20th National Rugby Club Championship kicks off this Saturday

Rugby League Jamaica (RLJ) 20th National Club Championship kicks off this Saturday, May 30, with six clubs set to battle for honours. 

Defending champions St. Catherine Thundercats, who won the title for the first time last year, are looking to retain the title against Duhaney Park Red Sharks, Jamaica Defence Force Warriors, Liguanea Dragons, Washington Boulevard Bulls, and West Kingston Hyenas. The Thundercats will start the competition as slight favourites. 

They are led by national players Tah-Jay Lynch, Joseph Daley and former Red Sharks star forward, Kevin Thomas. RLJ Director of Rugby, Romeo Monteith, believes the 2026 season could be one of the closest in recent memory.

According to him, “we are expecting a very competitive season with strong talent spread across the league. The level of coaching and player development continues to improve and there is genuine uncertainty about who will make the finals, which should make for an exciting championship.”

Red Sharks, the competition’s most successful club with 10 titles, are expected to challenge strongly and include stalwarts Marvin Thompson, Chevaughn Bailey, Daniel Graham, and Andrew Simpson. 

JDF Warriors, led by Steve Miller and Jerome Laird, will again push for honours while Liguanea Dragons remain dangerous dark horses with Reggae Warriors, Michael Pearson, Adrian Hall and Romario Bartlett spearheading their campaign.

Washington Blvd. Bulls and West Kingston Hyenas will look to improve on their 2025 finishes as both clubs continue to develop young talent. The matches will all be triple-headers with sides playing each other twice in the regular season, the games played at the University of the West Indies Mona Bowl, Cedar Grove, and JDF.

The top two will advance directly to the semi-finals, while seeds three to six will contest elimination playoffs on August 22. The semi-finals and Grand Final are scheduled for August 29 and September 5, respectively, both at the UWI Mona Bowl.

Round 1 (May 30 | Mona Bowl)
•    Red Sharks vs Hyenas — kick off 1:00pm
•    Warriors vs Thundercats — 2:44pm
•    Dragons vs Bulls — 4:30pm

Important Dates
•    Eliminators: August 22
•    Semi-Finals: August 29
•    Grand Final: September 5