Sport
29 August, 2026
Gilgandra High School U14's take home state championship
46-14, Gilgandra High School u14's Rugby League side take home state championship
by Molly Shannon
On Wednesday, August 19, Gilgandra High School’s U14’s team walked out with the champion title at the NSW Small Schools Rugby League Grand Final, taking down Guyra Central School 46-14.
The U14’s boys team were trained by High School principal, Mr Will Godber, who said the school were incredibly proud of their achievements.
“The school, and myself as a coach, are just really proud of the boys,” Mr Godber said.
“The boys worked really hard, and you could see them improve after each training session and each game,” he said.
Getting to the top took dedication and hard work, with all but two of the players also playing for the Gilgandra Rugby Union League.
The U14’s had previously played in Dubbo where they won three gala day matches before taking out the semi finals in Wagga Wagga.
The Grand Final was held in Bathurst, with the U14’s team having to get on the bus at 5:30am to make the day.
Coach Mr Godber said that there were some concerns surrounding what the boys’ performance would look like considering the early rise, but that concern was clearly unfounded.
“They just played really well,” Mr Godber said.
“As a school, we set a really high standard and the team really went above and beyond.
“They took the game very seriously and every one of the boys were really respectful on the day,” Mr Godber said.
This is the fourth year that Gilgandra High School has participated in the Small Schools Rugby League, and the first time the U14’s have taken home the grand final.
“I’m really proud of the effort that the boys put in,” said Mr Godber.
“The team is ecstatic,” he said.
