Tully Showcases Rising Regional Talent At The 2026 Netball River Cup

The Under 10’s played their first carnival, pictured are teams from Tully and Herbert River. Photo Supplied  

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By Sian Bantock  

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Tully State High School Courts came alive on Sunday 9th August as it proudly hosted the 2026 River Cup; a fast-paced intense regional carnival that saw three netball communities go head-to-head.  

Teams representing Tully River, Herbert River and, Johnston River competed across multiple games over a few hours showcasing the emerging talent across the Far North.  

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Now in its 3rd year, the River Cup has become more than just a competition - it’s a celebration of regional netball that puts prospective players centre-stage to showcase what they can do.

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Tully Netball Association proudly hosted this year’s River Cup at the Tully State High Courts. They ran a rotating draw of four-quarter matches across the Under 10, 12, 14 and 16 divisions. Each team played twice, with the overall points tallied thus determining the winning association; this year Innisfail kept hold of the River Cup as two time winners.  

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Junior Coordinator Jane Nolan credits the Far North Queensland club to mentoring prospective talent.  

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“This is where the dream begins for the regional players” Jane said.  

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The Tully Netball club has a strong record of producing standout athletes including Sasha Flegler who grew up playing on the very courts where Sunday’s Carnival took place.  Sasha is now entering her third year playing for the Queensland Firebirds, one of the states premier netball team competing in Suncorp Super Netball.  

Katie-Ann Flegler, president of Tully Netball Association said the day perfectly captured everything special about community sport.

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“We welcomed Innisfail and Herbert river to Tully in the sunshine with some competitive netball - it was a great celebration of the game in the smaller regions,” Katie-Ann said.  

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Winners:

2024: Tully  

2025: Innisfail  

2026: Innisfail