Bryson Luff

No less than 14 clubs will take to the field in what will be an historic year for Castlereagh Rugby League, with the inaugural Castlereagh Community Cup competition kicking off the season in mid-March.

As explained by Castlereagh League Chairman, Chris Deighton, the community “The Castlereagh Community Cup competition is designed to provide rugby league for our smaller communities who otherwise would have no rugby league at all.

“It will be a short sharp competition that could well be the first step towards the clubs involved playing in the Castlereagh League competition in future years.”

Deighton added that he welcomed the return of both the Trangie Magpies and Gulargambone Galahs to the Castlereagh playing fields after some years of being in recess and along with the Mendooran Tigers and the Walgett Dragons they will be the teams competing in the first Community Cup.

“It may only be a short competition, but it will give the players the opportunity to represent their communities, then if a player wants to continue to play football this year than they can transfer to another club and do so,” he said.

”At the same time, it gives the club’s committee an insight as to what it takes to run a club should they aspire to joining the Castlereagh League competition in the future.”

The Community Cup competition commences on March 14 with the grand final to be played on the weekend of May 2-3.

In other Castlereagh League news, release of the 10-team competition draw has signalled the return of the Gilgandra Panthers after the club sat out last season.

The season will open with the annual League Tag knockout being played at Cobar on March 28, followed by the Youth League and Senior Rugby League knockout at Gulgong on the April 11 with the competition proper getting under way on April 18.

Much interest will centre on the Coolah Kangaroos who apart from being the 2025 Clayton Cup holders will be aiming for a three-peat of Castlereagh League premierships.

The very popular Reserve Grade competition will also much earlier in the year in 2026, commencing in round three of the Castlereagh League competition.

The full Castlereagh League draw is listed below, with the Castlereagh Community Cup fixture expected to be released in the coming days.

2026 Castlereagh League First Grade Draw

Round 1 (April 18)

Dunedoo V Coonamble
Cobar V Warren
Gilgandra V Baradine
Gulgong V Coonabarabran
Narromine V Coolah

Round 2 (May 2)

Coonamble V Gilgandra
Warren V Coonabarabran
Baradine V Gulgong
Dunedoo V Narromine
Cobar V Coolah

Round 3 (May 9)

Baradine V Dunedoo
Warren V Narromine
Coolah V Coonamble
Coonabarabran V Cobar
Gulgong V Gilgandra

Round 4 (May 16)

Narromine V Coonabarabran
Coonamble V Baradine
Coolah V Warren
Gilgandra V Cobar
Dunedoo V Gulgong

Round 5 (May 23)

Warren V Gilgandra
Coonabarabran V Baradine
Narromine V Coonamble
Coolah V Dunedoo
Cobar V Gulgong

Round 6 (May 30)

Dunedoo V Cobar
Baradine V Coolah
Gilgandra V Coonabarabran
Coonamble V Warren
Gulgong V Narromine

Round 7 (June 13)

Coonabarabran V Dunedoo
Cobar V Coonamble
Coolah V Gilgandra
Narromine V Baradine
Warren V Gulgong

Round 8 (June 20)

Gulgong V Coolah
Coonamble V Coonabarabran
Dunedoo V Warren
Gilgandra V Narromine
Baradine V Cobar

Round 9 (June 27)

Cobar V Narromine
Coolah V Coonabarabran
Gulgong V Coonamble
Warren V Baradine
Dunedoo V Gilgandra

Round 10 (July 4)

Gilgandra V Coonamble
Gulgong V Baradine
Coonabarabran V Warren
Coolah V Cobar
Narromine V Dunedoo

Round 11 (July 11)

Coolah V Narromine
Baradine V Gilgandra
Coonabarabran V Gulgong
Coonamble V Dunedoo
Warren V Cobar

Round 12 (July 18)

Cobar V Gilgandra
Warren V Coolah
Baradine V Coonamble
Gulgong V Dunedoo
Coonabarabran V Narromine

Round 13 (July 25)

Dunedoo V Baradine
Gilgandra V Gulgong
Coonamble V Coolah
Narromine V Warren
Cobar V Coonabarabran

Round 14 (August 1)

Coonamble V Gulgong
Coonabarabran V Coolah
Baradine V Warren
Gilgandra V Dunedoo
Narromine V Cobar