MOREE Boomerangs will field six teams at the 2025 NSW Koori Rugby League Knockout in Tamworth this weekend, with nearly 150 local senior and junior players registered to represent the town and district.

Hundreds of supporters will join the entourage, and such is the groundswell of local support, the Lake Keepit Sport and Recreation Centre has been booked out for Team Boomerangs.

Moree Boomerangs club president, Peter Duncan, is preparing for a huge weekend.

“We’ve got two men’s teams registered, a women’s team, and three junior teams as well – a record number for us,” Duncan said.

“All the accommodation is booked out in Tamworth and we’ve booked out Lake Keepit Sport and Recreation Centre – we’ve got a big weekend planned for all the families and supporters.”

All teams representing the Boomerangs this weekend consist of local players, past and present.

“We much prefer using our local players, or players with local connections and family ties to the town,” Duncan said.

“That’s something we pride ourselves on – taking a quality team of players that are essentially from Moree.”

Chris Binge and Brian Saunders are this year’s senior men’s coaches.

“Chris has come home to help out with the men’s team and Lynny Smith and Alma Tighe are coaching the women’s team,” Duncan said.

Part of Moree Boomerangs’ huge entourage, at training this week. Six teams and supporters will converge on Tamworth this weekend for the 2025 NSW Koori Rugby League Knockout.

“The last time Chris was here, we had a bit of success and he’s back now helping out with all the prep for the boys.”

Co-coach, Brian Saunders, said there was no shortage of senior players wanting to represent Moree Boomerangs this weekend.

“We had about 100 to pick from, with 25 players in each team – all local boys, which is good,” Saunders said.

“I reckon they’ll go all right. Fitness will play a big part, especially if we make it to the back-end of the competition on Sunday. There could be four or five games and there are no second chances,” he said.

Moree Giants club president Stephen Cory is coaching the under-15s boys and Merv Tighe Junior is coaching the under-13s boys.

Boomerangs’ reserve-grade coach Anthony Robinson is coaching the under-13s girls’ team.

“The 15s boys is a cracking side and will go well, I think, and the 13s girls team is basically our full Giants squad,” Cory said.

The Koori Rugby League Knockout, memorialised earlier this year with a blue plaque in Sydney’s inner west, is a celebration of grassroots competition.

Formed by six young Indigenous men at Redfern’s Clifton Hotel in 1971, the Koori Knockout is now a statewide phenomenon.

More than 30,000 people are expected to converge on Tamworth over four days and inject more than $15 million into the local economy.

This year’s event brings together 170 teams from across New South Wales – a record number.

Knock-out founders – Victor Wright, Bob Smith, Bob Morgan, Bill Kennedy, Danny Rose and the late George Jackson – wanted an opportunity to showcase Aboriginal sporting talent that had been overlooked by scouts.

They envisioned an event that was more than just a platform for football, but also a gathering of family, community and cultural pride.

The first Koori Knockout at Camdenville Park in 1971 brought together seven teams from across NSW: Koorie United, Redfern All Blacks, Kempsey, La Perouse United, Walgett, Moree and a combined Mt Druitt-South Coast side.

The 2025 knock-out is being billed as Tamworth’s biggest sporting event on record.

The knock-out, this year hosted by last year’s winners, Walgett Aboriginal Connection, will be held at the Riverside Sporting Complex.

Moree Boomerangs won the knock-out in 1985, and a win this year will tie in perfectly with the club’s 100-year celebrations planned for November.

“It’s our 30-year anniversary for winning the knock-out, back when it was the Boomerangs and Toomelah combined, with the McGrady backline,” Duncan smiled.

“We’ve also got our 100-year anniversary coming up, with some big things planned.”

NITV will broadcast the 2025 Koori Knockout, with full day match coverage of the finals live and direct.

The telecast, also available on SBS On Demand, will be screened on Sunday, October 5 and Monday October, 6  from 9am.