The NSWRL has released the draws for 2023 for The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup, six other Major Competitions and its Junior Representative Competitions, with more clubs signing up to take part across the board in a positive sign for Rugby League in the state.
The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup, which is the state’s premier competition, will welcome the Sydney Roosters and the Warriors in 2023 to take the total number of teams to 13 when it kicks off on Friday 3 March.
The Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Premiership will rise to 11 teams with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, St George Dragons and Illawarra Steelers joining the competition next year, for a season start on Saturday 4 February.
“The release of the draws for our Major Competitions and Junior Representatives Competitions is always exciting as it means Rugby League is just around the corner again,” NSWRL Head of Football Robert Lowrie said.
“It is great to see foundation club the Sydney Roosters return to the NSW Cup under their own banner, while the addition of the Warriors reflects the strength and appeal of our competitions.
“It is also impressive to see the addition of three new teams into the Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Premiership as it represents the growth and interest in Women’s Rugby League.
“Our Junior Representatives Competitions kick off in February and they are always a highlight as they showcase the rising stars of the game, with many of the players progressing to professional Rugby League careers.
“There is so much to look forward to in 2023 and I can’t wait for the season to start.”
The opening round of The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup will kick-off with premiers Penrith Panthers taking on the North Sydney Bears at BlueBet Stadium on Friday 3 March. The Grand Final rematch between the Panthers and Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs will be played in Round 16 at Belmore Sports Ground in June.
There will also be a Magic Round with 12 teams playing in two venues over two days in May. The matches for Blacktown Worker Sea Eagles v St George Illawarra Dragons, North Sydney Bears v Warriors, and Parramatta Eels v Western Suburbs Magpies will all be held at North Sydney Oval on Saturday 6 May; while the games for South Sydney Rabbitohs v Sydney Roosters, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs v Canberra Raiders and Newtown Jets v Penrith Panthers will take place at Redfern Oval on Sunday 7 May.
The Roosters will field a team under their own colours in the NSW Cup for the first time since 2005. The club has won nine premierships in the competition with their last title coming in the 2004 Grand Final.
The Warriors will also return to the NSW Cup for the first time since 2020. Although they have not won a NSW Cup premiership yet, they have been regular top eight finishers and made the Preliminary Final in 2017 where they lost narrowly to Wyong Roos.
The Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Premiership will kick off in strong fashion with the Grand Final rematch between Wests Tigers and Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks to be played in the opening round at Campbelltown Stadium on Saturday 4 February.
The Junior Representatives Competitions, which kick off on Saturday 4 February, are also enjoying strong growth with the Warriors joining the UNE SG Ball Cup (Under 19s) to take the total number of teams to 16, while the Harvey Norman Tarsha Gale Cup (Under 19s) will be a 13-team competition in 2023 following the addition of Manly Warringah Sea Eagles. The UNE Harold Matthews Cup for Under 17s will remain a 15-team competition with all competitions showcasing the rising stars of the game from metropolitan Sydney.
The SLE Laurie Daley Cup (Under 18s) and SLE Andrew Johns Cup (Under 16s) involving the best junior talent from around regional NSW will also kick-off on Saturday 4 February and will both feature 10 teams split into two pools.
The Ron Massey Cup will feature nine teams in 2023 with Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs joining the competition. The Kaiviti Silktails will split their matches between Fiji and Sydney after having spent the past two seasons based at Mascot due to the COVID pandemic.
The Denton Engineering Cup in Newcastle will expand to 11 teams in 2023 after local stakeholders approved the addition of new franchise Northern Hawks.
The Sydney Shield will expand to nine teams in 2023 with Mounties and Cabramatta joining the competition for clubs from across the Sydney metropolitan area.
The Men’s Country Championships for open age players from across regional NSW has reverted to a knockout competition. It will involve 10 academies with games kicking off on Saturday 4 March.
MAJOR COMPETITIONS
for The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup draw
for the Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Premiership draw
for the Jersey Flegg Cup draw
for the Ron Massey Cup draw
for the Denton Engineering Cup draw
for the Sydney Shield draw
for the Men’s Country Championships draw
JUNIOR REPRESENTATIVES COMPETITIONS
for the UNE SG Ball Cup draw
for the Harvey Norman Tarsha Gale Cup draw
for the SLE Laurie Daley Cup draw
for the UNE Harold Matthews Cup draw
for the SLE Andrew Johns Cup draw
