RL dying in the bush???.... hardly.

[East Coast Tiger]

Every city and town in the northern inland of NSW with a population of more than 1000 has nominated to play rugby league in 2013. The addition of Walcha and Boggabri fill in the last gaps in the region and the possibility of a team from Ashford, a town of 600-700 people, would mean there is another town of under 1000 with a team as well.

Towns in black = have existing RL clubs.
Towns in blue = have nominated to play in 2013

Cities/towns of more than 1000 people
Tamworth
Armidale
Inverell
Moree
Gunnedah
Narrabri
Glen Innes
Tenterfield
Quirindi
Manilla
Uralla
Walcha
Guyra
Barraba
Kootingal
Wee Waa
Werris Creek
Boggabri
Bingara
Warialda

Towns with RL teams with pop. less than 1000
Tingha
Ashford
Bendemeer
Dungowan

Pretty good considering all the nonsense about RL dying in the bush etc. The overall number of teams in all grades in all competitions should also increase as a result.

 

[Phil_22]

Totally agree group 19 especially is looking quite good for 2013

 

[girvie]

Sounds excellent. How are the junior numbers? Would most of these towns have a team in each age group?

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Juniors are harder to summarise. In Group 4 there are three different junior comps up to under 12s and then one comp for u13-15s. Then the 16s and 18s play in the senior structure. In G19 there is one comp all the way through to u16s. But they only have u8s, 10s, 12s, 14s and 16s. Some towns have teams in all, some have multiple teams in all and some only have a teams in some age groups. Bear in mind some of these towns have a population of less than 1500 people. Overall junior numbers across the northern inland would be mostly stable. Some towns are on the up and some going down. It's a cyclical thing.