Future Bulldogs Junior Rugby League Program Scores Big Win in 2025

A major push to grow Junior Rugby League in Canterbury-Bankstown has paid off, with the 2025 Future Bulldogs Program hitting its ambitious target of increasing U5-U13 player registrations by 20% compared to the previous year – a final tally of 2,472 kids registered for this year’s season.

The Future Bulldogs program, backed by Canterbury League Club, provided a $100 subsidy to Junior Rugby League (JRL) clubs for every registered player aged 5 to 13. This year’s success in registration numbers injected $247,200 into the sport with the aim to help remove financial barriers for families and position Rugby League as the most affordable sport in the community.

The Future Bulldogs program is a collaborative effort between Canterbury League Club, the Bulldogs, Canterbury Bankstown Junior Rugby League and the thirteen local junior clubs. 

“Our goal has always been to ensure Rugby League remains the most affordable and welcoming sport in Canterbury-Bankstown region. This year’s success proves what’s possible when clubs, families, and the community work together,” said Peter Winchester, Chairman of Canterbury League Club.

The results mark a significant win for both the Bulldogs’ development system and the wider JRL community in Canterbury-Bankstown. The initiative boosted registrations across most JRL clubs, laying the groundwork for a stronger pipeline of local talent into the Bulldogs men’s and women’s senior leagues. While some clubs saw growth in older age groups, building depth in the younger divisions was viewed as critical to ensuring long-term sustainability.

“This year we focussed on building up the girls’ teams in the league tag competition. At the same time, the registration numbers come because we have a good system and structure in place, good coaches, good volunteers, which gets players to come back and play again as they’ve enjoyed it in previous years,” said Khalil Kouayder, Secretary of Greenacre Tigers JRL Club.

“Shoutout to Canterbury League Club about the Future Bulldogs program – they’ve contributed a lot to our numbers, making it a lot more affordable for families and kids in our area to play the game of rugby league,” said Khalil.

“We believe in investing in the next generation – not just of athletes, but of community leaders. That starts on the local fields, with programs like this,” said Peter. He added, “This initiative isn’t just about numbers, it’s about building stronger communities and giving kids a positive start through team sport. Every child should have the chance to play, learn, and grow through sport.”

With the program achieving its major goal, the success of 2025 lays the groundwork for an even brighter future for JRL in the Canterbury-Bankstown area. 2026 player registrations will open again at the end of the year so stay tuned!