Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League
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The Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League (NRRRL) is a rugby league competition run in the far north of New South Wales, Australia. It is run under the auspices of the Country Rugby League. The league formed in 2005 as an extended Group 1 Rugby League competition, featuring teams from Group 18 Rugby League. Prior to this, teams from Group 18 played in a competition with teams from the Gold Coast region of Queensland; these clubs have since gone on to form the Gold Coast Rugby League competition. Both Group 1 and Group 18 continue to run junior competitions from Under 5s to Under 16s.
| |
| Sport | Rugby league |
|---|---|
| Formerly known as | Group 1 Rugby League / Group 18 Rugby League |
| Instituted | 2005 |
| Inaugural season | 2005 |
| Number of teams | 13 |
| Country |  Australia |
| Premiers |  Marist Brothers Rams (2025) |
| Most titles |  Ballina Seagulls (7 titles) |
| Website | NRRRL Facebook |
| Broadcast partner | BarTV |
The competitions run by NRRRL include: First grade, Reserve grade, Under-18's and Ladies League Tag.
Due to sponsorship reasons, in 2007 and 2008 the competition was known as the Retravision Northern League.[1] As a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 competition was suspended until August, with four clubs withdrawing. When it resumed, the competition was split in two due to Queensland border restrictions. The former Group 18 teams contested the Green competition, with the former Group 1 teams contesting the Gold competition.
Teams
There are fourteen member clubs of the Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League as 2023.
The following clubs in NRRRL fielded teams in the 2024 Senior Mens and Ladies League Tag competitions:
Current clubs
| Club | City/Town | Formed | Group | Home Ground | Premierships | Premiership Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballina Seagulls | Ballina | 1920 | Group 1 | Kingsford Smith Park | 7 | 2013–15, 2017, 2019–20, 2024 |
 Bilambil Jets | Bilambil | 1923[2] | Group 18 | Bilambil East Sports Field | 1 | 2022 |
 Byron Bay Red Devils | Byron Bay | 1974 | Group 18 | Red Devil Park | 1 | 2008 |
 Casino Cougars | Casino | Group 1 | Queen Elizabeth Park | 0 | None | |
 Cudgen Hornets | Cudgen | 1950 | Group 18 | Ned Byrne Oval | 2 | 2006, 2023 |
 Evans Head Bombers | Evans Head | 1999 | Group 1 | Stan Payne Oval | 0 | None |
 Kyogle Turkeys | Kyogle | 1960 | Group 1 | New Park | 0 | None |
| Lismore Marist Brothers Rams | Lismore | 1912 | Group 1 | Oakes Oval | 1 | 2025 |
 Lower Clarence Magpies | Yamba | 1915 | Group 1 | Yamba Sporting Complex | 1 | 2009 |
 Mullumbimby Giants | Mullumbimby | 1909 | Group 18 | Mullumbimby RLFC | 1 | 2007 |
 Murwillumbah Mustangs | Murwillumbah | 1989[3] | Group 18 | Murwillumbah Colts JRL | 2 | 2012, 2016 |
| Northern United Dirawongs | Lismore | 2009 | N/A | Clifford Park | 0 | None |
 Tweed Coast Raiders | Cabarita Beach | 1980 | Group 18 | Les Burger Field | 2 | 2018, 2020 |
 Tweed Heads Seagulls |
Tweed Heads | 1909 | Group 18 | Piggabeen Sports Complex | 1 | 2005 |
Former clubs
Grafton Ghosts (joined Group 2 in 2014)
Grafton Rhinos (replaced by South Grafton in 2013)
South Grafton Rebels (joined Group 2 in 2014)
Juniors
The following clubs fielded teams in 2018 Group 1 junior competitions: Ballina Seagulls, Casino Cougars, Clarence Coast Magpies, Grafton Ghosts, Kyogle Tukeys, Lismore Marist Brothers Rams, South Grafton Rebels
The following clubs fielded teams in 2019 Group 18 junior competitions: Bilambil Terranora Jets, Byron Bay Lennox Head Red Devils/Dolphins, Cudgen Headland Hornets, Mullumbimby Giants, Murwillimbah Colts, South Tweed Koala Bears/Ospreys, Tugun Seahawks, Tweed Coast Raiders, Tweed Heads Seagulls
First Grade Premierships
Ladies League Tag
| Season | Grand Final Information | Minor Premiers | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premiers | Score | Runners-up | Reports | ||
| 2017 | Byron Bay Red Devils |
12–8 | Lismore Marist Brothers |
||
| 2018 | Lismore Marist Brothers |
22–4 | Byron Bay Red Devils |
Lismore Marist Brothers | |
| 2019 | Tweed Coast Raiders |
12–10 | Lismore Marist Brothers |
||
| 2020 (Green) | Tweed Coast Raiders |
4–2 | Cudgen Hornets |
Cudgen Hornets | |
| 2020 (Gold) | Lismore Marist Brothers |
18–0 | Ballina Seagulls |
Lismore Marist Brothers | |
| 2021 season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | |||||
| 2022 | Cudgen Hornets |
14–10 | Lismore Marist Brothers |
Cudgen Hornets | |
Juniors
Both Group 1 and Group 18 run independent junior competitions as was before the merger to form the NRRRL in seniors.
See also
Sources
| Years | Acronym | Item | Available Online | Via |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967–69, 1971–96 | - | Country Rugby League Annual Report | No | State Library of NSW |
| 2003 to 2014 | RLW | Rugby League Week | Yes | eResources at State Library of NSW |
| 2007 to 2019 | Star | The Northern Star | Yes | Northern Star website |
| 2005 to 2019 | - | Various Newspaper Websites | Yes | As referenced |