Local guides · New South Wales

Rugby league training across New South Wales

NSW has more rugby league played in it than anywhere else, and more representative jerseys contested. Which district or region you play in decides the program you trial for — find yours below.

One month free, then A$24.99/month. Cancel any time. iPhone and iPad.

Short answer

In New South Wales the rugby league pathway runs through junior representative teams. In Sydney they are fielded by the junior districts — seventeen SG Ball Cup (under-19) teams in 2026, including Balmain, Western Suburbs, St George, Cronulla and North Sydney alongside the NRL clubs. Regional players come through ten regional teams in the Laurie Daley Cup (under-18) and Andrew Johns Cup (under-16).

Junior rep seasons start in late January and February, so the pre-season is a summer one.

12 guides

Choose your city or region

Each guide covers the pathway club your address belongs to, the leagues, the season and how to set the program up for it.

Rugby league

Sydney

Eight regions across ten junior districts, the SG Ball and Harold Matthews Cups, and a western Sydney summer.8 regions: Penrith & the Blue Mountains · Parramatta, Blacktown & the Hills · Canterbury-Bankstown · Liverpool, Campbelltown & Macarthur · inner west · Eastern suburbs & South Sydney · St George & the Sutherland Shire · Northern beaches & North Shore

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Rugby league

Newcastle & the Hunter

The Newcastle Rugby League premiership, the Knights’ SG Ball and Harold Matthews sides, and the NMR Knights.

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Rugby league

Central Coast

Rugby League Central Coast, the Central Coast SG Ball team and the Laurie Daley Cup Roosters.

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Rugby league

Illawarra & South Coast

Illawarra Rugby League and Group 7 — Thirroul to Ulladulla — and two junior rep pathways.

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Rugby league

Northern Rivers & Far North Coast

The Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League and the Titans — 2026 Laurie Daley Cup runners-up.

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Rugby league

Coffs Harbour & the Mid North Coast

Group 2 and Group 3, and the North Coast Bulldogs’ Laurie Daley and Andrew Johns Cup teams.

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Rugby league

Tamworth & New England

Group 4 and Group 19, and the Northern Tigers’ Laurie Daley and Andrew Johns Cup teams.

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Rugby league

Central West & Orana

The Western Premiership (Groups 10 and 11 merged in 2022) and the Western Rams.

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Rugby league

Wagga, Griffith & the Riverina

Group 9 and Group 20, and the Riverina Bulls’ Laurie Daley and Andrew Johns Cup teams.

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Footy

Sydney footy

The Swans and GIANTS academy zones, AFL Sydney, and the Sydney Football League from 2027.2 regions: North, east & south Sydney · Western & south-western Sydney

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Footy

Newcastle, Central Coast, Illawarra & the north

Regional Swans Academy zone — Hunter, Central Coast, Illawarra, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour and Gunnedah hubs.

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Footy

Riverina, Central West & southern NSW

Regional GIANTS Academy zone — Wagga, Albury, Griffith, Deniliquin, Orange-Bathurst and Broken Hill.

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Statewide

The NSWRL ladder

NSW Cup
The state’s premier men’s competition, fourteen teams in 2026 including interstate and New Zealand NRL clubs’ sides.
Ron Massey Cup and Sydney Shield
The open-age tiers below the NSW Cup.
Jersey Flegg Cup
Under-21.
SG Ball Cup and Harold Matthews Cup
Under-19 and under-17. Seventeen teams in the SG Ball Cup in 2026.
Laurie Daley Cup and Andrew Johns Cup
Under-18 and under-16 regional representative competitions, ten teams in two pools. Macarthur Wests Tigers won the 2026 Laurie Daley Cup.
Tarsha Gale Cup and Lisa Fiaola Cup
The NSWRL’s female junior representative competitions.
Starting now

What you start with, by the month you join

Every block is four weeks — three building, one deload — so a free month is one complete block.

Jan
Pre-season
Max-strength block
Feb
Pre-season
Max-strength block
Mar
In-season
Maintenance block
Apr
In-season
Maintenance block
May
In-season
Maintenance block
Jun
In-season
Maintenance block
Jul
In-season
Maintenance block
Aug
In-season
Maintenance block
Sep
In-season
Maintenance block
Oct
In-season
Maintenance block
Nov
Pre-season
Max-strength block
Dec
Pre-season
Max-strength block
Read from the app: the season phase a new rugby league account starts in, and the first four-week block it runs.

Shown for rugby league. The AFL program runs its own calendar.

For coaches

Coaching a side in New South Wales?

A club licence is A$8 per player, per month (minimum 5), and every player on it gets full Train Smart membership at no cost to them. You write the block once, it lands in each player’s app, and the console shows who actually did it.

FAQ

Training in New South Wales: questions

What are the junior rugby league rep competitions in NSW?
In Sydney and the major centres: the Harold Matthews Cup (under-17), SG Ball Cup (under-19) and Jersey Flegg Cup (under-21). In regional NSW: the Andrew Johns Cup (under-16) and Laurie Daley Cup (under-18). For girls, the Lisa Fiaola and Tarsha Gale Cups.
Which teams play in the Laurie Daley Cup?
In 2026: Northern Rivers Titans, Newcastle-Maitland Region Knights, Central Coast Roosters, North Coast Bulldogs and Northern Tigers in the northern pool; Macarthur Wests Tigers, Illawarra South Coast, Monaro Colts, Western Rams and Riverina Bulls in the southern pool.
When does junior rep rugby league start in NSW?
The 2026 regional season opened on 31 January, and the metro competitions started in early February. The physical preparation happens over the summer before.
Sources

Where these facts come from

Checked September 2026. Zones, grades and dates change — if something here is out of date, the governing body is right and we are wrong.

  1. NSWRL — 2026 major competitions
  2. SG Ball Cup — 2026 teams and age group
  3. 2026 Laurie Daley Cup — pools and result
  4. NSWRL — Regional Magic Round opens the 2026 junior rep season
  5. Andrew Johns Cup (under-16)

Spotted an error? Tell us and we will fix it.

Your season, your club nights, your numbers

Pick your sport, answer a few questions, and the program is built around the calendar you actually play on.

One month free, then A$24.99/month. Cancel any time. iPhone and iPad.