Following another historic Shute Shield season, Sydney Rugby Union (SRU) today confirmed the fixtures for all eighteen rounds of the 2026 Shute Shield, set to kick off on Saturday, 11 April.
The season will see the return to match of the round on free-to-air through NineGEM and NineNOW, along with full coverage on Stan, thanks to our partners Nine, Stan and Rugby Australia.
A blockbuster opening round featuring several marquee clashes, Eastwood will host 2025 finalists Randwick, while Eastern Suburbs welcome Northern Suburbs to Woollahra Oval. Defending premiers Warringah will also travel to Sydney University to face the Students.
Warringah ended their long-standing premiership drought in 2025 with a commanding Grand Final win over Easts in August, and the 2026 season promises to deliver more drama and intensity from the opening whistle.
The first five rounds feature a mix of traditional and emerging rivalries, including Two Blues vs West Harbour (Round 2), Manly vs Warringah (Round 3), Gordon vs Hunter Wildfires (Round 4), and Eastwood vs Western Harbour (Round 5).
“The countdown is well and truly underway for the 2026 Shute Shield season, and today’s announcement will only add to the excitement among rugby fans and players alike,” said SRU General Manager Peter Watkins.
“After another highly competitive and entertaining year, every club is working hard to ensure 2026 is one of the most closely contested seasons in recent memory.
We look forward to seeing all fans of the Shute Shield supporting their local clubs and getting down to watch the action live every Saturday. For those who can’t, the increased coverage through Nine and Stan will bring the action to lounge rooms across Australia.
The Shute Shield remains one of Australian rugby’s proudest and most historic competitions, and we can’t wait to see the rugby community come together again next year.”
The eighteen-round competition will run from April to September, with clubs enjoying a mid-season bye following Round 8 before the race to the finals begins on 13 June.
After just three points separated last year’s finalists at the end of the regular season, the 2026 run home is expected to once again shape the finals picture. Sydney University and the Two Blues, both eager to return to finals contention, will host crucial home fixtures in the final week of the regular season.
The closing rounds feature several finals-shaping clashes, including Randwick vs Manly (Round 16), Eastwood vs Southern Districts (Round 17), and Hunter Wildfires vs Two Blues (Round 18).
The 2026 Shute Shield Finals Series will commence on 22 August, culminating in the Grand Final on 5 September. Fans can catch every match live, ad-free and on demand on Stan Sport
