'It means the world': Bulls deliver back-to-back premierships after grueling contest

For a town of barely 200 people, the Rockley Bulls have given their community something to celebrate.

or signup to continue reading

All articles from our website

The digital version of Today's Paper

The Bulls were once again kings of the Mid West Community Cup, claiming back-to-back premierships after edging out the Koorawatha Jets 12-10 in a thrilling grand final at Kandos on Saturday, October 24.

With plenty of support traveling all the way from Rockley, captain Hudson White said bringing another premiership home to the town was a special feeling.

Rockley Bulls celebrated winning the 2026 Mid West Community Cup at Kandos on Saturday, October 24. Picture by Bradley Jurd

"It's massive. The town gets right behind us and obviously it's only a small place, 200-odd people living there, so this means the world to them," he said.

"The whole town gets behind us. They're pretty much all here today, so we're happy to take it back and keep it in the pub there at Rockley."

It was a grueling encounter at Waratah Park and despite Rockley dominating possession and field territory in the last two quarters, the Bulls only managed to win by two points.

For Koorawatha, it was the Jets' first season playing rugby league of any kind since competing in the Woodbridge Cup back in 2012 and proved tough opponents, with Bulls' Nic Barlow scoring the winning try in the final quarter of the game.

White said his side had entered the contest with a simple game plan, but executing it against a determined Koorawatha outfit proved easier said than done.

"We had a bit of a game plan, just hold the ball and complete out sets," he said.

"With this sort of footy, you've got to sort of complete as much as you can.

"We went away from that a little bit and they got back on us, but we had a good yarn there at half-time.

"Everyone dug deep and brought it back, so I'm really proud of the effort the boys put in towards the end and got the chocolates.

For White, one of the most rewarding aspects of the competition is the opportunity to represent the communities where he and many of his teammates grew up.

He estimated around 10 members of the Bulls squad had connections to Rockley, Oberon and the surrounding villages.

And while the competition may only run for a handful of weeks, it has become an important fixture for towns that no longer have the numbers to sustain a regular rugby league side like Portland, Kandos, and Blackheath.

White believes that is what makes the competition so special.

"Obviously it's a bit hard these days for a town of 200 people to get a team, but I think it's the greatest comp in the world," he said.

"To get all these small towns together and all the oldies that used to love this sort of thing, they can get around their old team again."

Be the first to know when news breaks.