Alicia Mingare is the secretary and registrar of Helensburgh Junior Rugby League Football Club (JRLFC), which is a friendly, family-run club in Helensburgh.

Thanks to Alicia for taking the time to talk about the club and explain how your little one can join.

Tell us about Helensburgh JRLFC.

Helensburgh Junior Rugby League is celebrating its 50th year this year. We are one of the smallest clubs in the region, however, our teams have so much heart. It's a great community club, with a huge number of volunteers jumping on-board this year to make the year huge. We offer a great start to our kids wishing to fulfil their NRL dreams, with our coaches being some of the best in the Illawarra. Last year we had four out of five teams make the finals, with three of those going through to the grand final.

We average around 150 kids per year, with a mix of tackle – for both the girls and boys – plus league tag for the girls.

It is so special seeing kids walking around the Illawarra, Shire and on holidays in their Tiger gear and if you ever want to kick a footy around, you will always find local kids down at Rex Jackson Oval who will let you join in!

What is your age range for local kids?

We offer teams from U6 to U16.

What are the registration details and deadlines?

Rego closes the end of Feb. To register, go to playnrl.com.au and follow the prompts.

What are the fees involved and what does this entail?

The cost is $150 per child (with the third child free). This includes all registration and insurance costs, plus the 50th Anniversary jersey, a training shirt and shorts, as well as game-day shorts and socks! You can use your Active Kids vouchers to cover some of the cost.

How often are the training sessions and games?

Depending on the age group, it will either be one night a week or two nights of training plus game day. Game days are Friday nights for some league tag teams and then Saturday for the rest!

How long does the season last?

The season will kick off for Trials in March with the season beginning in April until September.

What capabilities would you expect from the kids?

We welcome all kids of all capabilities. Our coaches are fabulous and support everyone!

Why would you recommend parents sign up their children?

We are such a community-minded group. The friendships formed by the kids and parents are special. In such a small close-knit town it is so important.

To learn more, head to Helensburgh JRLFC’s Facebook page and watch out for a new website coming soon