The 2026 Peter McDonald Premiership (PMP) kicks off tomorrow (Saturday 21 March) in historic fashion with the competition introducing its inaugural pre-season knockout tournament across two regional venues.
In a major boost for Rugby League in western NSW, 12 clubs will take part across three grades – Open Men’s (combined first and reserve grade), Under 18s and League Tag.
The tournament will serve as a key lead into the official premiership season, which begins Saturday 19 April.
“We just threw the idea out at a meeting and thought we would hold our own knockout competition because there were no other knockouts within our area,” Peter McDonald Premiership Competition Committee Chair Linore Zamparini said.
“Rather than clubs seeking trials outside the region, we thought it would be great to have all the teams in one place. Fans can come along and see every club competing in the 2026 season under knockout conditions.”
The knockout will be played over two weekends, with Parkes Spacemen hosting matches across three fields in Parkes to kick things off. The top eight teams from each grade progress to the finals series in Bathurst the following weekend, hosted by Bathurst St Patricks RLFC.
“A lot of clubs are still building their numbers for the upcoming season, so the sooner we start kicking balls around, the sooner we get more people out onto the field,” Zamparini said.
“With shorter knockout-style games, it’s a great way to see what players and clubs are at peak fitness and let them have a trial against who they’re going to come up against throughout the season.”
The League Tag competition will be completed during the opening weekend in Parkes, while the Under 18s and Open Men’s divisions will continue through to the Bathurst finals.
Adding to the occasion, the Peter McDonald Premiership season launch will be held on Saturday night in Parkes following the day’s knockout matches.
“All the clubs are there, so it just made sense,” Zamparini said.
“It should be a really great evening with everyone involved there to launch the season.”
First established in 2022, the Peter McDonald Premiership brings together 12 clubs from Groups 10 and 11 and includes competitions for First Grade, Reserve Grade, Under 18s and Ladies League Tag.
Clubs competing in 2026 include: Bathurst St Pats, Dubbo Macquarie Raiders, Forbes Magpies, Lithgow Workies, Mudgee Dragons, Nyngan Tigers, Orange CYMS, Orange Hawks, Parkes Spacemen, Wellington Cowboys, Bathurst Panthers, and Dubbo CYMS, who claimed the 2025 First Grade premiership.
The success of the first PMP Knockout event will determine whether it becomes a permanent fixture.
“The success of the knockout will come down to how the clubs respond, but we’re certainly looking at making it part of our calendar,” he said.
“We’re not out to make a profit – if we can cover our costs of the weekend with the referees and everything else, we will be very happy, and it will be a success.”
With strong community backing and support from the Parkes Council, the PMP Knockout shapes as an exciting new start to the 2026 season, and potentially the beginning of a new annual tradition in the western region.
“I want to thank Parkes for all of the work they have done to get this stage this weekend,” Zamparini said.
“They have used a lot of services’ clubs in the canteens, the gates and the traffic control. We are certainly looking forward to it.”
