Farebrother-Sullivan Trophy


The Farebrother-Sullivan Trophy is a Fijian rugby union competition open to the regional representative teams of the districts of Fiji.

History

The trophy was offered to the Fiji Rugby Union by JJ Sullivan and AS Farebrother, the latter being the manager of the first Fijian team to play abroad in 1924.
Between 1941 and 1953, this competition was disputed in the form of cup between the regional district teams. Five of them would participate to the first edition in 1941. Since 1954, the competition develops around a match: the holder of the trophy accept the challenges from the other teams and the trophy is attributed to the winning team.
This format is also used in New Zealand, in the Ranfurly Shield. The challenges generally are played at the end of summer and in autumn. In case of draw, the defending champion keeps the trophy. Practically, only the three teams from the first division of the regional competition, the Colonial Cup, compete, but for three times, a team from the inferior division, the B-Division, challenged the defending champion.
Suva, won the trophy between 1941 and 1947, undefeated in 1951. Nadroga dominated the competition in the 1970s, establishing the record of 28 consecutive wins, before Nadi came to join the competition in the 1980s. In the late 1990s, Lautoka and then, Naitasiri, founded in 1998, became the fourth and fifth great names of the competition.

Results

The defending champion is listed first. The victorious challengers are signed with a °
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989
1988
1987
1986
1985
1984
1983
1982
1981
1980
1979
1978
1977
1976
1975
1974
1973
1972
1971
1970
1969
1968
1967
1966
1965
1964
1963
1962
1961
1960
1959
1958
1957
1956
1955
1954
1953
1952
1951
1950
1949
1948
1947
1946
1945
1944
1943
1942
1941
As of 23 September 2008

Title winners

8 Nadi
74 Suva
68 Nadroga
18 Naitasiri
14 Lautoka
11 Tailevu
2 Ovalau
1 Northern Districts
1 Namosi