Campbelltown Showground was buzzing on Saturday as Illawarra Rugby Union rolled out its new gala day.
The format has been designed to eliminate byes in first grade by having three clubs play each other in a series of 40‑minute matches.
The result was a festival of rugby atmosphere, fast‑paced footy, and plenty for local supporters to cheer about.
The day opened with Camden versus Bowral, with the Southern Highland side looking sharp from the outset. Their physicality and structure proved too much for Camden, and Bowral ran out 20–7 winners.
Bowral, warm from the win and brimming with confidence, stayed on the field to face a fresh Campbelltown Harlequins outfit.
Despite the Quins not being at their fluent best, they crossed for three unanswered tries, securing a convincing 21–0 victory.
The final gala day match was a classic local derby, Campbelltown versus Camden.
Harlequins made life difficult early, gifting the Rams a try after a dropped ball in the in‑goal.
But the Quins regathered, equalising just before halftime.
The second half belonged to Campbelltown – despite a heavy penalty count against them, the Quins’ dominance shone through as they crossed for two more tries, sealing a 19–5 win.
Across the full 80 minutes of rugby they played, the Harlequins scored six tries and conceded only one – a testament to their defensive steel in 2026.
While the attack left a few opportunities begging, the defensive effort was outstanding.
Aside from the early in‑goal error, neither Bowral nor Camden looked likely to score despite enjoying favourable field position courtesy of the lopsided penalty count.
When asked about the penalties, the Harlequins coaching staff said they had “reviewed last week’s game and will do the same this week. We’re not sure we agree with the scrutiny we seem to be getting at the tackle and breakdown, but we’ll keep working on it. It’s a cross we’ll have to bear.”
Earlier in the day, Second Grade went down 25–10 to Avondale, their second straight loss, leaving them 2–2 for the season.
Coach Luke Norton wasn’t overly concerned, saying afterwards: “Just not good enough today, but with a week off next week we’ll regroup and bounce back.”
The Harlequins Women faced the Newcastle Wildfires in their second match of the season.
The visitors dominated possession early and jumped to a 5–0 lead, but the Quins hung tough with gritty defence.
Once they held the ball, opportunities flowed, and they eventually powered over for a converted try and a 7–5 halftime lead.
The second half was all Harlequins. With errors reduced and ball control improved, they pushed ahead to 19–5 before the Wildfires scored late.
The Quins held firm for a 19–10 victory, making it two wins from two for the season.
Next weekend is a competition bye as the NSW Country Championships take place in Tamworth.
Harlequins will be strongly represented, with eight men and a remarkable 17 women selected. The club wishes them all the best.
Harlequins return to action on May 23, hosting the Vikings, while the Women travel to face Gordon.
Sunday saw another strong showing from the Harlequins Juniors.
- The Under 8s fell to Avondale.
- The Under 12s were narrowly beaten by Kiama.
- The Under 10s, Under 11s, Under 13s, Under 14s, and Under 16s all recorded impressive wins.
- The Under 18s fixture against Petersham was deferred due to representative trials.
ANDREW CHOICE