This weekend’s bumper junior carnival at Dubbo shapes as a precursor to an increase in gala days in the future within Western Rams competitions.
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The junior grounds around Caltex Park will be packed with under 13 and under 15 junior league teams and under 12, under 14 and under 16 league tag sides from all over the region.
Close to 50 teams will take part and Country Rugby League (CRL) Manager Western Region, Peter Clarke, said Sunday’s competition can be hugely beneficial.
“The 13s and 15s are traditionally age groups we traditionally struggle to retain players and carnivals in those age groups have gone by the wayside a bit,” he said.
“There used to be a pre-season carnival at Orange and one in Group 11 so we’re looking to reincarnate that a bit and this is a lead-in to that happening.
“Growing up you would love the carnival atmosphere and we lost that a bit but we want to get it going again.”
Sixteen different clubs will have sides playing, with the local area to be represented by St John’s, the South Dubbo Raiders and Dubbo City.
Team from Narromine, Nyngan and Wellington will also take part while Group 10 has cancelled its final round this weekend so youngsters get a chance to play in a carnival atmosphere against different sides.
“It provides variety and we think it will be a really good event,” Clarke said.
“If you keep doing things the same then participants will get bored so this is a different way to attract people and a day like this is great for young players and anyone interested in the sport.”
A host of Group 11 clubs will be represented, with the likes of Orange CYMS, Bathurst St Pat’s and the Mudgee Dragons to be joined by the Cowra Magpies, Eglinton Eels, Bloomfield Tigers and Lithgow Storm.
Other participating clubs are the Grenfell Goannas, Cabonne Roos and Wallerawang.
The league tag shapes as one of the real attractions of the day with Group 11 not having its own competition locally.
The three Dubbo clubs will all take part, creating a whole new level of interest in the sport locally.
“League tag has really taken off in seniors and now we’re starting to get a foothold in the juniors,” Clarke said.
All matches, both league and league tag, will run for 20 minutes with no half time break.
Each side is guaranteed numerous matches.
The carnival is also another win for Dubbo, following on from a mega under 12s and under 14s carnival at the Caltex Park grounds last month.
The first of the junior matches kicks off at 8.40am on Sunday with games being played continuously and concurrently through until roughly 1.30pm.
Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
