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Byron Shire
June 24, 2026

Byron Shire Rebels secure second consecutive clean sweep

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Rebels players celebrating a try. Photo supplied

Hywel David

The afternoon kicked off with a dominant performance from the Men’s Rebel Colts, who defeated the Moonshiners 53–6.

The Rebels’ attack proved relentless, crossing for nine tries in total. George Morgan and Tucker Groves both secured doubles, while Quinton James, Chase Wilson, Ewan Murgha, Hunter Moon, and Guy Henry all added to the scoreboard. Aiden Broadhurst capped off the effort with four successful conversions.

Winning women

The winning streak continued with the Women’s Rebels, who recorded a 36–5 victory over Mullumbimby. The Rebels’ backline showed impressive depth, with tries coming from Indigo Simpson, Faith Taylor, Claudia Gonzales, a second from Faith Taylor, followed by Rosalie Trainer and Evie Eastwell. Kari Massey converted three tries to seal the win.

The Men’s First Grade fixture against Lennox Head was defined early by the Rebels’ scrum dominance. After winning an early opposed scrum, the home side pinned Lennox in their own half. Prop Oisin Canney opened the scoring with a pick-and-go try, followed by a second identical effort shortly after. Samuel Valpy converted both.

The pressure remained constant, and Canney secured a first-half hat-trick after scrum-half Ben Wright found him with a sharp pass to hammer through the Lennox line. Valpy again added the extras. Despite the Rebels winning another opposed scrum, Lennox Head managed to build their way to the Rebels’ try line and find their first points through a try from a lineout. The conversion was missed, leaving the score 21–5 at the half-time whistle.

The second half began with rising tensions as a show of pushes and pulls briefly stopped play. Afterward, Luc Lévêque extended the lead with a try scored directly from a scrum, followed by a second effort where he pushed past several defenders to cross. Captain Will Hawkings successfully converted the latter.

Lennox Head began to build momentum following the restart. After a period of sustained pressure on the Rebels’ 22 line, the visitors crossed for their second try, which was successfully converted. The match took a physical toll on the home side, as a series of head knocks and injuries reduced the Rebels to just 12 men on the field. Lennox soon added a third try out wide after a shift through their backline.

Despite being three men down, the Rebels’ defence showed immense grit. Lisandro ‘Lichi’ Ardeti prevented a score with a vital try-saving tackle, and the remaining defenders managed to hold Lennox up over the try-line during a subsequent attack. However, with the defence stretched thin, Lennox eventually broke through for their fourth try in the final minutes.

Man of the match

The Rebels’ early lead proved insurmountable, and the home side held on for a gritty 33–22 victory to complete the sweep. Luc Lévêque was awarded man of the match for his relentless work both in defence and attack.

 



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