Coonamble has collected the honour of winning the 2024 Ricky Walford Shield and the George Rose Snr Shield in the annual one-day Rugby League tournament for primary school children in north-western NSW.
There is a netball competition run in tandem with the two Rugby League divisions: Grades 3-4 for the George Rose Shield and Grades 5-6 for the Ricky Walford Cup, which is hosted by Walgett Public School.
It brings 600 players together on the day from 15 different areas.
Walford played 233 first grade games for Eastern Suburbs Roosters, North Sydney Bears and St George Dragons between 1982-1996 and was born in Walgett.
He was also a member of the 1990 State of Origin series-winning NSW side.
Played in a round-robin format, the seven-a-side Rugby League event brings together schools from Bourke, Brewarrina, Nyngan, Warren, Goodooga, Lightning Ridge, Coonamble, Collarenebri, Wee Waa, Tamworth, Moree, Dubbo, Boggabilla, Mungindi, Toomelah and Gosford.
The tournament has had some students represent their schools and then go on to further their Rugby League careers right up until NRL level like current players Jesse Ramien (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks) from Dubbo, and Braidon Burns (North Queensland Cowboys) from Coonamble.
This year Coonamble defeated Lightning Ridge 4-3 in the final of the George Rose Snr Shield, with Walgett making the Semi-finals to the delight of the home crowd on the sidelines.
They had even more to cheer about in the final of the Ricky Walford Shield, where Walgett took on Coonamble but they were just pipped 5-4.
Former NSWRL First Nations development officer Steve ‘Bear’ Hall came up with the idea in 1993 of organising a school-based tournament in honour of Walgett’s favourite son.
It has been an annual event ever since, pausing only during the COVID pandemic.
Walford (pictured above on right) was there on the day to hand out the awards.
Kobie Hill was named Player of the Day and Robert Sharpley was named the Steve ‘Bear’ Hall Player of the Day – both from Walgett Primary School.
