Thousands converge on Junee for 80th Riverina Schoolboys Carnival

JUNEE’s population doubled over the weekend as thousands of junior rugby league players, parents and supporters poured into town for the 80th Riverina Schoolboys Carnival.

Widely regarded as one of the largest junior rugby league gatherings in the country, the prestigious round-robin event drew more than 1,900 players from 155 teams on Saturday, representing towns as far afield as Cowra, Canberra, Albury and Hay.

With families, officials and spectators in tow, the crowd is estimated to have swelled to around or beyond 5,000 – effectively matching the town’s resident population.

Over 230 games, officiated by close to 70 referees, were contested across 18 fields at Laurie Daley Oval, Burns Park, Loftus Oval and the Junee Showground, with junior and senior soccer fixtures moved to Wagga to free up space.

Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

The milestone carnival was officially opened by Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke MP, who fired the starting buzzer under near-perfect winter conditions, while guest MC Wiradjuri Rabbs Entertainment kept the atmosphere lively from the side-lines.

Despite the huge program, organisers reported just three player injuries, with two requiring hospital care.

A young Under 10s player with suspected neck injuries received the all-clear and walked out of hospital on Saturday night, while another spent the night in hospital before undergoing elbow surgery on Sunday morning.

Games were played in the right spirit, with only one send-off recorded, and crowd behaviour was exemplary, with no incidents reported.

Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

While younger age groups collected participation certificates, older players competed for coveted pennants – long considered a prized achievement in country rugby league.

Leeton and Albury dominated the day, sharing four of the five competitive titles:

• U13 Pool A – Leeton (3 wins)
• U13 Pool B – Albury (3 wins)
• U14 – Leeton (4 wins)
• U15 – Albury (3 wins)
• U16 – Wagga Magpies (1 win, 1 draw – only 3 teams entered)

Canteens across the precinct were staffed by local sporting and community groups including the Junee Diesels, Junee Junior Rugby League Club inc., Junee Jaguars Soccer Club, Can Assist Junee, Junee Lions Club, and the Junee RSL Sub-Branch, ensuring thousands were fed throughout the day.

The New South Wales Rugby League also chipped in, donating a signed State of Origin guernsey, which was won in a lucky draw by the Gundagai Adelong Under 13s.

The celebrations continued on Sunday with the Riverina League Tag Carnival, which drew a further 60 junior teams from across the Riverina and ACT.

From its humble beginnings in 1943 with just six teams, the Riverina Schoolboys Carnival has grown into a cornerstone of the regional sporting calendar.

Once the largest event of its kind in the world, it peaked at 242 teams under a knockout format in 1969 before evolving into today’s round-robin.

The carnival has only ever been cancelled three times – once due to wet weather in 2016 and twice during the COVID pandemic – a testament to the dedication of its organisers and volunteers.

The weekend brought not only fierce competition and community spirit, but also a significant boost to Junee’s economy, with local businesses enjoying one of their busiest trading periods of the year.

As the final whistle blew and the sun set on Saturday, one thing was certain – the Riverina Schoolboys Carnival remains a jewel in the regional sporting crown, and at 80 years young, it’s showing no signs of slowing down.