Tallon Smith

An Anzac weekend game between Corowa and Wangaratta this Sunday will kick off the new Goulburn Murray Premiership season after the draw was revealed last week.

The standalone game at the Corowa Airfield will act as a round zero fixture, with all teams set to feature in round one a week later.

The Corowa club will wear special Anzac jerseys for the clash again this season, with a bumper crowd expected to attend the clash, which is the only match on in the region with Group 9 pausing for a general bye this weekend.

The match will also mark the highly anticipated Cougars debut of new signing Emilio Leti, who joined the club over the off-season and will start in the second row.

Round one will take place next weekend at Sarvaas Park on Sunday May 3, with Wangaratta taking on Border Bears, Albury Muddogs hosting Tumbarumba, and Corowa tackling Wodonga.

The men’s matches will take place in 10:05am, 12:40pm and 3:15pm timeslots, with women’s games set to start at 9:00am, 11:35am and 2:10pm, a matchday schedule which will be in place for all rounds.

All games this season will be held on Sundays except for in round two, when the Wangaratta club hosts a Saturday triple-header at Glenrowan Recreation Reserve.

Round five will only feature two matches, with the teams featuring in the Anzac match receiving a bye that weekend.

Meanwhile, there will be no grand final rematch in 2026, after two-time defending premiers Shepparton Eagles withdrew from the competition due to a lack of players.

The same goes for the women’s competition, with Shepparton the reigning title holders in that competition.

The Eagles’ withdrawal follows Wolfpack’s decision to enter recess late last year, meaning the competition drops from eight to six teams this season.

The final round will take place on Sunday August 9, with a three-week, four-team finals series to follow.

The full competition draw is listed below.

2026 Goulburn Murray Premiership Draw

Anzac Day Match – Corowa (Sunday April 26)

Corowa v Wangaratta

Round 1  – Sarvaas Park (Sunday May 3)

Wangaratta v Border Bears

Albury Muddogs v Tumbarumba

Corowa v Wodonga

Round 2 – Glenrowan (Saturday May 9)

Wodonga v Tumbarumba

Wangaratta v Albury Muddogs

Border Bears v Corowa

Round 3 – Corowa (Sunday May 17)

Wangaratta v Wodonga

Albury Muddogs v Border Bears

Tumbarumba v Corowa

Round 4 – Tumbarumba (Sunday May 24)

Border Bears v Wodonga

Albury Muddogs v Corowa

Tumbarumba v Wangaratta

Round 5 – Baranduda (Sunday May 31)

Border Bears v Tumbarumba

Albury Muddogs v Wodonga

Round 6 – Glenrowan (Sunday June 14)

Wodonga v Corowa

Border Bears v Wangaratta

Tumbarumba v Albury Muddogs

Round 7 – Sarvaas Park (Sunday June 21)

Tumbarumba v Wodonga

Albury Muddogs v Wangaratta

Corowa v Border Bears

Round 8 – Baranduda (Sunday June 28)

Wodonga v Wangaratta

Border Bears v Albury Muddogs

Corowa v Tumbarumba

Round 9 – Tumbarumba (Sunday July 12)

Corowa v Albury Muddogs

Wodonga v Border Bears

Wangaratta v Tumbarumba

Round 10 – Sarvaas Park (Sunday July 19)

Tumbarumba v Border Bears

Wodonga v Albury Muddogs

Wangaratta v Corowa

Round 11 – Baranduda (Sunday July 26)

Albury Muddogs v Tumbarumba

Border Bears v Wangaratta

Wodonga v Corowa

Round 12 – Corowa (Sunday August 2)

Corowa v Border Bears

Tumbarumba v Wodonga

Albury Muddogs v Wangaratta

Round 13 – Baranduda (Sunday August 9)

Tumbarumba v Corowa

Wangaratta v Wodonga

Albury Muddogs v Border Bears