Did you have a Winfield Cup season fixture card?

BY JAMES SMITH

Remember this absolute beauty? 

Back in the days before the NRL app, about the only ways rugby league fans were able to send to run their eyes over the season draw and analyse their team's opponents was either via a giant wall chart from a newspaper, in the weekly Big League magazine or the Friday rugby league lift-out in the dailies ahead of the weekend. 

Or there was the Winfield Cup season fixture card, of course!

From very shoddy memory, these things were available everywhere, from inside newspapers, at servos, post offices and fish 'n' chip shops. 

Never be left wondering who your team is playing ever again ...

How it worked was, a yellow card with the season draw on it slid through .... you can probably work it all out for yourself judging by the pictures. 

What it all meant was you could carry around the season draw in your wallet or purse or back pocket.


This particular version of the Winfield Cup fixture card would have been the last of its kind, with cigarette advertising laws kicking in for sporting sponsorship in Australia from the following season onwards. 


Like every bit of promotional gear from the era, the card was draped in that famous "Winfield red". Here's hoping you don't think this site is promoting smoking intentionally - it's just that everything memorable rugby league-wise from those days was draped in tobacco wrapping. 

With this card you could follow the weekly draw, there was an abbreviation guide for all 20 teams (yes, 20) and there was a listing of the key representative matches, including State of Origins, City/Country and, interestingly, three Test matches between Australia and New Zealand. 

There's no need for little gadgets like this these days, thanks to websites and apps and the like, but wouldn't it be great to see the good old rugby league fixture card make a comeback? Just for nostalgia's sake? 


Now, let's see who the Panthers are arrogantly beating in round 1 next year ...


3 mid-season Tests against the Kiwis in 1995. Great times. 


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