Gridiron NSW’s 2026 season is officially underway after the opening round was moved to 19 September. Men’s Flag began on Friday night at Bressington Park before the rest of the weekend shifted to Claremont Meadows, where junior competitions, Women’s Flag, Colts and Men’s Tackle all got going.
In Men’s Tackle, the UNSW Raiders opened with a win over the Wollongong Mustangs, while the UTS Gators got past the Nepean Ducks. The result that probably stands out most, though, came in Colts. Wollongong beat Nepean in a rematch of last season’s Kookaburra Bowl. Nepean entered 2026 as the three-time defending Colts champions after beating Wollongong 38–32 in last year’s final, so the Mustangs did not have to wait long to get another shot at them.
It is only Round 1, but that result gives the Colts competition an early point of interest. Nepean have been the team everyone has had to get through in recent seasons. Wollongong have now landed the first blow this year.
More happening than just senior tackle
The opening weekend also showed how much football is now sitting around the senior tackle competition. Men’s Flag started on Friday night, while junior and women’s flag competitions were part of Saturday’s program alongside Colts and Men’s Tackle.
Nepean is one club worth keeping an eye on from that point of view. The Ducks have six teams this season, including two U14 flag sides, and club president Darren White recently spoke about the amount of junior interest around the new U14 competition. That gives the club a bigger footprint than just its senior tackle side and reflects what is starting to happen more broadly across the sport. Flag is giving clubs another way to bring players in, while Colts remains an important part of the pathway into senior football.
There is still plenty to learn about how those competitions settle over the coming weeks, but the range of divisions in action on opening weekend is a good indication of how much the NSW game now stretches beyond the traditional senior format.
Gridiron NSW is using its central 2026 schedule as the main reference point for fixtures, venues and competition updates, giving supporters and media a single official place to check what is happening each week rather than relying on bits and pieces from club pages and social media.
Round 1 leaves plenty to follow
Wollongong’s Colts win over the three-time defending champions is the result that jumps out most from opening weekend. The Raiders and Gators have both started their Men’s Tackle seasons with wins, while the flag and junior competitions are underway across the state.
One round does not tell us much about who will still be standing at the end of the season, but it has already given NSW a few storylines worth following. Wollongong have shown they can knock off the benchmark in Colts, the Raiders and Gators have put early wins on the board, and clubs are now getting a first look at where they sit after the long build-up to the season.
That is what Round 1 is supposed to do. Not provide all the answers, but give us enough to start asking better questions.