Coffs Harbour Crusaders Junior Rugby Union

07/09/2026

To all the Friday Night coaches, managers, and former players out there gearing up for Grand Final weekend — from everyone at Crusaders, we wish you the very best!

Hope you have as much fun out there as our Friday Night kids do every week. Your hard work has got you to this point, so enjoy the day, and remember what a great season it's been, regardless of the result.

Good luck to all involved! 🏉🏆

🏆 THE TIMES ARE SET! 🏆

The countdown is on to the 2026 MNCRU Northern Competition Grand Final Day!

From the opening U14 Girls clash at 8:30am through to the Men’s First Grade showdown at 5:10pm, Port Macquarie Pirates will host eight massive Grand Finals on Saturday 12 September.

📅 Saturday 12 September
📍 Hosted by Port Macquarie Pirates
🏉 First match: 8:30am
🔥 Men’s First Grade: 5:10pm

Can’t make it to the ground? Every match will be broadcast live on NSW Rugby TV.

📺 Watch live: nswrugbytv.com.au

Save the times, bring your colours and get ready for the biggest day of the Northern Competition season!

05/09/2026

Happy Father’s Day to all our Crusaders rugby dads. ❤️💙

We all know we don’t do this alone, but today is about thanking the dads.

The coaching, volunteering, BBQs, working bees, running water, driving, strapping, cheering from the sideline and simply being there — what you give to our competition and our kids is nothing short of amazing.

But all of that pales beside the most important part.

The hugs. The pride. The love.

Watching your kids pull on a jersey, run onto the field and begin their own journey in the game we all love so much.

Those are the moments they’ll remember.

Happy Father’s Day, Crusaders dads. Thanks for everything you do — but most of all, thanks for being there. 🏉❤️💙

04/09/2026

Best of luck to all our teams, heading up to armidale for fathers day - have a great day

01/09/2026

Hugo Sandy Fenn

ASPIRING COACHES — THIS ONE IS FOR YOU!
Don’t miss your chance to take the next step in your coaching journey with the Community Coach (Level 2) Course!
📅 24th & 25th October
📍 Ian Walton Park, Crescent Head
🏉 Home of the Kempsey Cannonballs
This course is aimed at representative coaches, senior coaches and aspiring coaches who are looking to develop their knowledge, skills and coaching pathway.
🔥 And the best part — you don’t need to have completed Level 1 to attend!
Whether you’re already coaching at a representative or senior level, or you’re keen to take your first step towards coaching at the next level, this is a great opportunity to invest in your coaching journey.
Don’t miss out — Click on the link if interested.
https://forms.gle/52hcW2fqR664NBVr5

25/08/2026

🏆 THE BUTCHER FAMILY AWARD – VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR 🏆

For just the second time, we are incredibly proud to present The Butcher Family Award – Volunteer of the Year for Junior Rugby.

And this year, the choice was a pretty easy one.

From nominations across our seven clubs, Michael “Tonksy” Tonks received three votes, recognising someone whose contribution to junior rugby reaches far beyond what most people ever get to see.

When people think about refereeing, they usually think about the person with the whistle on Friday night.

What they don’t see are the hours that go into making sure that referee is there.

The schedules. The payments. The phone calls. The coaching. The mentoring. The feedback. Finding referees when we are short. Helping young referees build confidence. Developing the next generation and making sure they keep coming back.

Tonksy does it all — and somehow, always with a smile.

As our Junior Referees Coordinator, Michael organises our Friday night referees and has built an incredible group of young officials. He coaches and mentors them, supports their development and gives them the confidence to keep improving — not just for our Crusaders competition, but for junior rugby right across the Mid North Coast.

And his contribution certainly doesn’t stop with refereeing.

Michael sits on the Crusaders Board, helps prepare and support our representative program and is always there when something needs to be done. The hours he gives, the knowledge he shares and the passion he brings to Coffs Harbour junior rugby is immense.

Perhaps the most special part is that Michael doesn’t have a child playing in our competition.

There’s no family obligation keeping him here.

He does it for one very simple reason — he loves rugby and he loves giving back to the game, the kids and the families involved in it.

We talk a lot about how junior rugby simply couldn’t exist without volunteers.

In Tonksy’s case, it really is that simple:

Without Michael, we wouldn’t have referees. And without referees, we don’t have a competition.

Tonksy, you’re an absolute gem, mate.

On behalf of the Crusaders, our seven clubs and the hundreds of kids who get to play rugby every Friday night because of people like you — thank you.

A thoroughly deserving recipient of the 2026 Butcher Family Award – Volunteer of the Year for Junior Rugby. ❤️🏉

Congratulations, Tonksy. 👏👏

16/08/2026

🏉 2026 SPIRIT OF RUGBY AWARD WINNERS 🏉

Huge congratulations to every club’s Spirit of Rugby award winners for 2026! This award goes to the player who embodies what junior rugby is really about — not the biggest hits or the most tries, but the values that make our game great: sportsmanship, effort, teamwork, respect for teammates, opponents and officials, and a genuine love of the game.

Coffs Harbour Snappers Rugby Union Football Club
U8 Black – Charlie Wong
U8 Red – Lilyarna Campbell
U9 – Drew Herbert
U10 – Angus Hodges
U11 – Vinnie Pandelakis
U12 – Henry Deacon

Woolgoolga Junior Rugby Union
U9 – Reed Seymour
U10 – Finn O’Sullivan
U11 – Reni van Hamond

SCU Marlins Rugby
U8 – Lucas Hayton
U9 – Kingswood Nicholas
U10 – Phoenix Power
U11 – Lochlan Baston
U12 – Muhammad Qhaleef bin Muhammad Ashaari

Grafton Redmen Junior Rugby Union
U8 – Declan Martin
U9 – Carter Cleaver
U10 – Knox Hearfield
U11 – Aston Maslen
U12 – Kamren Singh

Dorrigo Rangers Rugby Club
U8 – Lucy Sowter
U9 – Heath Sowter
U10 – Patrick Moffat

Barracudas Rugby - Coffs Harbour
U8 – Millie Bear
U8 – Harvey Lewin
U9 – Clancy Hudson

St Augustines Rugby Union - SAPS Rugby
U8 – Frankie Bennett
U8 – Harvey Hardaker
U9 – Maya Timms
U10 – Joshua Ching
U11 – Leo Tait
U12 – Jaxon Blanco

Well done to all these young players and their families — you’re what this competition is all about. 👏

16/08/2026

Simon Fenn — 2026 Crusaders Presidents Trophy 🏆 - sportsmanship and excellence in Rugby

This guy just represents everything you want in a junior sporting coach.

Simon has coached the2026 Grafton u12’s since they were Under 8s, has also coached our Crusaders Under 12s for the past three years and this year took the first Mid North Coast u12 boys and girls team development teams to Sydney for the Dev cup

His knowledge of our game is immense, but what really sets Simon apart is his ability to take that knowledge and deliver simple messages that make sense to the kids he is coaching. That is a truly special talent.

But far more important than the rugby is the way Simon takes these young kids under his arm and helps mould them into great young people. He genuinely cares about them — not just as rugby players, but as people.

He doesn’t focus solely on the wins and losses that everyone else sees. He finds ways to make every player feel like they have achieved something, whether that’s reaching a goal, improving something in their game, or simply becoming a better teammate and person.

That is what junior sport should be about.

I can honestly say our Crusaders program is going to be weaker without Simon involved next year. I’m currently doing my best to convince him to stick around and help us with some coach mentoring — and thankfully, he’s kindly agreed to do just that!

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to present this award to Simon personally on Friday night as he managed to escape the stadium before I was given a microphone , which was a real shame. But I was very happy to catch up with him yesterday at one of our fantastic Gold Sponsors, Moonee Beach Hotel , for the Crusaders Wallabies watch party.

Sometimes a beer, a laugh and a catch-up is a pretty good way to celebrate a bloke who has given so much to our kids and our rugby program.

So a massive shout out to an amazing human, an incredible rugby coach and a great rugby mate.

Congratulations Simon on being named the 2026 Crusaders Presidents Trophy winner for Sportsmanship & Excellence in Rugby. 🏆

Thank you, Simon, for everything you have given to junior rugby, and more importantly, for every young athlete who has been lucky enough to have you in their corner.

You’re a bloody good one, mate. 👏🏉

15/08/2026

WELL, THAT’S A WRAP! 🏉🏆
2026 Polyair crusader junior rugby competition

Grand Finals done and dusted!

What a massive night for Crusaders Junior Rugby — 17 games, 4 Grand Finals, 424 kids across 7 clubs and almost five hours of rugby at C.ex Stadium last Friday night.

And what a way to finish it!

Congratulations to our 2026 Premiers:

🏆 U9 – Woolgoolga Junior Rugby Union
🏆 U10 – Grafton Redmen Junior Rugby Union
🏆 U11 – Woolgoolga Junior Rugby Union
🏆 U12 – Coffs Harbour Snappers Rugby Union Football Club

And honestly, you couldn’t have asked for better Grand Finals.

Every single final was decided by a converted try or less, with both the Under 11s and Under 12s needing extra time to find a winner. The kids left absolutely everything out there and did themselves, their clubs and their families proud.

A MASSIVE THANK YOU TO OUR MAJOR SPONSORS 💙❤️🖤
Polyaire,The Big Banana Fun Park and Moonee Beach Hotel a— thank you for getting behind Crusaders Junior Rugby and supporting what we are trying to build for these kids.

Your support makes a real difference to our competition and helps us provide these opportunities for 424 young players across seven clubs.

We genuinely couldn’t do it without businesses like yours choosing to invest in junior sport and our local community.

Please support the businesses that support our kids. 👏

A huge thank you to Michael Tonks and his team of referees.

These guys have done so much for our competition this year — picking up extra games, improving their skills, putting their hands up when we needed them and helping us get through an enormous season.

I know it gets said often, but I don’t think it can ever be said enough:

Thank you to every one of our referees.

We simply don’t have a competition without you. 👏

And finally, a very special thank you to Taj Butcher, who has put together this short film capturing almost five hours of rugby that was our Grand Final night.

It’s bloody special to have something that captures the atmosphere, the kids, the clubs, the excitement and everything that makes this competition what it is.

So take a few minutes, turn the sound up and have a look back at an incredible night.

17 games. 4 Grand Finals. 424 kids. 7 clubs. One bloody great Crusaders competition.

Thank you to everyone who has played, coached, refereed, volunteered, supported, sponsored, photographed, filmed, organised and cheered from the sideline this year.

This competition doesn’t happen because of one person.

It happens because a whole rugby community gets behind it.

And I’m bloody proud of what we’ve built together. 💙❤️🖤🏉

That’s a wrap on 2026.

Bring on 2027. 👊

14/08/2026

🏉🇦🇺 WALLABIES WATCH PARTY — TODAY! 🇦🇺🏉

The Crusaders season might be done, but we’re not finished yet!

Come down to Moonee Beach Hotel TODAY and watch the Wallabies take on Japan 🇯🇵🌸

🕝 Event starts: 2:30pm
🏉 Kick-off: 3:15pm
🍔 Food provided for everyone by Coffs Harbour Crusaders Junior Rugby Union!

It’s our chance to get the Crusaders family together, have a feed, enjoy a few drinks and watch the Wallabies after a massive junior rugby season.

Players, families, coaches, supporters & sponsors — everyone is welcome!

Let’s finish the season together and get behind the Wallabies! 💚💛

See you at the Moonee Beach Hotel! 🏉🍻

13/08/2026

🏆❤️ THE BIG ONE — OUR U12s! ❤️🏆

Friday night. Grand Final night. One last game together.

Our Coffs Harbour Snappers U12s take on St Augustines SAPS U12 in the 2026 Grand Final.

📅 Friday 14 August
⏰ 7:20pm Kick-off
📍 C.ex Coffs International Stadium — Field 1

For many of these boys and girls this is more than just another game.

It’s their last game of Friday night junior rugby before they graduate to Saturday rugby — and for some, it will be the end of an incredible five or six-year journey through the Crusaders program. 🥹🏉

5 years of training.
5 years of friendships.
5 years of muddy boots, big tackles, laughs, tears and memories.

Now they get one final Friday night under the lights. 🌟

Let’s fill the Stadium and give them the send-off they deserve.

Bring the family. Bring the noise.
One last Friday night. One last Crusaders battle. One big Grand Final. 🏆❤️🖤

📺 Can’t make it? The live stream link will be in the comments.