEII Park.

1990 Frank Endacott coaches Canterbury to victory over Great Britain and Auckland.

1993 Endacott’s Canterbury side thrashes start-studded Auckland 36-12 in national final at packed Addington Showgrounds on arguably the province’s greatest day.

Eight Canterbury-based players – Mark Nixon, Aaron Whittaker, Blair Harding, Whetu Taewa, Brent Stuart, Logan Edwards, Simon Angell and Paul Johnson – selected for Kiwis’ tour of Great Britain and France; Taewa and Stuart originally West Coast products. Overseas professionals Quentin Pongia (West Coast/Canterbury) and Jason Williams (Canterbury) also tour.

1994 Endacott begins record-breaking seven-season term as Kiwis coach.

West Coast-bred, Canterbury Kiwi Quentin Pongia wins NSWRL grand final with Canberra Raiders.

Christchurch City Shiners and Canterbury Cardinals compete in inaugural national Lion Red Cup premiership.

1995 Auckland Warriors pack out Addington Showgrounds for pre-season game; Laura Waretini the tryscoring star of first Kiwi Ferns touring team.

Canterbury junior Jason Williams wins ARL grand final with Canterbury Bulldogs.

Tasman Rugby League founded.

Mel Cooke and George Menzies named among inaugural NZRL Legends of League inductees.

1996 Rugby league returns to Lancaster Park after 75 years in exile for Sydney Tigers’ clash with Auckland Warriors – the first Australian premiership match hosted by Christchurch.

Endacott’s New Zealand side wraps up 3-0 series victory over Great Britain with 32-12 win at Lancaster Park.

1997 Addington Showgrounds becomes Rugby League Park, with 40-year lease.

1998 Five Cantabrians selected in Kiwi Ferns touring team; Quentin Pongia captains unbeaten Kiwis tour of Britain.

Southland records historic first win over West Coast.

2000 Canterbury Bulls win inaugural Bartercard Cup final at Carlaw Park; Mainland Super 10 South Island-wide competition launched.

Mainland Super 10 competition held between CRL clubs and South Island provincial teams, with Tasman defeating Hornby in the final.

Frank Endacott’s then-record 35-Test tenure as Kiwis coach ends with World Cup final loss to Australia.

Lory Blanchard, Charlie McBride, Ces Mountford and Bill McLennan inducted as NZRL Legends of League.

2001 Jock Butterfield inducted as NZRL Legend of League.

2002 Bradford Bulls’ Tevita Vaikona becomes first Canterbury product to win an English Super League grand final.

Former Kiwi halfback Aaron Whittaker captains Riccarton to first CRL premiership and sets grand final records with five tries and 32 points.

2003 Bartercard Cup regained by Canterbury Bulls at Mt Smart Stadium, beating Marist Richmond Brothers in the final.

2004 The first of three annual NRL premiership fixtures between the Warriors and ‘home’ team Wests Tigers are played at Lancaster Park, each attracting crowds in excess of 14,000.

Canterbury beats Russia, which makes a four-match South Island tour; Celebration joins CRL premier competition.

2005 Invercargill-born Kiwis rep Dene Halatau wins NRL grand final with Wests Tigers.

2006 Canterbury Bulls play Counties-Manukau in televised match at Jade Stadium.

Test football returns to Christchurch after a decade’s absence, with New Zealand defeating Great Britain 18-14 in a Tri-Nations match at Jade Stadium (Lancaster Park).

2007 Canterbury’s Mel Cooke (lock) and West Coast’s George Menzies (five-eighth) and Jock Butterfield (hooker) named in NZRL Team of the Century.

Tony Coll, Frank Mulcare and Pat Smith inducted as NZRL Legends of League.

2008 Nelson’s Simon Mannering and Christchurch-born Jeremy Smith feature in Kiwis’ first-ever World Cup final victory, 34-20 over the Kangaroos in Brisbane.

2009 Campaign to save Rugby League Park succeeds after Christchurch City Council plans to ‘retire’ Rugby League Park.

Canterbury defeats Auckland 26-20 in Bartercard Premiership final at Rugby League Park.

Hornby junior David Kidwell becomes first South Islander to play 200 NRL games after stints with Adelaide, Parramatta, Sydney Roosters, Melbourne and South Sydney.

2010 AMI Stadium (Lancaster Park) hosts New Zealand Warriors v Sydney Roosters NRL epic; first of several major earthquakes damages Rugby League Park.

2011 Second massive earthquake forces closure of Rugby League Park; 45th CRL grand final played at Denton Oval after previous 44 at Addington.

A crowd of 6,500 pack Greymouth’s Wingham Park for Warriors v Newcastle NRL pre-seson trial to raise money for Pike River mining relief fund.

Riccarton Knights product Lewis Brown and Northern Bulldogs junior Matt Duffie debut together for Kiwis.

Nelson product Simon Mannering captains Warriors side including Brown to NRL grand final.  

South Island Scorpions reached final of NZRL National Competition, losing to Auckland Pride.

2012 Temporary stadium replaces the demolished Rugby League Park, where Crusaders Super Rugby team takes up residence following irreparable damage to Lancaster Park.

2013 Alister Atkinson, Mocky Brereton, Mark Broadhurst and Jimmy Haig inducted as NZRL Legends of League.

2014 Canterbury Bulls win the National Competition, defeating Waicoa Bay Stallions in the final.

A crowd of 15,000 attends Warriors-Broncos NRL pre-season trial in Dunedin.

Dunedin hosts first Kiwis Test in 86 years, with New Zealand edging Great Britain under the roof at Forsyth Barr Stadium to reach the Four Nations final.

2015 CRL grand final and Canterbury Bulls games return to Rugby League Park, now renamed AMI Stadium.

2016 NRL returns to Christchurch as Penrith Panthers bring home game against New Zealand Warriors to AMI Stadium, with an 18,000-strong sell-out attending the match.

Canterbury product David Kidwell succeeds Stephen Kearney as Kiwis coach.

Aoraki Rugby League established to administer code in Mid Canterbury and South Canterbury.

2017 Dunedin hosts NRL match for the first time between the Warriors and Canterbury-Bankstown.

Christchurch hosts two Rugby League World Cup games: New Zealand v Scotland pool game and Tonga v Lebanon quarter-final.

Simon Mannering plays last of 45 Tests for New Zealand.

2018 Cobden-Kohinoor (West Coast) junior Slade Griffin and Aranui (Canterbury) junior and Dally M Rookie of the Year Jamayne Isaako debut together in New Zealand’s Test against Great Britain in Denver.

Manly Sea Eagles bring their NRL home game to Rugby League Park, with 17,357 turning out for the clash with the Warriors. Ngāi Tahu unveil the special taonga Te Ātanga, the Broadhurst-Shelford Trophy, honouring two Canterbury greats and former Manly players.

Last grand final played at Rugby League Park, with Linwood overcoming Papanui in an epic women’s decider and Linwood defeating Hornby in an instant classic Pat Smith Trophy showdown.

Retiring Simon Mannering becomes first South Islander to play 300 games in Australian premiership and first to reach that milestone for the Warriors.

2019 CRL adopts the new Ngā Puna Wai Sports Hub as its home; fixtures in the first season include Canterbury Bulls versus Warriors ISP team, NSW Country and Samoa, Canterbury 19s versus France U19s, and a four-match Grand Final Day.

Manly and the Warriors play an NRL premiership fixture at Rugby League Park for the second straight year; players visit Al Noor Mosque and come together for emotional on-field tribute following terror attacks in Christchurch two weeks earlier.

Kiwis seal 2-0 sweep of Great Britain with 23-8 win at Orangetheory Stadium (Rugby League Park) in Christchurch, with Isaako kicking 11 points and Burnham junior Kodi Nikorima coming off the bench.

2020 Linwood Keas win a record fifth straight Grand Final, edging out Northern Bulldogs in a thriller at Ngā Puna Wai to complete a club season significantly impact by the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021 Otago achieves first away win over Canterbury in 92 years at Ngā Puna Wai.

2022 Invercargill-born Hailee-Jay Maunsell debuts for Kiwi Ferns after breaking into NRLW the previous season with Gold Coast Titans.

Quentin Pongia inducted into NZRL Legends of League.

2023 Jamayne Isaako becomes first player in 33 years to top NRL’s tryscoring and pointscoring charts in the same season, scoring 24 tries and 244 points for fledgling expansion club the Dolphins.

West Coast product Griffin Neame and Hornby junior Fa’amanu Brown debut for New Zealand in the Pacific Championships, helping the Kiwis to a 30-0 triumph over the Kangaroos in the final alongside recalled Isaako.

Thacker Shield reintroduced in challenge format; Greymouth Greyhounds become first holders under new system, beating Papanui Tigers in CRL Canterbury Cup Premier Reserves competition.

Christchurch’s St Thomas’ of Canterbury College becomes first non-Auckland school in 24 years to win NZRL National Secondary Schools Tournament.

South Island NRL Bid officially launches.

2024 Two sellouts at Christchurch’s Apollo Projects Stadium (Rugby League Park) in space of a month for Warriors’ pre-season fixture against Wests Tigers and NRL premiership match against Canberra.

Canterbury juniors Lennox Tuiloma and Isaiah Savea, and Otago product Kairus Booth feature in Warriors’ grand final victory over Western Suburbs Magpies in club’s maiden Harold Matthews Cup (NSWRL under-17s) campaign.