Blue Boars to host Barraba at Dangar Park as Central North season enters final month

Narrabri Blue Boars are still ranked fourth on the Central North Rugby Union first grade ladder following a bye weekend but could climb into third spot when they sit out again this Saturday.

It was a full club bye for the Blue Boars in round 10 while the Quirindi Lions scored a 29-21 home win against Inverell Highlanders and the Moree Bulls earned an 18-5 victory away from home against Tamworth Pirates.

Gunnedah also sat out with a bye and they remained on top of the table.

Moree’s victory saw them move to 35 points as Narrabri’s bye meant they finished the weekend on 32. The Blue Boars are now well in front of fifth-placed Inverell (23) and last-placed Pirates (15), but will likely find it difficult to get past Gunnedah (43) and Quirindi (40) during the final month, especially given Quirindi have two more byes in the last four rounds.

Moree will host Quirindi this Saturday in round 11, in which a Quirindi victory could see the Blue Boars overtake Moree to finish the weekend in third as Craig Gleeson’s men sit out again due to Barraba not having a team in the top grade.

Narrabri’s women’s 10s and reserve grade teams will be in action when they host the Rams at Dangar Park as they both kick-start their runs home towards the finals.

Nathan Nott’s reserve grade men are fourth following their bye on Saturday after Tamworth Pirates were smashed 45-7 by ladder leaders Moree on home soil. That saw Pirates drop to fifth, but they have the bye this weekend and could climb back into fourth if Narrabri do not get the job done.

They Blue Boars will be hosting a Rams team that are still second on the ladder after knocking off Gunnedah 36-21 in Barraba in round 10.

Narrabri’s women’s 10s team are the only Central North side to remain unbeaten after 10 rounds following eight victories from as many matches. Six of those were on-field wins after Quirindi forfeited on both occasions, and in those games they have outscored opponents a combined 243 points to just 77.

It has been an impressive run so far for the back-to-back champions, especially given they have lost all but four of the players that were part of the 2023 and 2024 premiership-winning teams and have played most of the season with just one player on the bench.

The Blue Boars are five points clear of second-placed Tamworth Pirates on the women’s ladder after they scored a 57-5 home ground victory against Moree in round 10.

Tamworth now have a bye this weekend.