The Wiradjuri Aboriginal Rivers have defeated the Bourke Warriors, 26-6, to claim their first Koori Knockout men’s title.
Despite a nailbiting first half of Sunday’s grand final, WAR came back strong in the second half and led their team to victory.
“For this club here, WAR, its more than footy”, said WAR player Julian Christian.
“We’ve been close a couple of times over the years, we’ve lost against WAC (Walgett Aboriginal Connection) a couple of times in a grand final.
“This is so good, its so worth it. So worth it.“
Fans watch the finals of the Koori Knockout intensely. (ABC Newcastle: Piper Duffy)
As well as winning glory at the Knockout, WAR will now get to choose where the 2027 Knockout is played.
In the women’s final, the Newcastle Yowies secured back-to-back titles, defeating the Redfern All Blacks 14-6.
The side featured a mixture of young talent, as well as experienced NRLW players including two-time premiership winner Caitlin Johnston.
She told NITV the win was dedicated to members of their community who recently passed.
“We’ve lost some very special people to us, so to take it back to back means quite a bit,” Johnston said through tears.
“Newy’s a community full of footballers … to host the Knockout is pretty special, and then to win it puts the icing on the cake.“
Game day ‘means everything’
About 40,000 fans spent their long weekend on Worimi Country at Raymond Terrace to attend the biggest sporting event of the Indigenous calendar.
Described as a modern-day corroboree, the tournament has been running since 1971, now bringing together almost 180 mens, women’s and junior teams from across the state.
Bourke Warriors centre Colby Pellow and his wife Alex travelled more than 700 kilometres to play in the mammoth sporting event.
“Our community, it’s only small, but we all get around this time of year,” he said.
Colby Pellow and his wife Alex travelled from Bourke to attend the Knockout in Raymond Terrace. (ABC Newcastle: Emma Simkin )
Knockout veteran Josh Toole, who played for WAR, said the annual event brings mob together.
“I’ve played for a couple of different [Knockout] sides and it doesn’t matter which side you go for it’s that sense of community,” he said.
“Also for Aboriginal people, we’re big on footy, we love footy so there’s a lot of passion.”
Maddi Ireland led her Newcastle team to victory in the under 15s. (ABC Newcastle: Piper Duffy)
Young talent on display
Maddi Ireland spent her childhood watching her father take to the Knockout field year after year.
This year Ms Ireland, a Wiradjuri woman from Dubbo, took out the title for the Under 15’s playing for her new team, the Newcastle Yowies.
“[It’s] just good to do it for the culture, the mob, and my friends and the families around me,” she said.
“‘It’s surreal honestly playing out on the field with all the crowd and mob around us supporting us.
“It just feels unreal out there,”
she said.
Ms Ireland said the win had inspired her to pursue bigger rugby league dreams of her own.
“One day I hope I can make NRLW, make my family proud and my culture,” she said.
Families from across the state came to watch the annual Koori Knockout in Raymond Terrace. (ABC Newcastle: Piper Duffy)
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