The Newcastle Yowies' Historic Fairy-Tale Leading to the 2026 Knockout
By KK News Team
The journey to Raymond Terrace for the 2026 Koori Knockout is paved with the historic and deeply emotional success of the Newcastle Yowies during the 2025 carnival in Tamworth.
A Club United by Grief and Glory
Just six weeks prior to the 2025 tournament, the Yowies mourned the loss of their beloved co-founder and club matriarch, Aunty Gwen Wright. Operating on high emotion and immense community pride, the club achieved a rugby league fairy-tale that will be remembered for generations.
Generations of families have grown up around the Knockout. Champions have been made on the field, but just as importantly, lifelong friendships and community bonds have been strengthened off it.
Their dominance on the field was unprecedented. The Yowies brought five sides to the Knockout, and incredibly, all five featured in the final four of their respective brackets. By the end of the long weekend, their men's, women's, U15, and U17 girls teams had all taken home titles. As is tradition, the men's side's victory officially secured the club the right to host the 2026 carnival, bringing the historic event to Worimi Country.