The Bold Plan to Revive Rugby League in the Far West

In Short

• The Comeback: After a three-year hiatus, NSWRL representative Blayne Murphy is leading a push to revive the game in the Far West and Sunraysia regions.
• Game-Changing Incentives: To lower barriers for players, the new competition model proposes zero registration costs and free transport to away games to combat rising fuel prices.
• Community Unity: Local coaches are calling for a dual-sport culture where Rugby League and AFL coexist to increase overall participation and social connection in Outback towns.

After three seasons without football, rugby league is set to return to the Outback district after a renewed push from the region’s clubs and the appointment of a new NSWRL representative in the region.

Passionate local Blayne Murphy will lead the state governing body’s effort to revive the game in the region, with incentives such as zero registration costs, free transport to and from away games and neutral officiating aimed at attracting players back to the game after a period of inactivity.

Competition mainstays Menindee Yabbies, Wilcannia Boomerangs and Broken Hill’s Silver City Scorpions are expected to take the field in any new competition, while hopes are high that teams from Mildura, Robinvale and Wentworth will also be involved, after the NRL Victoria administered Sunraysia Rugby League competition folded in 2022.

Silver City Scorpions First Grade coach Rossi Morris said that the return of the game would mean a lot to communities across the region.

“It’s the heart and soul of a lot of these guys out here,” he said.

“Broken Hill may be an AFL stronghold in the region, but a lot of the community and neighbouring communities love rugby league.

“It [would] mean a lot to me if rugby league can get the continued support from community, local business, CBD sponsorships, and financial support.”

Within the region, the towns of Menindee and Wilcannia are rugby league mainstays, fielding teams right back through to the original incarnation of the Outback Rugby League competition in 1980.

Many players from these towns have continued playing the game in recent seasons, travelling long distances to join the Ivanhoe and Deniliquin clubs in the ProTen Community Cup.

However, in Broken Hill, and the competition’s newly proposed towns of Wentworth, Mildura and Robinvale, Australian rules football holds sway, albeit with a growing rugby league community.

Morris said that he hopes the sports could work together rather than against each other to increase sporting and social opportunities for people across the region.

“It’s not a love-hate relationship out here, both sports should be sponsored, and should be supported,” he said.

“If we can get more focused attention and support to run juniors, grassroots footy, then we’ll have a stronger base for rugby league, and it means so much to a lot of these guys out here to play it.

“Some of them play AFL, some of them will back up play AFL one day and rugby league the next.

“Back when it was Saturday games, they would play AFL that day, and then back up on the same day for rugby league, this is how much they love rugby league, they want to keep rugby league alive.

“For our players, to be able to have a dual-sporting setup out here, makes for better community participation.”

One incentive that Morris said will be most effective at attracting players is the free transport, after players relied on carpooling and paying huge out of pocket fuel costs for the lengthy away trips to games in the region.

“That funding in regards to helping with transport and getting to and from games, especially away games, that would boost the support, that would boost the community involvement, and it would also boost the clubs’ confidence in running a successful competition,” he said.

“Most of the clubs out here, the players organise carpooling, we can’t get the finances to hire a coach or a bus to take them.

“It [was] probably going to pose a problem if we [got] teams from down south like Mildura, Dareton, Wentworth, same thing, those guys depend on carpooling [...] paying out of your own pocket.”

With teams still building ahead of a potential return, interested players, sponsors and supporters are encouraged to reach out to their local club or via the Outback Rugby League’s facebook page.