Although Rugby is thought to have been played in Queensland as far back as 1876, the first interstate matches were played between Queensland and New South Wales in 1882. Read more about the history of Rugby Union in Queensland.

The Hospital Challenge Cup has been the symbol of club rugby supremacy in Queensland since 1899, when it was anonymously donated to the Council of the Queensland Rugby Union. The magnificent Cup is among the oldest and most prestigious of Queensland's perpetual sporting trophies.