The Newfoundland and Labrador Challenge Cup, known as the Johnson Insurance Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons, is the premier senior men's soccer league in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The competition is held annually from May until September and is governed and organized by the Newfoundland and Labrador Soccer Association. It is a tier 5 league in the Canadian soccer pyramid, and as a result the winning club qualifies to compete for the Challenge Trophy as the representative for Newfoundland and Labrador in October of each year. The St. Lawrence Laurentians and Holy Cross have traditionally dominated the competition, having won a combined total of 48 Cups out of the 58 times that it has been contested.
Competition format The Newfoundland Challenge Cup consists of Newfoundland and Labrador-based men's senior amateur soccer clubs. The teams first compete to qualify for a playoff round in a league format, usually a quadruple- or hextuple-round robin system, depending on the number of clubs competing. Normally teams play around 20 league matches in a single season. At the end of the league phase the 4 clubs with the most points qualify for the playoffs (3 points are awarded for a win, 1 point is awarded for a draw, and none for a loss). Clubs are ranked by total points, then head-to-head record, then goal differential and then goals scored. If two clubs are still tied for a playoff position then a penalty kick competition at a venue decided by the league will determine the ranking. If three or more clubs are still tied the ranking will be determined by the drawing of lots.
The playoff round of the NLCC uses a Page playoff format, which was reinstituted in 2015 after the league switched to a more typical two round format in 2011. The competition takes place at one location over Labour Day weekend each year. The winner of the final qualifies for the Canadian National Challenge Cup as the representative for Newfoundland and Labrador.
Champions Pre-Challenge Cup era (1950-1966) The list below contains the provincial men's soccer champions of pre-Challenge Cup era. The provincial champion was the winner of the All-Newfoundland Series (or J.V. Rabbits Trophy), which was organised by the local soccer associations of St. John's, Corner Brook and the Burin Peninsula. It was first contested in 1950 and the last edition was held in 1966. It was a cup contested by the best teams of the aforementioned local competitions.
1950 Holy Cross FC 1951 St. Lawrence Laurentians 1952 St. Lawrence Laurentians 1953 St. John's All-Stars 1954 Corner Brook All-Stars 1955 St. Lawrence Laurentians
1956 Corner Brook 1957 St. John's Guards 1958 St. John's Guards 1959 St. John's Guards 1960 Grand Bank GeeBees 1961 Corner Brook Royals
1962 Corner Brook Royals 1963 St. John's St. Pat's 1964 Grand Bank GeeBees 1965 St. John's Guards 1966 St. Lawrence Laurentians
Challenge Cup era (1967-present) In 1967 the Newfoundland Soccer Association joined Canada Soccer. Therefore, the All-Newfoundland Championship was replaced by a new year-round competition organised by the provincial soccer association itself: the Challenge Cup. The teams in the Challenge Cup play a season-long ranking competition against each other.
1967 St. Lawrence Laurentians 1968 St. Lawrence Laurentians 1969 Feildians AA of St. John's 1970 Grand Bank Gee Bees 1971 St. Lawrence Laurentians 1972 St. Lawrence Laurentians 1973 Holy Cross FC 1974 Grand Bank Gee Bees 1975 St. Lawrence Laurentians 1976 St. Lawrence Laurentians 1977 St. Lawrence Laurentians 1978 St. Lawrence Laurentians 1979 Holy Cross FC 1980 St. Lawrence Laurentians 1981 Holy Cross FC 1982 St. Lawrence Laurentians 1983 Holy Cross FC 1984 Holy Cross FC 1985 Holy Cross FC 1986 Holy Cross FC
1987 Lawn Shamrocks 1988 Holy Cross FC 1989 Holy Cross FC 1990 Burin Eagles 1991 Burin Eagles 1992 Holy Cross FC 1993 St. Lawrence Laurentians 1994 Holy Cross FC 1995 St. Lawrence Laurentians 1996 St. Lawrence Laurentians 1997 St. Lawrence Laurentians 1998 St. Lawrence Laurentians 1999 St. Lawrence Laurentians 2000 St. Lawrence Laurentians 2001 St. Lawrence Laurentians 2002 St. Lawrence Laurentians 2003 Mount Pearl FC 2004 Marystown United 2005 St. Lawrence Laurentians 2006 St. Lawrence Laurentians
2007 St. Lawrence Laurentians 2008 St. Lawrence Laurentians 2009 Holy Cross FC 2010 Holy Cross FC 2011 Holy Cross FC 2012 Holy Cross FC 2013 St. Lawrence Laurentians 2014 Holy Cross FC 2015 Holy Cross FC 2016 St. Lawrence Laurentians 2017 Holy Cross FC 2018 Holy Cross FC 2019 Holy Cross FC 2020 Holy Cross FC 2021 Feildians AA St. John's 2022 Holy Cross FC 2023 Feildians AA St. John's 2024 Holy Cross FC 2025 Holy Cross FC
Titles The table here below shows the number of wins in the Challenge Cup (1967 to present). Challenge Cup winners that have also won the All-Newfoundland Series, have the number of wins in that predecessor competition added to their total between parentheses.
Clubs in bold currently compete in the Challenge Cup.Newfoundland and Labrador Soccer Association, 'Mens - Challenge Cup: Standings'. Accessed on June 9, 2025.
Club Wins Winning seasons St. Lawrence Laurentians 1967, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2016 Holy Cross FC 1973, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1994, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2024 Grand Bank GeeBees 1970, 1974 Feildians AA 1969, 2021, 2023 Burin Eagles 1990, 1991 Marystown United 2004 Mount Pearl FC 2003 Lawn Shamrocks 1987
Recent seasons
1999 In 1999, Marystown United lost the Newfoundland and Labrador Challenge Cup 2-1 to St. Lawrence Laurentians.
2004 In 2004 Marystown United were the Newfoundland and Labrador Challenge Cup Champions.http://www.laurentianshomepage.com/CC2004.html Challenge Cup Soccer Championship Tournament 2004 They went on to play in the 2004 Canadian National Challenge Cup finishing 8th.
2010 Standings
Playoffs
2011 Standings
Playoffs
2012 Standings
Playoffs
2013 Standings
Playoffs
2014 Standings
Playoffs
2015 Standings
Playoffs
2016 Standings
Playoffs
2017 Standings
Canadian Challenge Trophy This is a list of Newfoundland clubs who have reached the finals at the annual Canadian Challenge Trophy tournament, which features the best senior men's amateur clubs from each province in Canada. Holy Cross FC are currently the only Newfoundland club to ever become national champions.
Club Nationals wins Runner-up Years Holy Cross 1 1 1988, 1989, St. Lawrence 0 3 1975, 1977, 2002 Bold indicates a current Challenge Cup teamItalics indicate a runner-up finish
References
External links