Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada to compete, with the provision that the Stanley Cup winners were to be recognized as "World's Champions". The phrase was repeatedly engraved on the Cup, and continued to be used, when the NHL began admitting American franchises. When the NHL assumed formal control of the Cup in 1947, the resulting agreement required "that the winners of this trophy shall be the acknowledged World's Professional Hockey Champions" (in contrast to the IIHF's Ice Hockey World Championships, at the time contested only by amateurs). When the World Hockey Association commenced play in the 1970s, they sought to challenge for the Stanley Cup,
Rugby League Conference trophy winners Premier Divisions. Until 2004 it was possible for a team to finish runners-up in their division, qualify for the play-offs and still win the Harry Jepson trophy, hence some champions did not pick up a regional title in the same year. From 2005, the Harry Jepson trophy was solely for the winners of the RLC Premier divisions. Conference sides that remained in the regional divisions competed for a new trophy - the RLC Regional. The Harry Jepson trophy is still contested by teams from RLC successor leagues. The RLC Challenge was a knock-out competition designed to give clubs meaningful pre-season