Toowoomba Junior Rugby League

Toowoomba Junior Rugby League is a sports club based in Toowoomba, Queensland, with a rich history that dates back to 1968. The club currently consists of nine clubs playing in their competition, ranging from under 6’s to under 17 boys and girls.

The club was established after facing strong opposition from the Secondary and Primary School leagues. However, with the support of the Chronicle and DDQ Channel 10/4, the Darling Downs Junior Rugby League was formed unofficially. Teams under 10s and 11’s, sponsored by Channel 10, even toured New Zealand in that first year.

The club's founders, including Bob Mahoney, Gary Czislowski, Pat Herbert, Bernice Herbert, and others, were determined to create a formal Junior League despite the initial rejection. They gathered supporters and attended the TRL Annual Meeting in 1969. It was only thanks to the casting vote of the late Reg Riorden, the then President, that the Junior League came into existence. The first annual meeting of the Junior League took place in November, and the league's initial teams included Newtown, Pittsworth, Oakey, Souths, Cecil Plains, and Millmerran.

All Whites initially hesitated, but after advertising a muster for grades Under 10, 12, and 14, they managed to field a team. Valleys, another club, joined the competition in the second round.

The first fixtures commenced in March 1970, and the league officials took on multiple roles, such as refereeing a game, keeping time for another match, and assisting in the soft-drink canteen. Throughout the years, the Queensland Rugby League (QRL) requested that the Darling Downs Junior Rugby League change its name to the Toowoomba Junior Rugby League (TJRL) to align with their streamlined policies.

Currently, TJRL consists of eight clubs - Pittsworth, Oakey, Souths, Brothers, Valleys, Gatton, Dalby, and Highfields - with the highest numbers of registrations ever. While Wests, Newtown, Millmerran, Clifton, and Cecil Plains are no longer part of TJRL, they were great competitors during their time in the league. TJRL has also produced talented players who have represented the league at various levels, including Mark Murray, Dan Stains, Tim Horan (Wallaby), Brod Guymer, and Scot Czislowski.

Toowoomba Junior Rugby League has been an integral part of the community, having its own radio show on 4AK run by Darcy O’Reilly and a weekend magazine called the Junior Rugby League News run by Jim Sweeney. The league continues to foster the development of young athletes, promoting the values of teamwork and sportsmanship in the sport of rugby league.