Inspired by the iconic 1992 and 1994 Bears jerseys, combined with elements of the 2025 design, we are launching a limited edition fundraising jersey to celebrate the proud history and future of rugby league on the North Shore.

As one of the oldest and proudest clubs in the North Sydney District, we want to get behind the Bears as they make their long-awaited return.

This special 2026–2027 jersey will proudly feature the names of our players, sponsors and club coaches, trainers, managers and committee from the 2026 season.

For a minimum donation of $10, you can become part of Roos history and have your name included on the jersey.

Donations can be made via the Australian Sports Foundation link below:

https://asf.org.au/campaigns/willoughby-district-junior-rugby-league-football-club/supporting-the-future-of-the-roos?

Please make sure your details are left public when donating so we can track contributions and ensure your name is included.

We will also be opening pre-orders for the jersey at $85 each, with the option to add your surname to the back for just $5!

There may only be one production run, so don’t miss your chance to own this special piece of Roos and Bears history.

Jerseys will be handed out at Roos Members Day during a home game at Willoughby Park, where we will flood the sidelines in blue and gold.

We know it has been a little while since the footy season wrapped up and we are now well and truly heading into the Christmas wind down. However, the committee sprang back to life in November to begin planning for an exciting 2026 season.

Little Roos Kick Off

Our littlest Roos kicked off the Little Roos Program in mid-November. This program is designed for children aged 3 to 5 and introduces the core skills of rugby league including catching, passing, running and evasion. The five-week program will run through to 11 December.

While we had not run this program for a few years, it has returned with great success and we already have 12 registrations.

Know someone who might be interested? Do not worry, we will be running another Little Roos program in late January or early February as we lead into the 2026 pre-season.

Come and Try – 4 December from 5.30pm

Along with Little Roos, we are also holding our first 2026 Come and Try night next Thursday, 4 December. This is a little earlier than in previous seasons, but it gives all current players the chance to come down for a casual run at Willoughby Park and bring along a mate who might like to try rugby league next season.

The BBQ will be firing, so come down, bring a friend and introduce them to our great club.

2026 Registrations Open – 1 December

As in previous years, registrations for next season will open on MySideline from 1 December.

As with everything in life, the rising costs of playing kit, ground hire, referee fees and insurance continue to increase. These costs place pressure on the club to operate without a loss, while also balancing affordability for our families who often play multiple winter sports.

The committee has reviewed the fee structure for 2026 and will be making some small changes as follows:

• U6 to U12 (Tackle and Tag): Fees will remain frozen at $275
• U13s and above (Tackle and Tag): Fees will increase slightly to $300
• Early Bird Discount: $25 for all registrations prior to 31 January
• Multi-Child Discount: $25 per additional family member will remain

We hope these changes help minimise the impact of rising costs on our community while allowing us to continue putting players on the field each week.

We never want the cost of sport to stop a child from playing at our club, so if you require any assistance, please reach out to one of our committee members in confidence.

2026 Sponsorship Opportunities

While registration fees cover the cost of putting players on the field each week, sponsorship and fundraising are what support our training equipment, volunteer education, club gear and general operating expenses. The club simply would not operate as it does without the generous support of our sponsors.

We are now seeking sponsors to be part of our community and support grassroots rugby league in 2026. Packages are available to suit all budgets, from $1,500 sleeve sponsorships through to front-of-jersey Gold Sponsors.

Some benefits of being a Roos sponsor include:

• Signage on game day and training kit
• Signage at Willoughby Park during home games
• Shout-outs on social media and on game days
• Guest passes to Willoughby Roos functions
• Exposure through North Sydney Bears and North Sydney Junior League social media

If you run a small or large business and would like to be part of the Roos team in 2026, please reach out to a committee member for more information.

2026 Planning and Key Dates

The committee began planning earlier this month. Below are some key dates for 2026:

3 December at 6.30pm – Roos AGM at Chatswood RSL
4 December at 5.30pm – Come and Try at Willoughby Park
15 January at TBC – U12s and above pre-season training
15 February at 11am – Come and Try at Willoughby Park
25 February – 2026 season training commences
29 March – 2026 Season Launch
11 April – Round 1 of the 2026 season begins

Thank you again for being part of our wonderful community this season. A special thank you to our sponsors, and of course to our coaches, managers and trainers who give their time each week to make the Roos the club that it is.

The committee wishes you all a wonderful and safe holiday break and we look forward to seeing you again in the new year.

Until then, Go Roos.

PS: Do not forget to post your “Roos on Tour” holiday snaps in your team chats so we can share them on our socials over the summer break.

PPS: Thinking about getting more involved in 2026? We are always looking for new faces to bring their skills to the committee. Roles can be created, responsibilities can be shared, and there are great perks too. If you would like to know more, please reach out to willoughbyroos@gmail.com.

Can you believe that for most of our Roos, there are just a few more school days left until the end of Term 4, and only a few weeks until our favorite time of year? Where has the time gone?

Reflecting on the 2024 season, it was a journey of highs and lows. The season started slowly with numerous washed-out training sessions and games. It wasn’t until June that the weather finally turned favorable for rugby league. Interestingly, we didn’t have a single washout after the King’s Birthday weekend.

We then had a fantastic finals campaign, with most teams playing deep into August, including our senior team. Congratulations to our U16 League Tag team, who fought valiantly in their Grand Final, narrowly missing out on the win. Huge applause to our U13s and U14s teams, who both came away with premiership titles this year!

A major highlight of the year was the unveiling of our Roos scoreboard, which added so much to the game-day atmosphere at the park. This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without your generous donations. It’s heartwarming to see such a supportive community rallying behind the club.

As we approach the holiday season, there are a few important updates to share before we all sign off for 2024…

2025 Registration Fees 

Last year, the club reduced the overall registration fee by $25 to $250 to accommodate changes to the Active Kids Voucher program, as a way to thank parents for their support.

However, 2024 presented challenges, including the loss of canteen income due to wet weather and the reduced registration fees, which impacted the club financially. While we operate as a not-for-profit organisation, we aim to cover costs and maintain a healthy balance sheet to sustain the club for years to come.

For 2025, we’ve made the tough decision to restore registration fees to the 2023 rate of $275. An early bird discount of $25 will be available for registrations completed before 4th February, bringing the fee back down to $250. This remains competitively priced compared to other winter sports in the area, especially considering our fantastic community and club culture.

We will also continue offering the Multi-Roo Discount, reducing fees for subsequent registrations within the same family by $25 per child. For example:

• 1st registration: $275
• 2nd registration: $250
• 3rd registration: $225, and so on.

This discount can be used alongside the early bird offer!

2025 Registrations Open Now via MySideline 

It’s hard to believe but registrations are now open for the 2025 Season. 

Click here to get started: Registration Link 

In 2025 we will again be running with Player Names on all our competition age groups and you will need to register before our first come and try to get your name on your jersey. 

Note: If you are registering multiple players in your family, please reach out to your manager or the committee who will organise a special code to apply the Multi Roo Discount. 

New Season, New Merch!

After 10 years of rocking the same hoodie design, we thought it was time for a refresh! This season, we’re thrilled to launch a brand-new range of Hoodies, Track Pants, and Leggings inspired by our current player kit. These new additions are sure to keep you warm, comfortable, and looking sharp all season long.

Hoodies – Adult $80 / Kids $70

Made from super warm fleece, these stylish new hoodies not only look fantastic but will keep you warm on those cold winter mornings.

Track Pants – Adult $70 / Kids $60

Roos Track Pants are sure to be a hit with parents on those cold winter training nights. Our little Roos will love these for training and game day !

Roos Custom Leggings – Adult $80

Roos Leggings are sure to be a hit with Mums looking for a stylish way to show off their Roos Colours. With two pockets these babies are super functional too!

You can snag these items right now during the registration process as add-ons, and they’ll also be available in the Roos Merch Shop within the next few days!

2025 Come and Try Days & Little Roos Program 

Our 2025 Come and Try Days are locked in for Sunday, 2nd February and Sunday, 16th March. These events are vital for introducing new families and players to the club.

We’re especially looking to recruit players for the following age groups:

• U4/6 Tag, U7, U8, U9
• U12, U14, U16, and U18 League Tag
• U14 and U16 Women’s Tackle

Our popular Little Roos Program for ages 3–5 will also return in late January/early February. This program focuses on teaching rugby league skills in a fun, friendly environment with the support of our wonderful coaches.

Keep an eye out for banners and flyers around the district promoting both programs. Please spread the word about our amazing club and share details with anyone who might be interested in trying Rugby League.

Holiday Season is upon us… 

The silly season is nearly here, and I know I’m looking forward to a well-earned break after another incredible year with the Roos.

On behalf of the entire committee, thank you for your contribution to the success of our club in 2024. A special shoutout to our team volunteers and committee members—your hard work and dedication make this club the amazing community it is.

We wish you all a wonderful holiday season! Wherever your travels take you, don’t forget to tag us in your “Roos on Tour” holiday snaps featuring your ‘roo’ in their Roos gear.

See you all in 2025. 

Go Roos 

Dave, Jodi & the Roos Committee 

Well, it’s been a few months since we have seen you all and the committee hope you are all having a wonderful off-season.  Despite the rain over the last week or so, Willoughby has been heating up over the last few months and getting ready for a wonderful summer break.

The committee have come together for the first time since our Presentation Day and thought we would share some important updates with you before we all formally clock off for the 2023.

Thank you to our 2023 Sponsors & 2024 Program

Firstly, a big thank you to all our 2023 sponsorship partners who contributed to the Roos this year.  Without the help of our generous sponsors, we would not be able to create the fun, safe and encouraging environment we have for all our players, our families and our team volunteers.

As we do every year, the Roos are now looking for Local Businesses within the Roos, and the wider within Willoughby Community, to partner with for 2024.  Partnerships help the Roos put teams on the field each year and can be either financial or non-financial.

If you run a business, or you know someone who does, and would like to be a part of our partnership program for 2024, then please reach out to me and we can arrange a discussion on opportunities available and synergies and alignment between your brand and the Roos.

2024 Active Kids Voucher Program

As you would all be aware, the Active Kids voucher program will be changing for 2024.  In 2024 the voucher program will be reduced to $50 per child, issued in term 1 and 3.  The NSW Government will introduce means testing to the program, meaning Families will only have access to an Actives Kids Voucher if they eligible for Family Tax A or B benefits.

We know this program was important to all our families whose children play multiple sports across the winter months, and we are disappointed that the program is changing in such a way it may prohibit kids access to sport and creative activities.  To respond to this, the Roos will implement 2 key changes to the 2024 membership fees:

• Reduce the overall registration fee from $275 to $250 for 2024.  With the early bird discount of $25 prior to 4th Feb, that reduces the overall fee to $225
• Re-Introduce Multi Roo Rego discount, reducing any subsequent registrations by $25 / Child.  E.g. 1st Rego $250, 2nd Rego $ 225, 3rd  Rego $200 etc.  This will run in conjunction with the early bird discount.

We hope that these small changes help in some way with cost-of-living pressures to ensure all our kids get access to our wonderful community.

2024 Registrations Open Now via MySideline

It’s hard to believe but registrations are now open for the 2024 Season.

Regos have opened early this year to capture any of those 2023 Active Kids vouchers that have not been used that will expire at the end of December. Given the changes to the program mentioned above, this is the last chance to get maximum value of any vouchers that you haven’t used this year.

Click here to get started: Registration Link

In 2024 we will again be running with Player Names on all our competition age groups for 2024, and you will need to register before our first come and try to get your name on your jersey.

Note: If you are registering multiple players in your family, please reach out to your manager or the committee who will organise special code to cater apply the Multi Roo Discount.

2024 Come and Try Days & Little Roos Program

The 2024 Come and Try Days have been locked in for Sundays 4th Feb and 3rd March.  These days are crucial to our recruitment of new families and players to our club.  Key areas that we will be looking for in 2024 are:

• U4/6 Tag, U7, U8s
• U12 & U16 League Tag
• U14 & U16 Women’s Tackle

We will again be running our Little Roos Program for 3 > 5 yrs. in late January / Early Feb.  This program is for those kids who want to learn the skills of rugby league in a friendly environment with our wonderful coaches.

You will start seeing banners and flyers popping up across the district with details for both programs, so please spread the word of our wonderful club and share with anyone you think may be interested in trying the game of Rugby League.

Pre-Season Training

As we did last year, we will be looking to run our Pre-season Training for our U11+ players from mid-January.  Session will be on Tuesday nights from 5.30pm running for an hour.  Cost will be $5 / per child, or $25 for all 6 sessions if you pay in advance.  Watch out on our socials for more details when they are released.

Holiday Season is upon us…

Finally, the silly season is almost upon us, and I know I am looking forward to a well-deserved break after another epic season with the Roos.

I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to each and every one of you for your contribution to our great club for the 2023 season.  A special mention goes out to all our team volunteers and our committee for all off their efforts this season.  Without them, would not have this amazing club and the vibrant community that supports it.

The Roos hope you all have a wonderful Holiday Season, whatever it is you are up to, and don’t forget to tag us in any “Roos On Tour” holiday snaps you take with your kids in Roos gear!

See you all in 24.

Go Roos

Dave, Jodi & the Roos Committee

]]> https://www.willoughbyroos.com.au/news/roos-news-december-2023/feed/ 0 https://www.willoughbyroos.com.au/news/roos-news-february-2023/ https://www.willoughbyroos.com.au/news/roos-news-february-2023/#respond Fri, 24 Feb 2023 00:46:52 +0000 https://www.willoughbyroos.com.au/?p=1325 Welcome to Roos News

It’s almost time!!! Bring on the 2023 Season!

You can almost feel the excitement in the air.  NRL pre-season trails are behind us, and you can almost count on one hand the number of sleeps before the season proper commences.

In club land is a similar level of excitement, with pre-season training set to finish with a bang on Tuesday as the North Sydney Bears Women’s tackle team coming down to Willoughby Park give all our players a rev up, and then our first official training sessions starting this Thursday.

Our registration numbers again look strong for this season and this year the club will field a few new teams that we haven’t been able to put on the park in previous seasons, being our u13s and Senior teams.  There is always room for more, and we can’t wait to see you all and your mates at the Come & Try on Sunday 5^th March.

The gear designs have been finalised and the orders are in, so it’s almost time for us to get our own game on, with Round 1 for u12 / u13 / u16 & Seniors starting on 15/16 April and all other age groups starting 22/23 April.

Look forward to seeing you all on the training paddock this Thursday!!

Go Roos!!

Dave

Official Training for 2023

Training for 2023 will officially kick off on THURSDAY 2nd MARCH at Willoughby Park.

Due to the number of teams we have we will be running a tight training schedule to ensure all teams get adequate time on the field.

Under 6s to Under 9s – 4:30pm to 5:25pm

Under 10s, 11s & 12s – 5:30pm to 6:30pm

Under 12s & 14s TAG – 5:30pm to 6:30pm (Lower Oval)

Under 13s, 16s & Seniors – 6:30pm +

Under 16s TAG – 6:30pm + (Lower Oval)

Your coach/manager will be in touch if there are any changes to the above.

Mouthguards

Mobile Mouthguards will be in attendance at our first training session Thursday 2nd March 5pm to 7pm taking digital scans for Mouthguards!

This service was popular last year and our players loved the ability to totally customise their mouthguards plus the impressions were taken digitally – so no dealing with a mouthful of molding clay! 🙂

Mobile Mouthguards is:

✓Health Fund Redeemable (Provider No 4465211X. Item No 151 – Mouthguard)
✓Fully custom– design, name and number labelled within!
✓Best fit, comfort and quality available
✓Exclusive Price of only $220 (INC.GST)  – Pay on the day via cash, credit card or debit card.

For more info click here:  Mobile Mouthguards

Open Pre-Season Training Session

We are opening up our pre-season training THIS Tuesday 28th February from 5pm – 6:30pm for ALL to attend for FREE.

This will be a great afternoon as we will have a number of North Sydney Bears NSW Cup Players coming to help, along with some of the North Sydney Bears Harvey Norman Womens team.

This is also great opportunity for an NEW players considering joining the Roos to come along, so if you have any friends or family keen on seeing what the Club is all about please bring them down!

Come & Try Day

Our 2nd Come & Try Day will be on SUNDAY 5 MARCH at Willoughby Park #2 from 11am to 1pm.    We welcome all new and returning players to come down for a run around and BBQ.

It is always a great morning of FUN, FOOTY and making new FRIENDS!

Registrations for 2023

ACTIVE KIDS VOUCHERS ACCEPTED!

If you have any questions please contact one of our Committee Members.

Regards

Roos Committee

We hope you had a wonderful holiday break with your family and friends – can you believe we are starting to talk footy already?

Welcome to the first Roos news for the 2023 Season.

2023 will be a big year of footy for the club, as we head into our 110th year!   No other club in the North Sydney or Manly competitions have such a proud history as the Roos and we are one of the oldest surviving Junior Rugby League clubs in the country.

Of course, we plan to celebrate this in style, with a limited edition 2023 player kit, a birthday party and plenty of other events throughout the year.  We can’t wait to get the party started.

To kick off the celebrations, we are offering for all our competition age groups (u9s +) the opportunity to have their names on the back of their playing jersey.  Register before 31st January to take up this offer.

In other exciting news, the Roos are pleased to announce that it will be fielding a Senior’s team in the competition for the first time since 2016.  This re-introduces Sunday afternoon footy to Willoughby Park which has been sorely missed over the year.  Another great way to celebrate our 110th birthday and our proud history.

Lastly, we would like to say a thank you to all our players, parents and volunteers who give up their time to each year to help make the Roos the wonderful community it is.  The feedback we get from parents is amazing (and appreciated) when we get compared to other winter sports and as a committee, we will strive to make that community even stronger in the years to come.

To quote the great Tony Bellia, Look Left, Look Right, Watch Out!  ROOS ABOUT!

David

Come & Try Day

Our first Come & Try Day will be on SUNDAY 5 FEBRAURY at Willoughby Park #2 from 11am to 1pm.    We welcome all new and returning players to come down for a run around and BBQ.

It is always a great morning of FUN, FOOTY and making new FRIENDS!

We hope to see you there!

Registrations for 2023

2023 registrations are now OPEN! 

Currently there is an EARLY BIRD SPECIAL of a $25 DISCOUNT until 5 FEBRUARY 2023.

Click here to register for tackle and league tag:  https://bit.ly/3mbqrn8

Pre-Season Fitness Training

Go Roos!

Roos make it 4 from 4 on Grand Final Day

Well, what an awesome way to finish the 2022 season! 

After a severely rain interrupted season, all eyes where on Hills Grammar School in Dural for the North Sydney District Grand Final, and the location didn’t disappoint.

The Roos’ had four teams contesting in grand finals, and in what is now an historic day for the club, all teams walked away with premiership trophies.

It’s been a long time since the club has seen this level of success and it’s a credit to the work put in by our coaches, managers, trainers and of course our players, who shone throughout the day.

Please join me in congratulating the following teams:

• u9 Blue defeating North Sydney Brothers 24 to 18
• u11s defeating Kuring-Gai Cub 30 to 24
• u14s Tag defeating Pennant Hills Staggs 26 to 18
• u16s Tag (Blue) defeating Belrose Eagles 28 to Nil

It’s great to see such success for the club and we couldn’t be prouder of your achievements.

Special mention should also go to out to our u10s team, who put in an extraordinary season, finishing as Minor Premiers, and just missing out on the opportunity to play in a grand final.

With the u9s Blue and u11s who also finished their seasons as Minor Premiers, the club is in a strong position to see even greater success in 2023, which will also be the Club’s  110^th Year.

Exciting times ahead!

I look forward to catching up with all parents of the club at the End of Season Event at the Fernery in two weeks’ time, and all of our players at the 2022 Presentation Day on 16^th October.

Till then, enjoy a few sleep ins.

Go Roos!!!

David

Grand Final Winners

Under 9s BLUE

Under 11s

Under 14s Tag

Under 16s BLUE

End of Season Event

Parents let your hair down at the End of Season Function at the Fernery in Mosman.   Dress is SMART CASUAL with the option to BLING it up if you wish!

We have not been able to get together for a celebration like this since 2019.   Your ticket includes canapes and a drinks package.   If you do have any Parent NSW vouchers left you are able to use them too!

The kids get to celebrate at their presentation day, so we should be able to celebrate with a parents SPECIAL EVENT!   Come mingle with other Roos parents, volunteers and sponsors.

Only ONE week left to get your TICKETS:  https://events.humanitix.com/willoughby-roos-end-of-season-celebration-2022

Presentation Day

Please save the DATE!  More details to come!

The season may be over, but there is still fun to be had!

If you have any questions please let us know by emailing willoughbyroos@gmail.com OR contact one of our committee members!

GO ROOS!

Regards

Roos Committee

And just like that our regular season games are over and it is FINALS time!   We have had many a round washed out due to La Nina and her consistent rain as too with our training sessions. However we are out the other side, hopefully, and ready for more footy!

While most of our teams get to play finals footy, we want to make a special call out to the u9s Blue, u10s and u11s players and coaching staff for respectively taking out minor premierships in their age groups. It’s the most successful we have been in recent memory and is an awesome achievement for each team as well as the club. Also a special mention to the u14s Tag who narrowly missed out on their minor premiership.

Under 15s 

With the regular season over for another year, we would like to shout out to our u15s boys who sadly have wrapped up last week after narrowly missing out of the 2022 finals series.

It was the season that could have been for our u15s team.

As our most senior team in a long time and with plenty of new faces in the squad this year, there was excitement around the team for the season ahead.

Starting the season strong with 5 wins on the trot, the team became a victim of their own success and were promoted into the Gold division to take on the best of the Manly Comp.

Some strong performances were put on early which  gave hope that the team could continue through to the finals plus seven players were selected for representative duties in the Bears Development Squads.  Congratulations to James, Taj, Archie, Jaykob, August, Harrison and Nathan for an awesome representative season.

Despite the team struggling to get a consistent squad on the field each week they continued to turn up and put in some brave performances against the stronger Manly teams. Ultimately a number of close losses took its toll on the ladder and the boys have just missed out on playing finals footy this year.

We are extremely proud to have this squad and their achievements! Our club can’t thank you enough for pulling on the Roos Jersey this year.

We are super excited for next year and what will come as the team moves to Sunday footy.

Thanks to Brett, Craig, Mary and John who have been integral in keeping this team on the park each week.

End of Season Event

After two years of lockdowns and Covid restrictions we are finally able to organise an end of season event! The players will get their presentation day so why shouldn’t the adults get to celebrate too!

 

Come join us at the Fernery in Mosman for canapés and drinks which are all included in the ticket price. There will be celebration, music and we will be awarding our Club Person of the Year and our Coach of the Year.

 

You can use a $50 Parent NSW voucher when you book. So rather than letting them expire in October put it to good use!

 

Tickets are limited due to venue’s room capacity.

 

https://events.humanitix.com/willoughby-roos-end-of…

 

 

Sponsors

Our Sponsors are our #1 supporters, and the best way we can say THANK YOU is to support them back!

We can do that in many ways:

 

Hop on over to their website

Follow them on their socials

Buy their products

Use their services

Recommend them to your friends and family

 

We as a club are so grateful as we have able to grow year on year with the generous contributions from these sponsors!

 

On game day you will see Bali Flags lining the path of our GOLD sponsors along with our media wall.  With one more home game left on 20 August we encourage anyone who would like to, to take a photo of their child at our media wall and share it!  It is a great way for our community and surrounds to get to know who these wonderful businesses are.

 

https://www.willoughbyroos.com.au/sponsors/

 

 

If you have any questions please contact us at willoughbyroos@gmail.com OR contact one of our committee members directly!

GO ROOS!

Regards

Roos Committee

How great was it to see footy being played again last weekend.  After two washed out rounds and the Easter break it was a long time coming.

The smiles from the kids told the story along with their muddy jerseys!

Some great wins by our teams:

Home Game Volunteers

A HUGE shoutout to those that assisted in the running of our game day last week by putting their hand up to volunteer in our canteen or BBQ.  All assistance is greatly appreciated, as without help we are unable to run either of these things successfully.

So this week for the majority of our teams it is a home game, so if you can spare an hour before or after your Roos’ game please sign up to assist in keeping the day running!

We will be announcing shortly on how we want to THANK our volunteers towards the end of the season, and not just the ones who coach or manage teams, we are talking about the ones too who help us to cook the snags and serve in the canteen.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0c4ba8ae2fa3f8c34-roos

Sponsors

Hop on over to their website

Follow them on their socials

Buy their products

Use their services

Recommend them to your friends and family

If you have any questions, queries or feedback please contact one of our committee members or email us at willoughbyroos@gmail.com

Regards

Roos Committee

GO ROOS!