Darwin City, Southern Heat RISE Development Program

The Territory Junior Championships were introduced in 2024 aimed at creating more opportunities to play our game locally at regional representative level of participation to support inspirational Players, Coaches, Sports Trainers, Team Managers and Match Officials. By providing this regional structure focussed on bringing people together in a more challenging environment will assist NRL NT in delivering greater personal and professional development for people within rugby league both on and off the field for all involved. This process will also be integrated into the RISE programs currently available and importantly improve how we select our NT Titans teams and how they prepare to compete at specific Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League National Championships instead of the current gap between local club football and direct into a far greater level of national representative systems. This development structure is inline with all other States & Territories except Tasmania as South Australia are now included in all NRL Victoria pathway programs. Last year 3 Regions were created to represent their local schools and clubs at the inaugural event from Darwin City, Southern Heat and Katherine Cowboys with long term plans to include a Central Australia platform to support Alice Springs, Tennent Creek and ideally Gove focussed on providing access to such an opportunity for more Northern Territorian people. Without confirming just yet we are working closely with the new Gove United Rugby League administration and local government officials hopeful of their inclusion this year. As our goal for this NRL NT initiative is to create greater access to this level of experience through rugby league engaging more people and deliver a true whole of Northern Territory Representative culture.