A record number of teams, a new competition that will provide another pathway for female Rugby League players, and some familiar names including Hindmarsh, Fittler, Alexander, To’o, Yeo and Cleary will be on show when the 2024 Junior Representatives season kicks off this weekend.
The competitions will start for UNE SG Ball Cup (Under 19s men), Westpac Tarsha Gale Cup (Under 19s women), SLE Laurie Daley Cup (Under 18s boys), UNE Harold Matthews Cup (Under 17s boys), Westpac Lisa Fiaola Cup (Under 17s girls) and SLE Andrew Johns Cup (Under 16s boys).
Fans will be able to keep up with all the action on the NSWRL TV App, which will showcase all games for the SLE Laurie Daley Cup and SLE Andrew Johns Cup and Westpac Lisa Fiaola Cup (regional only), and select matches for the UNE SG Ball Cup, Westpac Tarsha Gale Cup, UNE Harold Matthews Cup and Westpac Lisa Fiaola Cup (metropolitan Sydney).
“The start of the NSWRL Junior Representatives competitions is always exciting as it’s an opportunity to see the next generation of Rugby League stars from both regional NSW and metropolitan Sydney,” NSWRL Head of Competitions Yvette Downey said.
“I’m also looking forward to the Lisa Fiaola Cup, which has progressed from a gala day to achieving competition status in 2024. There is now another pathway for female Rugby League players in NSW with competitions for Under 17s (Lisa Fiaola Cup), Under 19s (Tarsha Gale Cup), and Open Age (Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Premiership).
“The NSWRL is also fielding 80 teams in our Junior Representatives competitions, which is the most we have had in a season and reflects the increasing popularity of the game for all.
“Finally, as well as the next intake of stars coming through it is always heartening to see former Rugby League players giving back to the game with plenty of former stars taking up coaching positions for both the men’s and women’s game.”
The Lisa Fiaola Cup in metropolitan Sydney will have a 13-team competition and be held over nine rounds followed by three weeks of finals. The Lisa Fiaola Cup in regional NSW will have a six-team competition which will be split into two conferences with the winners to meet in the Grand Final.
NRL clubs Melbourne Storm and the Warriors will both field teams for the first time in the UNE Harold Matthews Cup in 2024.
A raft of upcoming players, as well as former greats who have taken on coaching roles, will feature in the 2024 Junior Representatives competitions including:
- Buster Hindmarsh for the North Sydney Bears in the Harold Matthews Cup (son of True Blue Nathan Hindmarsh)
- Zach Fittler for Sydney Roosters in the SG Ball Cup (son of True Blue Brad Fittler);
- Beau Alexander for Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in the Harold Matthews Cup (son of True Blue Greg Alexander);
- Bethany To’o for Penrith Panthers in the Tarsha Gale Cup (sister of True Blue and Brad Fittler Medallist Brian To’o);
- Sienna and Rhian Yeo for Illawarra Steelers in the Tarsha Gale Cup (cousins of True Blue Isaah Yeo);
- Jett Cleary for Penrith Panthers in the SG Ball Cup (brother of True Blue Nathan Cleary and son of NRL Penrith Panthers coach Ivan Cleary);
- Zane Timmins for the Illawarra Steelers in the Harold Matthews Cup (nephew of True Blue Shaun Timmins);
- True Blue Shaun Timmins coach of the Illawarra Steelers in the SG Ball Cup;
- True Blue Steve Turner coach of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the SG Ball Cup;
- True Blue Greg Florimo assistant coach of the North Sydney Bears in the Lisa Fialoa Cup;
- Former Jillaroo Karen Stuart coach of the Penrith Panthers in the Tarsha Gale Cup.
Click here for more information about NSWRL TV.
Click here for the SLE Andrew Johns Cup
Click here for the Westpac Lisa Fiaola Cup (metropolitan)
Click here for the UNE Harold Matthews Cup
Click here for the SLE Laurie Daley Cup
Click here for the Westpac Tarsha Gale Cup
Click here for the UNE SG Ball Cup
