by Greg Martin

The 7th annual Blacktown Red Belly Warriors Knockout rugby league tournament, sponsored this year by NDIS provider, Young Crescent, is attracting near record entries from clubs throughout Sydney and the NSW bush.

The tournament, restricted to players of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, will be played at The Kingsway sporting complex at St Mary’ s on Saturday September 20.

Blacktown Red Belly Warriors Rugby

League Club is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that players and spectators alike will have a memorable day at the footy.

Up for grabs for winning teams will be a pot of gold- $ 20,000 in prizemoney! The tournament is part of the burgeoning Koori Knockout circuit – these tournaments not only showcase footy talent but serve as a gathering for Indigenous communities to celebrate culture, heritage and community pride.

Not only will there be a feast of footy but a host of stalls to browse, tucker and refreshment stands and the Red Bellys,

always mindful those with snow in their hair, will provide an Elders Tent for the comfort of, well, elders.

Little wonder, the Red Bellys were as keen as mustard to put on another tournament!

Last year the Red Bellys teams won all categories – the mixed 10 years boys and girls, 13 years boys, 15 years and 17 Years boys and girls, and the open age men and women.

Also adding to the footy entertainment will be an open-age exhibition game between the Red Bellys

and a Māori team. Two fields will be in action throughout the day following an opening ceremony. The football kicks off with the first match at 8am with the action continuing right through to the open men’ s and women’ s finals around 4pm.

All matches leading up to the finals will be played over 15-minute halves with the finals stretched out to 20-minute halves.

You can bet your bottom dollar that everyone attending will have“ budyeri gamaruwwa” – that folks, is Dharug language for“ have a good day”.