Port Macquarie hosts under-16s Boys and Girls NSW State Championships

The Port Macquarie Pirates Club and Port Macquarie Junior Rugby Union Club have been busy hosting 30 girls and boys teams from across NSW this long weekend (June 10-12).

Sydney zones and NSW Country zones battled it out for the first two days to see who is champion of their respective regions before all coming together on Monday (June 12) to see who is the best in the state.

The Mid North Coast Junior Rugby Union team produced an impressive performance on June 11 to be crowned the NSW under-15 boys country championship.

This is the first time Port Macquarie has hosted the Under-16s Girls and Boys NSW State Championships.

Lisa Vogel from the Port Macquarie Junior Rugby Club and Port Macquarie Pirates Club said it has been an honour to host the event.

"It's an amazing opportunity for us to have representative rugby union here at a local field, and it's really exciting to have something like this here on the Mid North Coast," she said.

"I am a female player and coach, and I think it's really special just to have this happening here where all of our juniors can come and see representative rugby games.

"It's also such an honour to see all the Sydney teams come here and play in Port Macquarie."

Vogel said the recent Stuart Park upgrade has been credited as a "massive reason" the event has been held in Port Macquarie.

"The local sporting teams here have all worked really hard for the Stuart Park upgrade and part of that upgrade was making sure the field and facilities are up to the standards for big event like this," she said.

"The massive effort of making Stuart Park a regional hub for sport events like this is starting to pay off."

Vogel has also been busy helping select the NSW country under-16s girls team at this event.

"For me, it was really exciting to be here at a local event and do my job because I quite often have to travel to do this," she said. "It's been hard for us selectors because some of the talent on show this weekend has been unreal.

"There's a lot of talent in country rugby across the Mid North Coast and NSW, and they all definitely made it tough for us selectors."

Country Rugby Union vice president Renee Park said Port Macquarie has been a "fantastic" place for the event.

"It's been fantastic, Port Macuarie Junior Rugby Union Club have been fantastic hosts and it's been a very enjoyable weekend," she said.

Park said the competition has been "very tight" across the three days.

"It's been very even across the zones, it's been really good competition," she said.

"It's getting really competitive now, we have some really good football being played at the moment and there's been great sportsmanship across the park which has been very pleasing to see as well."

IN OTHER NEWS: