Brisbane club rugby dates all the way back to 1899 but the competition in its current form began in 1946 with the Hospital Cup premiership trophy awarded to the first grade champions ever since.

Here are the most successful Hospital Cup clubs of all time:

1) University of QLD – 24 premierships

Four premierships in the last 10 years helped UQ regain the title as the most successful Hospital Cup club of all time with 24 premierships.

The Students were dominant in the competition’s early years, with UQ playing in 23 of the first 25 Hospital Cup grand finals, 14 of which they won from 1946 to 1970.

2) Brothers – 23 premierships

Brothers were the other dominant force in the Hospital Cup early days. The Brethren won five of the first eight premierships and 11 of 15 premierships during a dominant period in the 70s and 80s.

After a 22 year drought, Brothers won their 20th Hospital Cup in 2009, their 21st title in 2016, their 22nd title last year and their 23rd in 2024.

3) Souths – 10 premierships

Souths won their first title back in 1958 but then kept fans waiting for more than three decades to add to their Hospital Cup trophy collection.

The Magpies were the dominant Premier Rugby force in the 1990’s and won seven premierships from 1991 to 2000, before winning their 10th title in 2015 when they beat Easts 39-12.

4) Easts – 5 premierships

Easts broke a 51-year premiership drought when they claimed their first title in 1997 and went on to win the Hospital Cup on four more occasions in 1999, 2008, 2013 and 2020.

5) GPS & Wests – 4 premierships

GPS and Wests share fifth spot with four Hospital Cup titles each.

GPS haven’t had a lot of luck at the back end of the season, having played in 17 deciders over the years. Jeeps claimed the title in 1961, 1972, 1996 and most recently in 2018.

Wests took the title in 1977, 1985 and 2006 then again most recently in 2022.

7) Sunnybank & Canberra Vikings – 3 premierships

Sunnybank won a run of flags in 2005, 2007 and 2011 and played in two grand finals in the 90s, while Canberra won three straight premierships during their stint in the Hospital Cup in the early 2000’s.

9) Gold Coast Breakers, Teachers-Norths and Teachers – 1 premiership

Although they no longer play in the Hospital Cup, Gold Coast (2004), Teachers-Norths (1976) and Teachers (1963) have all won the Hospital Cup.

Of the current teams, Norths and Bond are the only two clubs who are yet to win a Hospital Cup.

QLD Premier Rugby premiers 1899-2024:

Hospital Challenge:

1899 Past Grammar School F.C.

1900 City F.C.

1901 South Brisbane F.C.

1902 South Brisbane F.C.

1903 Toombul & Nundah. F.C.

1904 North Brisbane F.C

1905 North Brisbane F.C

1906 North Brisbane F.C.

1907 North Brisbane F.C.

1908 Valley F.C.

1909 Valley F.C.

1910 Christian Brothers F.C.

1911 Christian Brothers F.C.

1912 Christian Brothers F.C.

1913 Not played

1914 Christian Brothers F.C.

1915 Christian Brothers F.C.

1916-18 Not Awarded

1919 Christian Brothers F.C.

1920-28 Not Awarded

Premiership Trophy 1929-1939:

1929 Y.M.C.A.

1930 University

1931 University

1932 University

1933 Y.M.C.A

1934 University

1935 Eagle Junction

1936 Eagle Junction

1937 Eagle Junction

1938 Eagle Junction

1939 Y.M.C.A

1940-45 Not Awarded

Premiership Trophy 1946-2023

1946 Brothers

1947 University

1948 University

1949 Brothers

1950 Brothers

1951 Brothers

1952 University

1953 Brothers

1954 University

1955 University

1956 University

1957 University

1958 South District

1959 Brothers

1960 University

1961 GPS Old Boys R.F.C

1962 University

1963 Teachers

1964 University

1965 University

1966 Brothers 36-9

1967 University

1968 Brothers 17-6

1969 University

1970 University

1971 Brothers

1972 GPS

1973 Brothers

1974 Brothers

1975 Brothers  23 GPS 6

1976 Teachers-Norths 16 GPS 4

1977 Wests  15 Brothers 10

1978 Brothers  19 University 15

1979 University 16 Brothers 13

(NB: Replayed after 24-24 draw)
1980 Brothers 19 Souths 0

1981 Brothers 36 Teachers-Norths 13

1982 Brothers 25 University 16

1983  Brothers 30 University 15

1984 Brothers 18 Easts 3

1985 Wests 10 University 7

1986  Souths 31 Brothers 13

1987 Brothers 20 Souths 19

1988 University 18 Souths 10

1989 University 34 Souths 9

1990 University 19 Brothers 10

1991 Souths 22 Wests 15

1992 Souths 44 University 10

1993 Souths 27 Sunnybank 8

1994 Souths 19 Sunnybank 8

1995 Souths 27 Easts 11

1996 GPS 12 Souths 6

1997 Easts 18 Souths 16

1998 Souths 34 Wests 18

1999 Easts 16 Wests 15

2000 Souths 34 Wests 30

2001 Canberra  32 Gold Coast 10

2002 Canberra 45 Easts 3

2003 Canberra 29 Gold Coast 16

2004 Gold Coast 24 University 18

2005 Sunnybank 41 Gold Coast 17

2006 Wests 23 Brothers 22

2007 Sunnybank 85 Gold Coast 19

2008 Easts 22 Brothers 21

2009 Brothers 26 Souths 19

2010 University 19 Sunshine Coast 11

2011 Sunnybank 35 Brothers 24

2012 University 46 Sunnybank 20

2013 Easts 27 GPS 22

2014 University 20 Sunnybank 18

2015 Souths 39 Easts 12

2016 Brothers 31 University 28

2017 University 23 GPS 14

2018 GPS 23 University 16

2019 University 31 Brothers 26

2020 Easts 33 University 18

2021 University 29 GPS 12

2022 Wests 44 University 27

2023 Brothers 26 Wests 24

2024 Brothers 29 Wests 27