March 5, 2026
Kingaroy Red Ants rugby league club attracted a good crowd to its first big rugby league day for the year at T.J. O’Neill Oval in Kingaroy.
Saturday morning was filled with junior games for the inaugural Matt Ballin South Burnett Cluster Day, while in the evening senior players from Kingaroy, Dalby and Wynnum-Manly took to the field.
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The Matt Ballin South Burnett Cluster Day – for Under 7s, Under 9s and Under 11s – was organised by Red Ants president Toby Broomhall in honour of former NRL player (and Kingaroy Red Ant) Matt Ballin.
Ballin is currently part of the Brisbane Broncos coaching staff after a career which included stints at the Manly Sea-Eagles, Wests Tigers and Queensland Maroons.
Matt, who returned to Kingaroy for the day, said it was great to see young players from Kingaroy, Nanango and Blackbutt in action in a grassroots rugby league heartland.
The Red Ants now hope the Cluster Day can become an annual event.
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Last year’s grand finalists, Kingaroy Red Ants, had an encouraging start to their 2026 rugby league campaign with a strong win over the Dalby Diehards in their pre-season trial game.
Dalby brought two teams across to T.J. O’Neill Oval for pre-season workouts.
The Red Ants defeated Dalby’s B Grade side 30-10 in an afternoon game played across four quarters.
Kingaroy try scorers were Marcus Jensen (3) Lachlan Price, Andrew Champney and Aiden Cavanough.
A Wynnum-Manly Brisbane RL Reserves team then downed Dalby A Grade in an easy win under lights.
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The first of the special South Burnett Rugby League Under 15s pre-season games will be played from 6:00pm on Friday night (March 6) at Fred Kassulke Oval in Nanango.
The Under 15s Stags will take on a mixed team.
Entry is free and the canteen will be open.
The Under 15s will be in action again next Friday (March 13) at T.J. O’Neill Oval in Kingaroy; and on March 20 at Wondai Sportsground.
All Under 15s interested in playing rugby league this year have been urged to contact their local club.
