View source for Courtney Goodwill Trophy

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
The '''Courtney Goodwill Trophy''' is a [[rugby league]] trophy that was awarded for competition among the national rugby league teams of [[Australia national rugby league team|Australia]], [[France national rugby league team|France]], [[Great Britain national rugby league team|Great Britain]] and [[New Zealand national rugby league team|New Zealand]] between 1936 and 1988. The trophy is displayed in the Heroes and Legends Museum at Rugby League Central in [[Moore Park, New South Wales|Moore Park]], Sydney.
==History==
The trophy was donated and designed by New Zealand businessman and rugby enthusiast Roy Courtney. The intention was that it would generate a feeling of goodwill between the then four test playing nations.<ref name="Telegraph20636">{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article183381209 |title=Unique Trophy |newspaper=[[Telegraph (Brisbane)|The Telegraph]] |date=29 June 1936  |page=4 (SPORTS FINAL) |via=[[National Library of Australia]]}}</ref>  The trophy was handed over to the [[Australian Rugby League Commission|Australian Rugby League Board of Control]] at the first test between Australia and Great Britain in Sydney on 29 June 1936.<ref name="Telegraph20636"/>
With Great Britain winning the trophy in 1936 following victories over Australia and New Zealand, the trophy was held in Great Britain until 1951 although it was returned to Australia for safe storage during the Second World War.<ref name="WesternPress180936">{{cite news |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000513/19360918/003/0003 |title=Touring Teams arrive back home |newspaper=[[Western Daily Press]] |date=18 September 1936 |page=3 |issue=26,163 |url-access=subscription |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17765240 |title=League Trophy. Arrival in Sydney |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |issue=32,271 |date=3 June 1941  |page=10 |via=[[National Library of Australia]]}}</ref>  It was also considered for use as a substitute for the [[Ashes (rugby league)|Ashes Cup]] when that trophy went missing in 1937.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19370922/248/0010 |title=Rugby League Ashes Cup missing |newspaper=[[Yorkshire Post]] |page=10 |date=22 September 1937 |issue=28,126 |url-access=subscription |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}}</ref>
Until the 1950s the trophy was awarded ever time the holders played one of the other three teams but then the award was made every five years to the team with the highest winning percentage of test matches during that period.  With the continued expansion of the [[Rugby League World Cup]] and difficulties in transporting the trophy the awarding of the trophy was withdrawn in 1988.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hansen |first=Guy |title=The Trophy Cabinet |pages=61–63 |publisher=[[National Museum of Australia]] |url=http://www.nma.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/221630/J_trophy_cabinet.pdf |date=2011 |accessdate=24 May 2017}}</ref>
The trophy is now displayed in the [[Heroes and Legends Museum]] at [[Rugby League Central]] in [[Sydney]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nrl.com/rugby-league-museum-opens/tabid/10874/newsid/69571/default.aspx|title=Rugby League museum opens|date=29 August 2012|publisher=[[National Rugby League]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120830082333/http://www.nrl.com/rugby-league-museum-opens/tabid/10874/newsid/69571/default.aspx|archive-date=30 August 2012|url-status=live|accessdate=25 May 2017}}</ref>
=== Holders ===
{{Refimprove section|date=May 2017}}
* 1936: Great Britain<ref name="WesternPress180936"/>
* 1950: Australia<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18484391 |title=Best man on field |newspaper=[[The Sunday Herald (Sydney)|The Sunday Herald]] |issue=78  |date=23 July 1950 |page=9 (Sports Section) |via=[[National Library of Australia]]}}</ref>
* 1951: France<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article201522080 |title=Vive la France! League champions of the world WORLD! |newspaper=[[Truth (Brisbane newspaper)|Truth]] |issue=2679  |date=29 July 1951  |page=24 |via=[[National Library of Australia]]}}</ref>
* 1965–1970: New Zealand (based on test performances between 1960 and 1964)<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article107515204 |title=N.Z. wins trophy |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=39 |issue=11,028 |date=15 December 1964 |page=26 |via=[[National Library of Australia]]}}</ref>
* 1970–1975: Australia
* 1975–1980: France
* 1980–1985: Australia
* 1985–1988: Australia
==Description==
The trophy is on a square base that is {{convert|3|ft|6|in|m|1}} on each side, stands {{convert|4|ft|m|1}} tall and weighs almost {{convert|50|kg|lb|0|order=flip}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/cronullas-jeremy-smith-laid-low-by-stomach-bug-campese-wont-return-for-raiders/news-story/4351a0ea35b7d725751e9cc94e63307b |title=Cronulla's Jeremy Smith laid low by stomach bug, Campese won't return for Raiders |publisher=[[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)|The Daily Telegraph]] |date=28 August 2012 |accessdate=24 May 2017}}</ref>
The base is wooden and is in the form of a [[stepped pyramid]] inlaid with timbers from each of the four countries and carries an embossed silver globe mounted on four dolphins. Each dolphin has a scroll attached with an inscription from each country.  These read ''Peace and Goodwill'' (England), ''Liberte, Fraternite'' (France), ''Unity and Equality'' (Australia), and ''Honour and Justice'' (New Zealand).  Atop the globe is a figure representing Peace, holding a laurel wreath and a flaming torch.
On the steps of the base are symbolical figures in silver, again representing the four nations; [[Britannia]] and the lion (England), the crest of the Republic and a [[Gallic rooster|rooster]] (France), the kangaroo and aboriginal man (Australia), and the kiwi, silver fern and Maori (New Zealand).
On plates around the base are images of four pioneering rugby league players in action; [[James Lomas (rugby league)|James Lomas]] (England), [[Jean Galia]] (France), [[Dally Messenger]] (Australia), and [[Albert Henry Baskerville]] (New Zealand).
The trophy is completed with a domed shrine of remembrance bearing the inscription: "In commemoration of the supreme sacrifice and glorious deeds of sportsmen whose devotion to duty was in the cause of Peace and Goodwill."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article75322551 |title=World Rugby League Trophy |newspaper=[[The Central Queensland Herald]] |volume=20 |issue=1111 |date=6 July 1950 |page=31 |via=[[National Library of Australia]]}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
{{coord|-33.8892|151.2252|type:landmark_region:AU-NSW|display=title|name=Heroes and Legends Rugby League Museum}}
[[Category:Rugby league trophies and awards]]
[[Category:1936 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:1988 disestablishments in Australia]]