The Men’s Country Championships and Women’s Country Championships will begin this weekend (27-28 February), with select games to be shown on NSWRL TV, showcasing the state’s regional Rugby League stars.
The representative competition will kick-off at Yamba Sporting Complex on Saturday at 12.15pm with the women’s match between the Northern Rivers Titans and Central Coast Roosters.
The first NSWRL TV game will be the Men’s Country Championships fixture between the Newcastle and Maitland Region Knights and Northern Tigers at Cessnock Sporting Ground at 1pm, followed by the women’s game at 2.40pm.
Both competitions will feature 10 teams including Northern Rivers Titans, North Coast Bulldogs, Northern Tigers, Western Rams, Newcastle and Maitland Region Knights, Central Coast Roosters, Macarthur Wests Tigers, Illawarra South Coast Dragons, Monaro Colts and Riverina Bulls.
The competition is comprised of two pools of five teams who will play two rounds before two weeks of final.
The top four teams from either group (which will be based purely on competition points and for and against) will progress through to the Semi-Finals before the Grand Final on Sunday 28 March at a venue yet to be announced.
“I am very excited to have the Men’s Country Championships and Women’s Country Championships kicking off this weekend as it continues to provide a pathway for our senior regional players in pursuing higher Rugby League honours,” NSWRL Head of Football Robert Lowrie said.
“We have changed the age of the men’s competition from Under 23s to Open Age, which I’m sure will provide additional opportunities for players and some great entertainment for fans.
“The women’s games will also be a spectacle and has helped produce stars like Tess Staines, who represented NSW in the Under 18s Women's Origin game in 2019.”
For all the latest draw and score information for the Men’s Country Championships please click here
For all the latest draw and score information for the Women’s Country Championships please click here
