By Tallon Smith

The Group 19 and Group 21 Rugby League will feature Under 18s competitions once again in 2023 according to their competition draws released earlier this week. 

After a lean few seasons on the Under 18s front, which has been highlighted to Battlers For Bush Footy by many a club and league president as the single biggest issue going forward for country rugby league, enough clubs within both districts have garnered numbers to form a competition in 2023.

Warialda Wombats President and Group 19 stalwart Jake Kennedy says that the impact of having an Under 18s competition in the district has been profoundly “positive”, with this observation being even more notable given that his club isn’t fielding an Under 18s side.

“Everyone who loves league knows we need younger blokes coming through,” he said.

Kennedy said that there was interest across the New England region, with players moving around to ensure that the clubs who did field a side would have numbers.

“We had six or seven blokes in Warialda who have joined [another club to field a team],” he said.

Kennedy also said that development and retaining players was key to warding off other codes, including a resurgent rugby union and the ever encroaching Australian rules.

“[Hopefully this new competition] will stop AFL, rugby union and soccer stealing our players,” he said.

The revival of these competitions marks a stark turnaround for rugby league clubs in these districts, who in the past few years have lost many talented juniors to the 15-man and Victorian codes.

Under 18s have been an issue for the game for years with the Chairman of Group 4, neighbour to both Groups 19 and 21, Terry Psarakis, just last month telling Battlers For Bush Footy that he was worried about Under 18’s” ahead of their season.

“We tend to lose them around 14, 15, 16. I don’t know the answer unfortunately…it’s not black and white,” he said.

At one point, during the 2021 season, the situation was so dire that a Greater Northern Tigers regional competition was formed to accommodate Group 21’s Scone, Aberdeen and Singleton alongside six Group 4 clubs, while not a single under 18s team has played football in Group 19 since before the pandemic hit in 2020. The Group 21 sides then played in a combined competition with Newcastle Rugby League opposition last season.

The Group 21 Under 18s competition will feature four clubs: Scone, Denman, Singleton and Muswellbrook, who will compete for the right to be named the Hunter Valley’s strongest youth rugby league team.

The Group 19 competition, which is officially Under 18.5s, will feature 5 sides in Tingha, Inverell, Guyra, Narwan and Glen Innes, with each aiming to take home the spoils upon the return of the competition.

Group 4’s Under 18 draw is not confirmed on Play Rugby League as of yet.

Amendment: The Group 4 Under 18 competition features six sides: Dungowan, Gunnedah, Kootingal, Moree, Narrabri and Werris Creek.