Tallon Smith
A blockbuster opening round, fan-friendly derby matches and an Anzac Day game are among the highlights from the 2026 Group 20 Rugby League draw obtained by The Riverine Grazier and Battlers For Bush Footy this week.
As revealed by the Back Country Bulletin on Monday, the league will kick off its first 10-team competition this century with a Magic Round set to be staged at the Leeton No.1 Oval on the weekend of April 11 and 12.
Headlining the opening weekend’s action is a clash between the off-season’s big movers in the Griffith Black & Whites and last year’s surprise packet the Yanco-Wamoon Hawks.
The remaining three first grade games from the round will see Griffith Waratahs will take on a new-look West Wyalong side, Darlington Point-Coleambally open their quest for a premiership three-peat against Yenda, and Hay begin their hunt for a second straight Grand Final appearance against the TLU Sharks.
However, perhaps the biggest moment of round one will be the return of Narrandera to Group 20 senior football after 22 years when they face home side Leeton in a highly-anticipated reserve grade clash.
The match will mark the first open age Group 20 game played by the club since their 54-26 loss to Griffith Waratahs in first grade on August 15, 2004.
The Lizards will also take centre stage in round four, when they host the Waratah Tigers at the Narrandera Sportsground in the competition’s only scheduled Anzac Day game.
The match will feature a pre-game ceremony to pay respects to the region’s servicemen and women, something the Narrandera club is reportedly working on with its newly announced major sponsor, the Narrandera Ex-Servicemen’s Club.
Other early season highlights include a heavyweight bout between Waratahs and Leeton in round two, an Anzac weekend showdown between Hay and Black & Whites in round three, and a grudge match between DPC and Waratahs in round four.
The highly-anticipated Grand Final rematch between the Darlington Point-Coleambally Roosters and Hay Magpies will take place in round seven, on Sunday, May 24.
That clash will be hosted by the Roosters at either of their two home grounds, before the return bout at the Hay Park Oval in round 17.
Another fan-centred element of the draw has been the placement of the two Leeton Shire derbies on Saturdays, with Yanco-Wamoon to host Leeton on May 10 as part of round five action, before the Greenies host the second leg in round 14 on July 19.
The northern derbies between West Wyalong and TLU are also scheduled for rounds five and 14, with the Sharkies set to host their leg at Tullibigeal.
The Griffith derbies between arch-rivals Waratahs and Black & Whites will take place in the same rounds as the Grand Final rematches.
The final competition round also shapes as a big one, with a rematch of last season’s Elimination Final between Yanco-Wamoon and Hay scheduled alongside three big rivalry matches between Leeton and West Wyalong, Waratahs and Yenda, and DPC and Black & Whites.
The traditional five-team, four-week finals series will follow, beginning on the weekend of August 29-30, and concluding with the Grand Final set for Saturday September 20 in Griffith.
The full draw is available below.
Full 2026 Group 20 Draw
All games first grade and Sunday unless noted
Round 1 (April 11-12)
Narrandera v Leeton (reserves)
Black & Whites v Yanco
Hay Magpies v TLU Sharks
West Wyalong v Waratahs
Yenda v DPC Roosters
Round 2 (April 18-19)
Yanco v Narrandera (reserves)
Waratahs v Leeton
TLU Sharks v Black & Whites
DPC Roosters v West Wyalong
Hay Magpies v Yenda
Round 3 (April 25-26)
Narrandera v Waratahs (Saturday, Anzac Day, reserves)
Black & Whites v Hay Magpies
Yenda v TLU Sharks
West Wyalong v Yanco
Leeton v DPC Roosters
Round 4 (May 2-3)
Black & Whites v Narrandera (reserves)
Waratahs v DPC Roosters
Hay Magpies v West Wyalong
Yanco v Yenda
TLU Sharks v Leeton
Round 5 (May 10)
Yanco v Leeton (Saturday)
Narrandera v DPC Roosters (reserves)
Hay Magpies v Waratahs
West Wyalong v TLU Sharks
Yenda v Black & Whites
Round 6 (May 16-17)
Yenda v Narrandera (reserves)
Leeton v Hay Magpies
West Wyalong v Black & Whites
Waratahs v TLU Sharks
DPC Roosters v Yanco
Round 7 (May 24)
Narrandera v West Wyalong (reserves)
Leeton v Yenda
DPC Roosters v Hay Magpies
Yanco v TLU Sharks
Black & Whites v Waratahs
Round 8 (May 31)
Hay Magpies v Narrandera (reserves)
TLU Sharks v DPC Roosters
Waratahs v Yanco
Black & Whites v Leeton
Yenda v West Wyalong
June 7 – General bye – Long Weekend
Round 9 (June 14)
Black & Whites v DPC Roosters (Saturday)
Narrandera v TLU Sharks (reserves)
Yenda v Waratahs
West Wyalong v Leeton
Hay Magpies v Yanco
Round 10 (June 21)
Leeton v Narrandera (reserves)
TLU Sharks v Hay Magpies
Waratahs v West Wyalong
DPC Roosters v Yenda
Yancoco v Black & Whites
Round 11 (June 28)
Narrandera v Yanco (reserves)
Leeton v Waratahs
West Wyalong v DPC Roosters
Black & Whites v TLU Sharks
Yenda v Hay Magpies
Round 12 (July 5)
Waratahs v Narrandera (reserves)
Hay Magpies v Black & Whites
DPC Roosters v Leeton
Yanco v West Wyalong
TLU Sharks v Yenda
Round 13 (July 12)
Narrandera v Black & Whites (Saturday, reserves)
Yenda v Yanco
DPC Roosters v Waratahs
Leeton v TLU Sharks
West Wyalong v Hay Magpies
Round 14 (July 19)
Leeton v Yanco (Saturday)
DPC Roosters v Narrandera (reserves)
Waratahs v Hay Magpies
TLU Sharks v West Wyalong
Black & Whites v Yenda
Round 15 (July 26)
Yanco v DPC Roosters (Saturday)
Narrandera v Yenda (reserves)
Black & Whites v West Wyalong
Hay Magpies v Leeton
TLU Sharks v Waratahs
August 2-3: General bye – Junee Carnival
Round 16 (August 8-9)
Narrandera v Hay Magpies (reserves)
Leeton v Black & Whites
DPC Roosters v TLU Sharks
Yanco v Waratahs
West Wyalong v Yenda
Round 17 (August 15-16)
West Wyalong v Narrandera (reserves)
Yenda v Leeton
Hay Magpies v DPC Roosters
TLU Sharks v Yanco
Waratahs v Black & Whites
Round 18 (August 22-23)
TLU Sharks v Narrandera (reserves)
Waratahs v Yenda
DPC Roosters v Black & Whites
Yanco v Hay Magpies
Leeton v West Wyalong
Finals
Finals Week 1 – August 29-30
Finals Week 2 – September 5-6
Preliminary Final – September 13
Grand Final – September 20
