Playing Higher Age

A player is naturally eligible to play in the competition which is named Under, and then the age that the player is turning in the calendar year that the competition is being run (e.g. A child born in the year 2009 can play Under 16s in 2025, as they will turn 16 in that calendar year. A child born in 2014 can play Under 11s in 2025 as they will turn 11 in that calendar year).

Unless otherwise approved by a Club and a District or Region (using one of the processes below), players will play in their correct and natural age group which is outlined above.

Mini and Modified Age Groups

Participants in Under 6s to Under 12s are strongly encouraged to play in their natural age group. Exemptions may be granted for participants to play up one age group only. Exemptions in these age groups to play two years or more above their natural age groups will not be considered as per the Laws of the Game unless extremely exceptional circumstances exist – i.e. it can be proven that a player totally dominates a competition due to their size and strength in their natural age and the age above.

Playing One Year Above Natural Age Group 

A player shall be allowed to play in an age grade competition that is one year above the competition that he or she is naturally eligible to play in (player turning 15 in the calendar year and registered in current season can participate in Under 15s and Under 16s competitions). All players who are playing up an age group must have a completed the Playing in a Higher Age Group Consent Form before taking the field. This form must then be sent to the League Administrator at the earliest convenience after participation. The form must be authorised and uploaded to the player’s member record on MySideline.

Dual Age Group Competitions

If there is no competition in the player’s natural age group, then the player is eligible to play in an age group one year above (e.g. if a player is turning 15 in a calendar year and there is no Under 15s competition offered for players, the player is eligible to play Under 16s). The player will not be required to complete a Playing in a Higher Age Group Consent Form if their natural age group falls in the dual competition age group (i.e. a player turning 15 will not be required to complete a Playing in a Higher Age Group Consent Form if there is no Under 15 competition and they are playing in an Under 16 competition).

Playing Two Years Above Natural Age Group 

In exceptional circumstances only, a club can apply to the NSWRL to have a player permitted to play two years above the age group that he or she is naturally eligible to play in under the following conditions:

• A Playing in a Higher Age Group form, with parental consent, is to be completed and submitted to the League for approval
• The application must be accompanied by a letter from a Senior Club Coach (SCC), local NRL Game Development Officer, or appropriate NSWRL appointed representative, as a minimum requirement that outlines the player’s ability to take part in an age group two years above their natural age group
• Once approved by the District, the application should be forwarded to the NSWRL for final approval before the player can take the field in the higher age group
• The decision of the NSWRL will be final and no appeal or protest available to any decision made.
• If approved, the form will be authorised by NSWRL and uploaded to the player’s member record on MySideline

Dual Age Group Competitions

If a player wishes to participate in a dual age group competition (e.g. Competitions where age groups offered are Under 14 then Under 16 then Under 18) from an age group that is not within that dual age group (e.g. player turning 14 wishing to play in Under 16s (that includes Under 15s and Under 16s) then only under exceptional circumstances can the player apply to play in the higher age group using the process as outlined above.

Remote Areas

A remote local League may be provided with permission, via application to NSWRL, to allow a Mod aged player to participate two years above their natural age group where sparse population contributes to the need to significantly modify age groups across the League to support the establishment of competitions.

Player's Responsibility to Their Own Team

Any player granted permission to play in a higher age group is required to fulfil their obligations to their natural age group before playing in a higher age group. For example, if a player's natural age group is Under 15s then that player shall not be permitted to play in any Under 16s for their Club if that Clubs Under 15s team has insufficient players to properly compete in the competitions in which they participate.

It should also be noted that players who have been granted permission to play in a higher age group are not permitted to take the field before a player of the correct age in the team in the higher age group. For example, an Under 15s player shall not be permitted to start a game in Under 16s while a correct aged Under 16s player is on the reserve bench. This applies to all age groups up to and including Under 17s Tackle competitions and Under 16s Blues Tag competitions.

If a player is granted permission to play in a higher age group for the entirety of a season, then that player, once approved, will not be able to play in their natural age group in that season (i.e. if an Under 15s player requests to register in an Under 16s team at their Club and is approved, they cannot then play in the Under 15s team at that Club in that season). Players may be permitted to play in their natural age group on application to the League in the event that the team they are registered to folds.

League Tag (Blues Tag) Competitions 

For League Tag competitions, players may participate in competitions a maximum of 3 years above their natural age (i.e. a player turning 12 this year may play in an Under 15s competition but not in an Under 16s competition).

This will operate as per player playing one year above their natural age group rules as above. This will not require the additional approval of a Senior Club Coach.

Any application to vary from the rules as they apply to League Tag competitions should be made through the Local League to the NSWRL.