The 2026 Illawarra men’s first and second grade competitions were due to get under way tomorrow, Saturday, March 21.
But due to “unforeseen circumstances’’ the start has been postponed and round one will now be played on the weekend after Easter.
Which means that all things being equal the Campbelltown Harlequins will launch their 2026 campaign on Saturday, April 11.
The $60,000 question is what will they do for the next two weeks, having completed their pre-season preparation with matches against Tech Tahs, followed by a second trial against the Chiefly Chiefs rugby club last Saturday.
Both trials were held at Campbelltown Showground, and the club says they were successful in giving Harlequins teams the momentum required going into a new season.
The Quins women’s team took to the field against the Chiefs for their first outing of the year.
Despite fielding a young and developing side, the team’s defensive discipline was a standout feature.
Coach JV Visesio will likely find plenty of positives in their resilience, providing a strong foundation to build on as the squad gains more experience.
In the men’s fixtures, the Harlequins coaching staff opted for a “split-squad’’ approach to trial potential first-graders across both games.
The strategy paid off, with both teams finishing with a wet sail to secure wins over Chiefly.
Coaching staff noted three key areas pointing to potential success in 2026: high fitness levels, forward dominance and backline depth.
While there is still work to be done before the season officially kicks off, the Quins appear to be in excellent shape for another competitive year.