A side from 1961.
One of Australia’s biggest days for rugby league is nearly upon us once again for the first time since Covid, the Riverina Schoolboys Carnival. The carnival will take place this Saturday with events beginning at 9pm at Laurie Daley Oval.
It is the 77th time the historic Riverina Schoolboys Football Carnival will be running.
The food and drinks have been ordered and the grounds have been prepared for the 132 teams nominated for this year’s carnival from Under 6’s through to Under 15’s.
Teams travelling from Group 9, Group 20, Group 10 and the Canberra region are all looking forward to our first carnival in three years. Referees answered the call with many putting their names forward to officiate over the games, including six from Junee Junior Rugby League Club. Some of the younger referees are also playing on the day, juggling between the two.
The young referees gain valuable experience from the carnival under the watchful eyes of NRL Referee Development Officer Tim Bailey with Pat Walsh and Wayne Prosser as mentors.
The carnival cannot run without the assistance of the various organisations and schools from Junee area providing manpower for the canteens, gatekeepers, on field ground co-ordinators, selling raffle tickets on the day and assisting with parking.
Community support also comes in the form of individual people who volunteer their time to help, whether in the information tent or as ground announcers, runners are one of many jobs that make the day go as smoothly as possible as well as sponsorship from the many Junee business houses who have sponsored the carnival for a long time and some who have come on board in recent years.
Support from Junee Shire Council staff and GEO Group to have the grounds ready for the carnival is also greatly appreciated.
NRL have donated two Gold tickets to the NRL Grand Final in October as the major raffle prize and Coke have donated a signed and framed Canberra Raiders guernsey to be drawn during the Carnival NRL staff member James Smart from Wagga, has been a great support of the carnival, ensuring they have another successful event, which is appreciated by the committee.
Riverina Schoolboys Rugby League Football Carnival had run the carnival on the first Saturday in August every year since 1943 with the exception of 2016 when the carnival was cancelled due to wet weather making the grounds and parking areas unusable.
Maree Allamby talks about the history of how the Carnival started. “It started out with just school boys and that’s why it’s called the schoolboys carnival because that’s how it originated,” she said.
“It’s now including some girls that are allowed to play up to the under 12s. It was a chance for the kids to play from other schools against people that they don’t normally play against.
“There’s a few of the players that have gone on to play in the NRL especially Junee’s Laurie Daley and Adam Perry.
“It’s just really great that they’ve been able to have the girls playing League Tag the next day.
It’s good for the town.
The girls league tag day is a recent addition to the carnival and a milestone for women in rugby league.
Jack Murray
