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Challenge Cup
The History
In its previous life, the Challenge Cup was the prize for which all the country's provincial combinations fought at the National Women's Soccer Tournament, the annual fore-runner of the National Women's League which ran from 1976 until 2001.
When the National Women's League was introduced in 2002, the question of what to do with this proud symbol of New Zealand women's soccer's history was resolved by applying the literal meaning of its name and, in similar fashion to rugby's Ranfurly Shield, putting it at stake in all home games played by the holder.
As winners of the final National Tournament, Capital Soccer were deemed the initial holders of the trophy, but their first defence proved to be their last, Mainland Soccer relieving them of the cup by a 3-0 scoreline.
Their tenure began with a 2-2 thriller against Auckland, and after subsequent victories over Soccersouth and Waikato-Bay of Plenty, they came a cropper in the first defence of 2003 at the hands of North Harbour, whose grip on the trophy lasted a mere six days - Auckland came a-calling on their cross-town rivals.
The “A Team”'s reign saw them set the record for the most defences of the cup, six all told. And after seeing out the rest of the 2003 season, their grip on the trophy was wrestled loose in the inaugural NWL Grand Final in 2004, when Capital Soccer gained sweet revenge for the 4-0 towelling they copped two weeks previously by edging out the reigning champions 2-1 at Douglas Field.
The old rivals locked horns at the same stage in the 2005 campaign, a win by the same 2-1 scoreline over their arch-rivals one of three successful defences of the cup made by Capital that season. Their attempt to secure a fourth failed at the last, Auckland making amends for the 2004 outcome by triumphing 4-2 in last season's Grand Final.
They retained the trophy throughout 2006, their three successful retentions including 5-1 and 3-1 wins over the "auld enemy" from the other end of the North Island, and another trio of successful bids to win the cup again were made the following season.
The last two challenges were fended off by Auckland in 2009, after which the league was revamped, and the Challenge Cup was retired.
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