 | |
| Sport | Rugby league |
|---|---|
| Inaugural season | 1994 |
| Ceased | 1996 |
| Replaced by | Bartercard Cup |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Last Premiers | Counties Manukau (1989-2007) |
| Most titles | Counties Manukau (2 titles) |
The Lion Red Cup was a New Zealand domestic rugby league competition that ran from 1994 to 1996 sponsored by brewers Lion Nathan. It was created due to the increase in public awareness of domestic rugby league due to the Auckland Warriors being accepted into the Winfield Cup. The competition was a huge success in its inaugural year, although it made a massive loss financially. Throughout its three-year history it continued to make a loss, eventually being scrapped by the New Zealand Rugby League.