Central North will be chasing NSW Country Rugby Championship glory on home soil again next year after Tamworth was awarded hosting rights for the 2023 and 2024 tournaments.
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The two year arrangement follows a three year deal that finished up this year and was confirmed at the recent NSW Country Rugby Union board meeting.
One of three, what NSWCRU president Luke Stephen described as "highly competitive" tenders, the board liked what Tamworth could offer.
"Obviously the support of the Wests Entertainment Group and Tamworth Regional Council, and Tamworth's proximity to all nine zones is there," Stephen said.
Having "two good facilities", in Scully Park and Ken Chillingworth Oval, just across the road from each other, and the ease of moving between the two grounds for players, officials and spectators was another plus for holding the championships in Tamworth.
To take place on the June long weekend, Stephen said they did take on board feedback from the zones around issues finding accommodation this year.
Several teams, the New England women among them, were forced to stay elsewhere with accommodation being booked out due to a glut of major events all happening that weekend.
"We've worked with Tamworth Regional Council around making sure we have accommodation options so we don't have teams having to stay outside of Tamworth," he said.
There is also an anticipation that it won't be as hectic with at least one less event, with the state men's open hockey championships being held in Newcastle.
This year's tournament was Central North's best with the Kookaburras men winning the Richardson Shield and the women reaching the final for the first time.
New England meanwhile fielded a women's team for the first time since 2016 but didn't participate in the men's after struggling for numbers.
Stephen is confident they "will be back there" next year. He said they are currently "pulling together the final details" for the rep program.
For the Country rep program it will be an early start to the year with the Cockatoos and Corellas lined up to play their Queensland rivals as part of the Festival of Rugby.
"Obviously we're mindful that the opportunity has come up outside the traditional rep window," Stephen said.
"In terms of how we're handling that, the squads will come from the squads that played this year (at the Australian Rugby Shield)."
The two day feast of rugby is returning to Narrabri on February 10 and 11 and will also feature the NSW Waratahs and Queensland Reds men and women, and sevens action.
