This year’s season will see the introduction of second-year age-groups for under 6s, 8s, 10s, 12s and 14s to allow participating clubs a greater opportunity to field teams across all competing age-groups.

As well as this, the draw will now reflect junior and senior clubs linking up more and, in some cases, playing same-day football. 

Group 20 Junior Rugby League president Allan Jackson was hopeful players, volunteers and parents would all be behind the changes and give them a chance to work out. 

“We’ve gone away from a centralised competition where everyone plays in the same town on the one day,” he said. 

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“It’s been voted in by the executives of each club to have a home and away format. 

“Probably 70 per cent of games on any given weekend will link up with the senior competition.

“We’ve gone away from the single age groups to the dual age groups. 

“In the league tag there will also be an under 16s competition.”

It is hoped the changes will bring several positive outcomes, including opportunities for increased interaction between junior and senior clubs, and alleviating travel and workload concerns for players, parents and volunteers.

Jackson said the idea was to also boost numbers throughout the age groups. 

Previously the age groups started at under 6s, before moving on to under 7s, 8s and so on. 

“In the older age groups, we were competing with a lot of other sports … a lot of teams were struggling,” he said. 

“In the under 14s we were looking at having a three-team competition if these changes weren’t made. 

“Now we’re looking at around six. 

“So, there’s more footy for everyone.”

The biggest dilemma for an organisation like Leeton Junior Rugby League is it has always been aligned with two Group 20 clubs – the Greens and Yanco-Wamoon Hawks. 

It has now decided to follow one club each year on a rotational basis, starting with the Greens this season and the Hawks next year. 

Junior league matches will still be played on a Saturday and Sunday, depending on the draw and won’t always necessarily line up with the senior competition, but in some cases it will. 

“It’s a similar sort of model to the Riverina Football League,” Jackson said. 

The other positive for Jackson was the strengthening of the relationship between the junior and senior competitions at an executive level. 

“Previously it hasn’t always been smooth sailing, but we’re all working together well now,” he said. 

“They have representatives coming to our committee meetings and we have representatives going to theirs.

“It’s good to be able to have those relationships and work together for everyone’s benefit.” 

Group 20 Senior Rugby League president Mark Stenhouse agreed with Jackson. 

“(This) won’t just promote growth in the remote areas, but the big areas as well – most clubs will pretty much have a full complement,” he said. The season will kick-off on March 30. 

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