On Saturday the primary divisions of the iconic Peel Schools Rugby League Carnival took to the Tamworth Minor League fields at Riverside with 33 teams in six age groups.

Around 500 primary school- aged players took part in the annual carnival.

Yesterday, the AAMI Under 16 and 18 Country Championship Finals were played at Scully Park as curtainraisers to the City- Country Origin game and the local team had the sell-out crowd on their feet early.

The Greater Northern Tigers side left it to the last minute to beat Bidgee Bulls in the semi-final last week and left it even later in the final in front of a home crowd.

Tigers winger Ben Fechner scored with five minutes to go before Singleton’s Bailey Ellis knocked over his second from the sideline to even it up at 12-all.

Just as golden point looked a certainty, electric Singleton utility Jordan Allan turned a failed field goal attempt into a grandstand try in the corner on the bell for flying Tingha winger Steve McGrady to wrap up a third straight U16 Country title for the Tigers as the massive home crowd erupted.

The U18s match wasn’t as close, with the Bidgee Bulls charging over the top of the Western Rams to run out winners 44-10 before the main event, which saw 8317 people flood in to Scully Park for what could be the final fixture of its type.

Unfortunately for the Country crowd the young City team ran rampant to take the shield back for the first time in four years 44-30.