Tallon Smith

A five-game Magic Round at Kiama on April 11 will kick off the 2026 Group 7 Rugby League season after the league revealed its draw on Wednesday evening.

The Warilla Gorillas will mark their return to the competition when they take on powerhouse Gerringong in the second match of the day, immediately after the season opener between Kiama and Stingrays.

A showdown between Albion Park-Oak Flats and Nowra-Bomaderry will follow, before Milton-Ulladulla play Berry and Shellharbour Sharks take on Jamberoo to round out the day.

The action continues the following weekend with two major derbies scheduled for round two, with Warilla set to host arch-rivals Shellharbour at Cec Glenholmes Oval on the Saturday, before Berry take on Gerringong the following day. 

Anzac commemorations will then take centre stage in round three, as three games are set to be played on the 25th itself.

A special edition of the Kiama v Gerringong local derby will headline the day, with the other games scheduled between Milton-Ulladulla and Albion Park-Oak Flats, and Berry and Jamberoo.

The date for the highly-anticipated Grand Final rematch between Kiama and Shellharbour has also been revealed, with the two sides set to renew their rivalry at the Kiama Showground on May 17, before a return bout at Ron Costello Oval on August 2.

The final round of the competition will take place on the weekend of August 29-30, with Warilla set to tackle Stingrays, Jamberoo to take on Milton-Ulladulla and Shellharbour set for a showdown with Berry in the Saturday fixtures.

The regular season will then conclude with Nowra-Gerringong and Kiama-Albion Park clashes on the Sunday.

Following that, the traditional four-week, five team finals series will follow, with the Grand Final set down for Saturday September 26.

Speaking to Battlers For Bush Footy following the draw release, Albion Park-Oak Flats coach Josh White said that playing a game on Anzac Day will be a “special” experience for the players.

“I said to a couple of the players already, to play on Anzac Day, I played in a couple back in the old days with the NRL, and it’s special,” he said.

“The last post, it makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

“It’s a special day, so hopefully the boys get a lot out of it.”

The other major talking point of the new fixture is the shifting of the Magic Round from mid-season to round one and from Artie Smith Oval in Bomaderry to Kiama.

After the success of last year, White said that he is excited at the prospect of opening the season with the event.

“I think that the Magic Round is a great initiative from the Group, a lot of other groups are doing it as well, so to have that as an annual thing, I think the boys buy into it,” he said.

“I think last year, it was a funny ground to watch it at, but on the day it was special to be there, because all the other teams are there, you get to watch everyone else, and I just think having it at Kiama is just going to bring a bit more of a vibe there.”

The full draw is available below.

2026 Group 7 Rugby League Draw

Round 1 – Magic Round
Saturday 11th April
Kiama v Stingrays – Kiama Showground
Gerringong v Warilla – Kiama Showground
Albion Park v Nowra – Kiama Showground
Milton v Berry – Kiama Showground
Shellharbour v Jamberoo – Kiama Showground

Round 2
Saturday 18th April
Jamberoo v Kiama – Kevin Walsh Oval
Warilla v Shellharbour – Cec Glenholmes Oval
Sunday 19th April
Stingrays v Albion Park – Flinders Field
Nowra Bomaderry v Milton – Bomaderry Sports Complex
Berry v Gerringong – Berry Showground

Round 3 – Anzac Round
Saturday 25th April
Milton v Albion Park – Mollymook Oval
Jamberoo v Berry – Kevin Walsh Oval
Kiama v Gerringong – Kiama Showground
Sunday 26th April
Shellharbour v Stingrays – Ron Costello Oval
Warilla v Nowra – Cec Glenholmes Oval

Round 4
Saturday 2nd May
Gerringong v Shellharbour – Michael Cronin Oval
Milton v Stingrays – Mollymook Oval
Sunday 3rd May
Nowra v Jamberoo – Bomaderry Sports
Kiama v Warilla – Kiama Showground
Albion Park v Berry – Centenary Field

Round 5 – Women in League Round
Saturday 9th May
Berry v Warilla – Berry Showground
Shellharbour v Nowra – Ron Costello Oval
Sunday 10th May
Milton v Kiama – Mollymook Oval
Stingrays v Gerringong – Flinders Field
Jamberoo v Albion Park – Kevin Walsh Oval

Round 6
Saturday 16th May
Berry v Nowra – Berry Showground
Gerringong v Albion Park – Michael Cronin Oval
Sunday 17th May
Milton v Warilla – Mollymook Oval
Jamberoo v Stingrays – Kevin Walsh Oval
Kiama v Shellharbour – Kiama Showground

Round 7
Saturday 23rd May
Shellharbour v Milton – Ron Costello Oval
Jamberoo v Gerringong – Kevin Walsh Oval
Sunday 24th May
Warilla v Albion Park – Cec Glenholmes Oval
Nowra v Stingrays – Bomaderry Sports Complex
Kiama v Berry – Kiama Showground

Round 8
Saturday 30th May
Gerringong v Milton – Michael Cronin Oval
Albion Park v Shellharbour – Centenary Field
Sunday 31st May
Warilla v Jamberoo – Cec Glenholmes Oval
Nowra v Kiama – Bomaderry Sports Complex
Stingrays v Berry – Flinders Field

Long Weekend – Spare Round (Saturday 6th June & Sunday 7th June)

Round 9
Saturday 13th June
Gerringong v Nowra – Michael Cronin Oval
Berry v Shellharbour – Berry Showground
Sunday 14th June
Stingrays v Warilla – Flinders Field
Milton v Jamberoo – Mollymook Oval
Albion Park v Kiama – Centenary Field

Round 10
Saturday 20th June
Jamberoo v Shellharbour – Kevin Walsh Oval
Berry v Milton – Berry Showground
Sunday 21st June
Stingrays v Kiama – Flinders Field
Nowra v Albion Park – Bomaderry Sports Complex
Warilla v Gerringong – Cec Glenholmes Oval

Round 11
Saturday 27th June
Gerringong v Berry – Michael Cronin Oval
Milton v Nowra – Bomaderry Mollymook Oval
Sunday 28th June
Albion Park v Stingrays – Centenary Field
Kiama v Jamberoo – Kiama Showground
Shellharbour v Warilla – Ron Costello Oval

Round 12 – NAIDOC Round
Saturday 4th July
Berry v Jamberoo – Berry Showground
Albion Park v Milton – Centenary Field
Sunday 5th July
Nowra v Warilla – Bomaderry Sports Complex
Stingrays v Shellharbour – Flinders Field
Gerringong v Kiama – Michael Cronin Oval

Spare Weekend – Washout Round (11th & 12th July)

Round 13
Saturday 18th July
Jamberoo v Nowra – Kevin Walsh Oval
Berry v Albion Park – Berry Showground
Sunday 19th July
Stingrays v Milton – Flinders Field
Warilla v Kiama – Cec Glenholmes Oval
Shellharbour v Gerringong – Ron Costello Oval

Round 14
Saturday 25th July
Albion Park v Jamberoo – Centenary Field
Gerringong v Stingrays – Michael Cronin Oval
Sunday 26th July
Nowra v Shellharbour – Bomaderry Sports
Warilla v Berry – Cec Glenholmes Oval
Kiama v Milton – Kiama Showground

Round 15
Saturday 1st August
Nowra v Berry – Nowra Showground
Albion Park v Gerringong – Centenary Field
Sunday 2nd August
Warilla v Milton – Cec Glenholmes Oval
Stingrays v Jamberoo – Flinders Field
Shellharbour v Kiama – Ron Costello Oval

Spare Weekend – Washout Round (8th & 9th August)

Round 16
Saturday 15th August
Berry v Stingrays – Berry Showground
Jamberoo v Warilla – Kevin Walsh Oval
Sunday 16th August
Kiama v Nowra – Kiama Showground
Shellharbour v Albion Park – Ron Costello Oval
Milton v Gerringong – Mollymook Oval

Round 17
Saturday 22nd August
Berry v Kiama – Berry Showground
Gerringong v Jamberoo – Michael Cronin Oval
Stingrays v Nowra – Flinders Field
Sunday 23rd August
Milton v Shellharbour – Bill Andriske Mollymook Oval
Albion Park v Warilla – Centenary Field

Round 18
Saturday 29th August
Warilla v Stingrays – Cec Glenholmes Oval
Jamberoo v Milton – Kevin Walsh Oval
Shellharbour v Berry – Ron Costello Oval
Sunday 30th August
Nowra v Gerringong – Bomaderry Sports Complex
Kiama v Albion Park – Kiama Showground

2026 Finals Series
Qualifying Finals – September 5th & 6th
Semi Finals – September 12th & 13th
Preliminary Finals – September 19th
Grand Final – Saturday, September 26th