When rugby league resumes being played across the country, one of the country's smallest competitions will be set to lace up the boots and kick off.
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The far west's Outback Rugby League competition, which was revived in 2007 after a nine year absence, will not only return to competition this year alongside other community premierships but looks set to expand to include a league tag competition for the first time in history.
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The men's senior competition will likely take place over six rounds this year and is expected to start in line with the July 18 resumption date for competitions state-wide proposed by NSWRL.
The competition currently involves four teams, with returning teams the Menindee Yabbies, Wilcannia Boomerangs and Wilcannia Partnu Warriors all expected to participate and the newly proposed Silver City Scorpions stepping up to fill the spot left by the absence of the Broken Hill Cowboys.
The Scorpions, a newly formed team making their debut this year, at one point looked set to miss out on their first year of action due to COVID-19, but will now be able to play, should the Outback Rugby League competition hit all the proposed dates.
In prior years, various teams from the competition, as well as players, have competed in various competitions, including the Far West Challenge.
The Menindee Yabbies, Wilcannia Boomerangs and Silver City Scorpions have also nominated teams for the inaugural women's league tag premiership.
NSWRL Far West Competitions Support Officer Dallas Reeves described discussions between the sport's governing body and senior clubs in the far west region as 'positive'.
"It would be great to give our Far West communities some small normality in life this year," Reeves said.
Reeves said that both the clubs that have signed on to play and the NSWRL organisation were optimistic that play would start as soon as security and safety regulations made it permissible.
"We (NSWRL) want the competition to proceed and so do the clubs," Reeves said.
"A plan is in place to play if it is considered safe by authorities to do so."
According to the draft draw agreed to by the senior clubs, a one-day pre-season tournament is slated to be held on either July 18 or July 19, with the six round regular season to follow and capped off by a preliminary final between the highest placed teams.
The first round has been pencilled in for July 26.
