It was an untraditional time slot for Junior League, but the Balmain district's maiden 'Friday Night Lights' event was a popular one with the area's juniors.
In a bid to give young players the unique experience of Rugby League after dark, the Holy Cross Rhinos made the most of recent upgrades at Br Benedict Olsen Oval in introducing the concept to its under-9s division 1 competition.
Holy Cross under-9s division 2 and under-8s teams also took part in what was an innovative way of hosting Junior League, while Wests Tigers players we also on hand for the night.
"Some of these boys and girls will remember this experience for years - and possibly decades - to come," Rhinos Junior Vice President Scott Gandy said. "It comes in a time when Junior League needs to be creative in ways to retain and attract players and families to the code.
"Our view is we can contribute now by changing the game a little."
While the night represented a small change to the junior players' usual experience, it provided a point of difference from the usual scheduling of Saturday and Sunday mornings. It complements the NSWRL's existing Junior League innovations, which have included recreational W8s and M8s programs sitting outside of the regular season.
Registrations are still open for the 2018 Junior League season, with more information available at nrl.com/play
