New South Wales Rugby League CEO Dave Trodden was at Scully Park in West Tamworth today to announce that Tamworth will be the first ever regional town to host the first Regional Magic Round on May 9 to 11 next year, with a full round of the Group 4 competition and five matches of The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup.
“It’s a really exciting day,” Trodden said, “For the first time ever NSWRL is bringing a Magic Round to regional NSW – we’ll be bringing it right here to Scully Park.”
Trodden stated that he was really pleased that Scully Park will host five Knock On Effect games, with all Sydney-based NRL brands represented, as well as the North Sydney Bears and the prime minister’s favourite, the Newtown Jets.
“Importantly,” Trodden added, “we’ll be incorporating the Group Four games as well.”
“It’ll be a real celebration of everything that’s fantastic in footy in New South Wales.
Trodden said the Tamworth region has long been a vital support and feeder region for the NRL, with the likes of Ethan Parry and Phil Graham hailing from the town, and that the facilities in Tamworth are more than enough to make the event a success.
“Scully Park – the venue’s got to be first class to start off with, and this is a first-class venue – there’s been plenty of NRL games here before.
“When you play elite footy, you’ve got to have the best facilities.
Trodden also stated that Tamworth has transport and accommodation options that can easily handle players coming in from all over the eastern seaboard.
Asked if NSWRL saw it as a risk bringing games out here, Trodden said that the Magic Round was a success at Henson Park and North Sydney Oval, and that “it’s not a risk at all” to bring it further afield.
“We’re the New South Wales Rugby League. We’re not the Sydney Rugby League.”
Trodden said that the conversation that’s been developing for “a little while”, and that “it’s really been led by Wests Tamworth”, owners of the Scully Park Venue.
“A few people at NSWRL, from our new coach Laurie Daly down, have been colleagues of (Wests CEO) Rod Laing for many, many years, and have been outstanding people to deal with.
“From the point of view of the West Entertainment Group, it’s a very exciting prospect to build this relationship with NSWRL,” West’s Chief Communications Officer Paddy Donnelly said, “And we’re all very excited to see where it will go in the future.”
Tamworth Mayor Russell Webb called an exciting announcement for an exciting day, lauding the relationship Wests had built with NSWRL, saying that in many ways Tamworth is already a sporting Mecca, and welcomed the announcement.
“When you look at a lot of the facilities we have around our city – I think this stadium here is a standout, and I think it’s recognised across NSW as being one of those premium grounds outside of the metropolitan areas.
“In fact, I’d say the most premium ground.”
“It’s beneficial,” Mayor Webb said, “for our young kids to watch rugby league played at its finest.”
Webb called it a step up for Tamworth, who had previously hosted many country and city games, as well as serving as a quarantine zone for the Auckland Warriors, and hosting their match with the Newcastle Knights, during the COVID lockdown of 2020.
Information on ticket sales will be released by Wests Tamworth tomorrow.
The event will kick off with a Group 4 match between the Werris Creek Magpies and the Gunnedah Bulldogs, followed by Narrabri Blues v Kootingal-Moonbi Roosters, Moree Boars v Dungowan Cowboys, and Boggabri Kangaroos v North Tamworth Bears.
The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup games will feature Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles v Sydney Roosters, Newcastle Knights v North Sydney Bears, Newtown Jets v St George Illawarra Dragons, Parramatta Eels v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, and Penrith Panthers v Western Suburbs Magpies.
This is the second rugby league windfall for Tamworth in 2025, with Tamworth being chosen by Walgett to host the 2025 Koori Knockout.
And with so much love for the game being shown in Tamworth, would Tamworth one day get its own NRL team?
“If you can convince the Prime Minister to give the area as much money as he’s given PNG,” Trodden said, “maybe there’s a chance of that.”
“There’s no reason at all why the second tier competition, at least, and the elite level of the women’s game, why this area and other regional areas of New South Wales couldn’t, couldn’t properly service teams in those competitions.”
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