The Craven Mild Cup was a competition held by the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) in Australia before the start of the season proper, from 1962 until 1981. From 1962 to 1969 it was simply known as the Preseason Cup, before tobacco company W.D. & H.O. Wills took up sponsorship - with the competition rebranded the Wills Cup - in 1970, and the Craven Mild Cup for its last four seasons, from 1978 to 1981.
The Preseason Cup first took place over March 1961, with matches played at night under lights at the Sydney Sportsground, Redfern Oval and Lidcombe Oval. The halves were played 35 minutes each. In March 1962, the Berries won the Preseason Cup, beating Western Suburbs 14-10 under floodlights at the Sydney Sportsground.
In 1972, an estimated 251,000 spectators watched matches in the competition.
The NSWRL competition clubs made up the participants, except in 1970 when Wentworthville and Sydney Uni took park as well.
The competition was discontinued in 1982 due the increased length of the NSWRL regular season with its expansion to 14 clubs.
Results +YearWinnerScoreLoser1962 Canterbury 14-10 Western Suburbs1963 St George 17-6 Balmain1964 St George 41-14 North Sydney1965 St George 15-7 Western Suburbs1966 South Sydney 11-3 North Sydney1967 Balmain 11-10 Manly-Warringah1968 Penrith 28-12 Newtown1969 South Sydney 19-7 Western Suburbs1970 Canterbury20-11 St George1971 St George20-7 Cronulla-Sutherland1972 South Sydney11-10 Eastern Suburbs1973 Newtown17-15 St George1974 Eastern Suburbs43-0 South Sydney1975 Parramatta11-5 Manly-Warringah1976 Balmain17-5 Manly-Warringah 1977 Eastern Suburbs13-9 North Sydney1978 South Sydney10-3 Canterbury-Bankstown1979 Eastern Suburbs12-9 Balmain1980 Manly-Warringah21-12 Balmain1981 Eastern Suburbs12-3 Parramatta
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