The Group 15 Rugby League, now known as Barwon Darling Rugby League Cup is a rugby league competition in Far North West NSW.
The competition has six teams from across Western NSW, with another currently in recess.
History
Group 15 was a
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...
competition based in the northeastern quarter of the
Western Division, New South Wales,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. The last premiership was held in 1992 with Lightning Ridge beating Bourk
Group 15 clubs currently play in the revamped Barwon Darling Rugby League Cup, which is essentially a reformed Group 15 Premiership, run by the
Country Rugby League
The Country Rugby League of New South Wales (CRL), formed in 1934 and disbanded in 2019, was the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in areas of New South Wales outside the Sydney, Sydney metropolitan area until it merged with ...
as part of Region 4 (Western Rams).
Barwon Darling Rugby League Cup
The Barwon Darling Rugby League is the new competition held in the area following the demise of Group 15. Five former Group 15 clubs are involved, plus the more recently formed Newtown Wanderers club, with towns such as
Bourke,
Brewarrina
Brewarrina (pronounced ''bree-warren-ah''; locally known as "Bre") is a town in north-west New South Wales, Australia on the banks of the Barwon River in Brewarrina Shire. It is east of Bourke and west of Walgett on the Kamilaroi Highway, a ...
,
Goodooga,
Lightning Ridge
Lightning Ridge is a small outback town in north-western New South Wales, Australia. Part of Walgett Shire, Lightning Ridge is situated near the southern border of Queensland, about east of the Castlereagh Highway. The Lightning Ridge area is ...
and
Walgett
Walgett is a town in northern New South Wales, Australia, and the seat of Walgett Shire. It is near the junctions of the Barwon and Namoi Rivers and the Kamilaroi and Castlereagh Highways. In 2021, Walgett had a population of 1,377.
In the ...
(Dragons and Wanderers) entering teams.
Collarenebri
Collarenebri ( ) is a town in north western New South Wales, Australia. The town is in the Walgett Shire Local Government Area and is situated on the Barwon River approximately northeast of Walgett and south west of Mungindi on the Gwydir H ...
has also fielded sides in the past, but are currently in recess. The competition is the a key social event in most of the communities involved, as they are small rural townships.
The competition has been dominated by the Walgett Dragons and Bourke Warriors in recent years, with many premierships going to either one of the sides, with Brewarrina being the other consistently competitive side. Goodooga broke a 34 year title drought in 2022 defeating Bourke 27-26 to claim the title, before going back-to-back the following year.
Teams
Barwon Darling Rugby League Cup Teams
In Recess
Former Group 15 teams included
* Barwon United (folded)
* Bourke Warriors
* Brewarrina Googars
*
Canbelego
* Cobar Roosters (Now in
Castlereagh League)
* Collarenebri Bulldogs
* Enngonia Outlaws
* Goodooga Magpies
* Lightning Ridge Redbacks
* Mungindi Grasshoppers
* Newtown Wanderers
* Nyngan Tigers (Now in
Group 11/
Peter McDonald Premiership)
* Walgett Dragons
* Warren Bulldogs (Now in
Castlereagh League)
Grand Finals
Barwon Darling Rugby League
Group 15 Rugby League
Sources
References
Defunct rugby league competitions in New South Wales
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