THIS year’s Coffs Coast Festival of Rugby has been awarded the Community Event of the Year at the 2026 NSW Community Sports Awards.
The NSW Community Sports Awards recognise the outstanding achievements and contributions to community sport in NSW over the past year, which is largely carried out by a volunteer workforce.
The 2026 Coffs Coast Festival of Rugby transformed the Mid North Coast into an international rugby destination with a 10-day multi-event festival in April, spanning Coffs Harbour, Grafton and Kempsey.
The Festival featured three international exhibition match days involving the Japan U23s, Fiji U20s, Australia U20s and Australian Stockmen teams, attracting more than 8000 spectators.
The Festival also featured the Coffs Coast Rugby Challenge, a mass participation tournament involving more than 1,000 players from 60 teams ranging from Under 8s through to Golden Oldies competitions.
The Festival generated an estimated $1.5 million in economic benefit to the local community, while fundraising initiatives generated more than $40,000 to support Rugby For Good mental health and wellbeing programs across regional NSW.
Sport NSW Chief Executive, Stuart Hodge, congratulated the Coffs Coast Festival of Rugby and other award recipients, and thanked them for their outstanding contribution to sport at a community and grassroots level.
“The army of sports volunteers, who are involved in sport every weekend, are the lifeblood that keeps community sport going, and we are delighted to pay special tribute to them for the hundreds of hours they have contributed over the past 12 months,” he said.
“Without these hard-working volunteers, tens of thousands of sports lovers from juniors to seniors would not be able to enjoy the health, social and community benefits sport provides.
“We pay a special tribute to our category award winners, their unwavering commitment, endless energy and deep
passion helps bring people from different cultures and backgrounds together in the pursuit of sporting fun played in a competitive spirit.”
By Aiden BURGESS
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