The main teams involved were Cootamundra, Tumut, Gundagai, Temora, West Wyalong, Young, Harden-Murrumburrah, Junee, Barmedman, Cowra, Grenfell and Boorowa.
Along with the Foley Shield, it is considered to be the most significant of the regional rugby league challenge cups played in Australia, as well as a sporting and social phenomenon.
[5][6][7] The winning team would have the right to contest all subsequent challenges on their home ground and (in the early years) would retain the gate takings.
Typically the town band would leading a cavalcade of revellers carrying the cup and players to an impromptu civic reception.
[30][31][32] Games were played on "ploughed paddocks" infested with rabbits,[33] in heavy snow,[34] and on grounds covered with six inches of water.
[37] Passionate Maher Cup poetry, penned by supporters, was printed in local newspapers,[38][39][40] songs composed[41][42] and fiction published.
[52] After just three challenges under union rules, it was decided to change to rugby league, a newer, faster, more entertaining form of the game which had swept through the region from 1910.
As well as the winning club taking all the proceeds from the gate, the spending spectators contributed to the prosperity of local pubs, cafes and other businesses.
Regan created a disciplined, fit and co-ordinated team which featured talented locals such as Eric Weissel, Bill Lesberg, and Jack Kingston.
[60] Tumut bucked the trend in 1935 producing one of the most successful Maher Cup teams of all time, composed solely of young unpaid locals.
Southwest examples include the Alley and Prowse, Bancroft, Batsos, Farrar, O'Farrell, Garden of Roses, Jack Hore Memorial, Motor, Tulk and Weissel Gold cups.
The rise of reliable road transportation to nearby places lead to the demise of challenge cups and their replacement by regular competition schedules.
The excellent rail system in the region, the large distances between towns, and the popularity of the Maher Cup, delayed the establishment of such competitions in the Southwest.
[61] Petrol rationing, loss of players to the forces, and less promotion of sport in local newspapers, resulted in poor gates.
Maher Cup passion started to subside in the early 1960s due to a variety of factors, including the increasing emphasis on Group competition matches; the weakening of Group 9 with the breakaway of the Murrumbidgee Rugby League (of which Tumut, Gundagai and Junee were initiators);[64] population drift, falling standards of play with the introduction of transfer fees; the expansion of Australian Rules football in the area and, likely, television producing greater interest in the Sydney Rugby League competition.
Some significant Maher Cup players included: Ray Beavan (Tumut), Bill Brogan (West Wyalong), Doug Cameron (Young), Len Cooper (Barmedman & West Wyalong), Ron 'Dookie' Crowe (West Wyalong and Barmedman), Mick Crowe (Grenfell), Fred de Belin (Cootamundra), Peter Diversi (Gundagai), Cec Fifield (West Wyalong & Junee); Charles 'Chook' Fraser (Gundagai), Viv 'Bluey' Freestone (Gundagai), John Graves (Cootamundra), Abe and Sid Hall (Young), Nevyl Hand (Gundagai), John 'Bronc' Jones, (Gundagai and Tumut), Joe Jorgenson (Junee), Bill Kearney (Young), John Kelly (Temora), Jack Kingston (Cootamundra & Young), Bill Kinnane (Young & Harden), Tom Kirk, (Tumut & Barmedman), Eric Kuhn (Barmedman & Harden), Bill and Jim Lawrence (Barmedman), Bill Lesberg (Cootamunda), Bill Maizey (Cowra), Reg Maker (Temora), Herb Narvo (Cootamundra), Kevin Negus (Cowra, Cootamundra & Harden), Bernie Nevin (Harden), Peter O'Connor (Harden & Young), Col Ratcliff (West Wyalong), Phil Regan (Cootamundra), Norm 'Latchem' Robinson (Cootamundra & Tumut), Wally 'Bull' Tozer (Harden), Dick Vest (West Wyalong & Barmedman), and Eric Weissel (Cootamundra & Temora) 729 Maher Cup matches were played.