The Macarthur Conference Rugby League is a senior Rugby league competition in New South Wales, Australia, administered by the New South Wales Rugby League. Formerly known as Group 6 Rugby League, the competition was, until 2019, run under the auspices of the Country Rugby League. The geographical area covered by the former CRL Group 6 takes in much of the Southern Highlands and southern Macarthur regions of New South Wales, extending from Marulan, New South Wales in the south, to Mount Annan/ the M5 in the north and Warragamba in the west.
The competition features eight grades, with these being First Grade, Reserve Grade, Third Grade, Open Age (Fourths), Women's Tackle, League Tag, Under 20s and Under 18s.
Senior clubs Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia the commencement of Group 6 2020 season was postponed. Delayed, competition matches began on 2 August 2020. The number of First Grade participants decreased from nine teams in 2019 to five teams in 2020, but had rebounded to 11 by the 2023 season.
An unrelated change between the 2019 and 2020 seasons was the merger of the Moss Vale Dragons and Bowral Blues, forming a new club Highlands Storm. This club then moved to the Group 7 Rugby League competition.
The following table notes the clubs and the teams they fielded in the 2019 and 2020 Group 6 senior competitions: 1st Grade, Reserve Grade (2nd), Third Grade/Division 2 and Under 18s (U18), Women's tackle (Wom) and Ladies League Tag (LLT). ClubCity/SuburbsHomeground2023 SeasonABB2CWU18s 1U18s 2U18s GWLT 1WLT 2O35LTFirst Grade Clubs Camden RamsCamdenKirkham Park Campbelltown City KangaroosSydney (Claymore)Fullwood Reserve Campbelltown CollegiansSydney (Bradbury)Bradbury Oval East Campbelltown EaglesSydney (Campbelltown)Waminda Oval Mittagong LionsMittagongMittagong Sports Ground Narellan JetsSydney (Narellan)Narellan Sports Ground Oakdale WorkersOakdaleSid Sharpe Memorial Oval Picton MagpiesPictonVictoria Park South West GoannasCamdenOnslow Oval The Oaks TigersThe OaksDudley Chesham Sports Ground Thirlmere-Tahmoor RoostersThirlmereThirlmere Sports GroundSecond Division Clubs Appin DogsAppinAppin Park Eagle Vale-St Andrews MagpiesSydney (Eschol Park)Eschol Park Sports Complex Glenquarie All StarsSydney (Glenfield)Seddon Park Liverpool Catholic Club RaidersSydney (Liverpool)Hillier Oval Minto CobrasSydney (Minto)Benham Reserve Mount Annan-Currans Hill KnightsSydney (Currans Hill)Jack Nash Reserve Oran Park-Gregory Hills ChargersSydney (Oran Park)Jack Brabham Reserve Warragamba WombatsWarragambaWarragamba SportsgroundOther Divisions Campbelltown WarriorsSydney (Ruse)Worrell Park East Hills BulldogsSydney (East Hills)Smith Park Moorebank RamsSydney (Moorebank)Hammondville Oval
A = First Grade B = Reserve Grade B2 = Second Division C = Third Grade W = Women's Tackle U18s 1 = Under 18s Division One U18s 2 = Under 18s Division Two U18s G = Under 18s Girls WLT 1 = Women's League Tag Division One WLT 2 = Women's League Tag Division Two O35LT = Over 35s Men's League Tag
Past clubs Clubs from the greater Campbelltown, New South Wales area participated in the 1st Division Group 6 competition from 1946 to 1983. These clubs as well as other former clubs included:
Division 1 ClubMonikerYears ContestedPremiershipsNotes All Saints LiverpoolSaints2010NoneMoved AppinDogs??NonePlays in Division 2 BowralBlues1914–20191926, 1944, 1947, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1956–58, 1960–61, 1965, 1968Merged with Moss Vale to form Southern Highlands Storm Campbelltown RSLWarriors1970–19831972, 1979Plays in Division 2 GoulburnStockmen2005–20072007Folded (Players joined re-formed Goulburn Workers in Canberra RL) IngleburnBulldogs1974–1983NoneFolded LeumeahWolves1971–1977NoneFolded Moss ValeDragons1914-20191920, 1925, 1927–30, 1953, 1955, 1982, 1984, 1990, 2010Merged with Bowral to form Southern Highlands Storm Southern HighlandsStorm2020NoneMoved (Group 7 Rugby League) WarragambaWombats??1989Plays in Division 2
Division 2 Clubs from Campbelltown to feature in the 2nd Division and 3rd Division leagues from 1973 to 1983 included:
Macquarie Fields Hawks Cross Roads Tavern Tharawal Ghosts Airds Colts Claymore Panthers Campbelltown Sharks Minto Cobras Ingleburn RSL
Other clubs to have played in Group 6 Lower Grades include:
The Bowral–Robertson Pioneers Appin Warriors Berrima Gaol 'The Colts' Berrima Hinchinbrook Hornets Wingello Wildes Meadow Sutton Forest Bundanoon Highlanders Robertson Spuddies (transferred to Group 7)
History
Berrima District Rugby League
1914–45: Berrima and Wollondilly Rugby Union was played in the area as far back as 1890, with the Berrima District Rugby League making its debut in 1914. Teams in the 1914 premiership were Picton, Robertson, Bowral, Mittagong, Moss Vale, Thirlmere and Wildes Meadow.
Competition football resumed 1919. During the 1920s Camden, Campbelltown and, in some years, Picton teams played in the Southern Districts Rugby League. Bowral, Mittagong, Moss Vale and Thirlmere were regulars in the Berrima premiership. From 1924 to 1930, a knockout competition, the Warleigh Cup, was held at the end of the season in senior, reserve and junior grades. Between 1928 and 1930 the Warleigh Cup was played in lieu of premiership finals. In 1931 the cup was held in May.
At the northern end of the region Camden, Campbelltown, Picton left the SDRL and with Bargo and Thirlmere formed the Wollondilly association. Senior and junior competitions were held in 1929.
In the early 1930s, premiership football gave way to a plethora of challenge cups, which had begun to be introduced. The high rate of unemployment was cited as a reason for favouring challenge cups over competition. Typically, a cup was donated to a club and matches were arranged to contest its possession. A cup might change hands multiple times during a season. The club that originally owned a cup often had the right to challenge the holders in the last match of the season in which the cup was on the line. Names of the cups included Sommers, Citizens, Cornwall, Commercial, Dawson-Lack, Dawson-Frazer, Theo Small and Murphy. There were cups for reserve grade – Burchell, Dresher and Whyte – and junior teams – Wales & Jackson.
Competition in a round-robin format resumed in 1935, with Group 6 clubs organised in northern and southern divisions and a handicap system applied. Group 6 disbanded in 1936 and no competition was held.
Berrima District Rugby League reformed and conducted competitions in 1937. Bowral won the final 23 to nil but lost the title on a protest by Mittagong, upheld by the league. A resident of New Berrima had played throughout the season despite not being residentially qualified to play with Bowral. Despite a warning from Mittagong, he played in the final. Berrima mixed a four-team competition with challenge cup matches in 1938. Meanwhile, the re-formed Wollondilly District experimented with a one-day carnival premiership. A re-established Group 6 coordinated a cup draw in 1939. Despite the war, some senior football was played the following season.
Burrawang-Robertson and two Bargo teams participated in a 1944 competition with premiers Bowral and runners-up Mittagong. Campbelltown, Moss Vale, Picton and Thirlmere resumed playing the next year.
Group 6 Era
1946–68: Highland Fling 'Group 6', as it is now known, officially recommenced in 1946 with Campbelltown Kangaroos claiming the inaugural premiership undefeated. Eleven first grade teams were divided into north and south divisions, with the winners of each divisions meeting in a grand-final.
Bowral Blues and Mittagong Lions would dominate these years.
Picton Magpies would win the Group's first ever Clayton Cup with an undefeated season in 1966 under the captain- coaching of Billy Peel. The Magpies were on track to go back-to-back in 1967, entering the 1967 decider undefeated. However, in one of the Group's biggest ever boilovers, the John Cole inspired Mittagong Lions rolled the black 'n whites, denying Picton a certain back-to-back Clayton Cup.
1969–83: Campbelltown City Kangaroos. One of the CRL's Greatest Clubs Dominates This period marks the era of the Campbelltown clubs. The rapid expansion of the Sydney metropolitan area saw a population boom in the Campbelltown area. New suburbs brought new clubs. After Campbelltown Kangaroos defeated the Bowral Blues 22–3 in the 1969 Grand Final, two new clubs were formed- the Campbelltown RSL Warriors and Campbelltown Collegians.
Captain- coached by former St George Dragons hooker Ray Corkery, the Kangaroos would win three successive Group 6 premierships- defeating Oakdale Workers in 1970 and the RSL Warriors in 1971.
Now known as the Campbelltown City Kangaroos, the club started to enshrine its Group 6 dominance with the construction of a Leagues Club to finance its League teams. This club has now morphed into Wests Leagues Campbelltown.
Contending for 4 straight premierships in 1972, the Roos were controversially defeated by Camden in the major semi final of that year. The RSL Warriors would go on to defeat Camden in the 1972 Grand Final.
Campbelltown City soon struck back though with the signature of Canterbury & Australian test centre Johnny Greaves. Greaves, possibly the best player the Group has seen, captain- coached the 'Roos to another treble- defeating Campbelltown Collegians in 1973 and Ingleburn Bulldogs in 1974 and 1975.
The Oaks would win their first premiership with a dogged 16–10 victory in the 1976 decider over Camden Rams. Captain- coached by the mercurial Les Williams, the Tigers had a week earlier thwarted City's attempts to become the first Group 6 club to win 4 consecutive premierships. Williams' men would repeat the dose in 1977 with a 22–3 thumping of Camden again. These years would prove bitter sweet for the Camden club, losing all 3 grades on Grand Final day in 1976 and 1977. Ingleburn Bulldogs lowered the Rams colours in consecutive reserve grade grand finals of 1976 & 1977.
Camden would finally break the spell with victory over the Campbelltown RSL Warriors in the 1978 Premiership. Camden's jinx returned though with the Warriors claiming revenge in 1979 with a 9–2 victory over the Rams.
Spurred into action by their first ever wooden spoon in 1979 (the first time they had missed the semi-finals since 1963), Campbelltown City sought revenge for the 1980 premiership, indulging in a recruitment drive that brought former Australian schoolboy representative Paul Murray to the club as captain-coach and Bulldogs legend and hardman Phil Charlton to the club to beef up the front row. With local prominent solicitor John Marsden behind them, the 'Roos would become the first club in Group 6 history to go from last to first in one season. Murray's men lost only two games that season, going on to record a dominant 25–9 victory over the Picton Magpies in the 1980 Grand Final.
Picton would turn the tables on the 'Roos in the 1981 Grand Final, emerging triumphant 15–11. Picton were led to victory by the dominance of captain Ron Kain & hooker John White in the scrum, starving the City backline of possession.
The early 80s also saw the emergence of the Moss Vale Dragons team. Based around the youthful potential from their 1979 Reserve Grade and U/18s premiership team from 1980, the Dragons would win the 1982, 1984 and 1990 1st Grade premierships. A tough team, the Dragons were led by captain- coach Brian Milthorpe and 1st Graders like Mark Knight, Chris Cumming, Owen Saunders, John Burke, Terry Loader and Shane Green.
By 1983, it was fairly apparent that there was a significant separation between the Campbelltown clubs and the rest of the Group, which was still essentially 'country' in nature. Ten out of 15 contested premierships had been won by Campbelltown City (8) or the RSL Warriors (2). There was no sign of this imbalance abating.