Represent Warragul on the state stage — two pathways, the Country Representative Program (CRP) and the VJBL. Play one, or play both.
Two Pathways · One Standard
The Junior Warriors offer two pathways for junior representative basketball — the Country Representative Program and the VJBL. Families are welcome to do one, or both.
Country Representative Program
Your road to the Basketball Victoria Junior Country Championships. Country tournaments across the season, U10 to U19, with a proud championship history.
Victorian Junior Basketball League
Friday nights against the best clubs across Victoria. Graded from the Victorian Championship down, U12 to U18 — with the new Regional League cutting travel for country clubs.
Families are welcome to do one or both. Plenty of Warriors play both pathways — CRP tournaments and VJBL Friday nights run on different calendars.
Basketball Victoria
Both pathways feed the same Basketball Victoria player development ladder. Every Junior Warrior is considered a potential 'Green and Gold' player.
Every rep player builds their foundation in WBA's domestic competition first. Participation is a requirement to qualify for both programs.
Step up to representative basketball — the CRP, the VJBL, or both, depending on your goals.
Elite players are identified for Basketball Victoria's representative and development programs.
Victorian state teams, the Centre of Excellence pathway and national junior camps.
NBL, WNBL, national teams, college and international representation. The sky is the limit.
Program Leadership
The Junior Warriors representative program is led by a dedicated director group responsible for coach appointments, selection panels and the standard of the program across both pathways — the CRP and the VJBL.
director
// director of warriors junior basketball
Rob Dielemans brings more than two decades of coaching experience to the Warriors, spanning VJBL, State Championship and Youth League programs, an NBL1 assistant role, and the management of a school basketball academy. An accredited Association Coach with a strong record in program design, coach development and talent identification, Rob leads the strategic direction of our junior coaching framework and style of play — building consistent, age-appropriate pathways from our youngest juniors through to senior basketball.
rob.dielemans@warragulbasketball.org.au
associate director
// associate director of warriors junior basketball
Andrew Hinton is a familiar face at the Warriors, stepping into the Associate Director role after serving as our Head of VJBL. With coaching experience across VJBL and squad teams from U12 to U18 — including at Ringwood, Knox, Pakenham and Warragul — and an assistant role at State Championship level, Andrew brings strong local knowledge and a hands-on presence. Working alongside the Director, he supports our coaches and players day to day and helps deliver a consistent coaching approach across the club.
andrew.hinton@warragulbasketball.org.auFor coaching and program questions, contact Rob or Andrew directly using the details on their cards above. For registrations, trials, fees and uniform, contact Natasha Billing, Representative Programs & Community Engagement Coordinator · tash.billing@warragulbasketball.org.au
Pathway One
2026/27 Season · Key Dates
Country Representative trials for the 2026/27 season — the dates, session times by age group, and how selection works.
Trial 1
Sunday
9 Aug
2026
All interested players attend. Session times by age group are listed below.
Trial 2
Sunday
16 Aug
2026
All interested players attend. Same age-group times as Trial 1 (below).
Callbacks · If Required
Wednesday
19 Aug
2026
Held if needed to finalise selections. Also a reserve session for players genuinely unable to attend either Sunday — not an alternative to attending both.
Please attend both Sunday trials. All interested players are expected to take part in both Sunday sessions — 9 and 16 August — so coaches can make fair, fully-informed selections. The Wednesday session is reserved for callbacks and for players who genuinely cannot make either Sunday; it is not a way to attend just one. Players unable to attend a session should contact us in advance to apply for an exemption for consideration of selection without trialling.
WBA's selection process for the 2026/27 season follows a structured sequence designed to keep team selection fair and free from coaching bias. The process works as follows:
Coaches marked + VJBL also lead the same age group in our 2027 VJBL program.
Once teams are selected through our trials process, we keep them together for the season. We believe players develop best in a settled, supportive team environment, and that families deserve the certainty to plan their year. For that reason, our program is not built around moving players up or down between teams based on individual game-to-game performance.
From time to time, some movement is necessary. This is generally to manage player availability, as not every player can attend every tournament; to cover injury or withdrawal; or where a particular tournament offers a valuable opportunity for a player to gain experience in a different team or competition environment. These decisions are managed by our coaches and approved by our Director of Warriors Junior Basketball, in the best interests of the players and the program.
Please note: trial dates and the callback session can be subject to change. Registered players will be notified directly of any updates, venues and session times.
Trial Weekend · On the Day
Registration numbers are high this year, so every player goes through a sign-in and numbering process before their session starts. Please plan to arrive well before your session time.
You're very welcome to stay on-site for the trial period. A few things to know before you arrive:
Parents aren't permitted courtside during trials, with the exception of U10s. If you're staying on-site, please remain in the foyer areas.
Feedback will not be given following Trial 1 — coaches are still assessing across both Sundays.
Before or after a trial session, their full attention needs to be on the players and on running a consistent, fair process across every court.
Email tash.billing@warragulbasketball.org.au with the details and we'll arrange it.
Why we do this. We know being asked to step back can feel frustrating when you just want to watch your child play. These arrangements protect the players' focus, keep the selection process free from interference, and let us maintain a safe, controlled environment for every child and every member of our team.
Please take a few minutes to read the 2026/27 CRP Parent Information Booklet before Sunday — it covers selection, expectations and the season ahead in full.
A Word for the Nerves
We know a trial process creates anxiety for some children, and our coaching staff are ready for that. Every player is met where they're at. A quiet word from you beforehand goes a long way — remind them there's nothing to prove beyond having a go.
Overview
Everything that comes with a season in the Country Representative Program for 2026/27 — what's covered by registration, and what to budget for separately.
$275
per player
Covers training, coaching and presentation day across the full 2026/27 Country season. Selection is for the full season — not tournament by tournament.
FREE
for Warriors players
Entry to the Warragul Junior Invitational is free for all Warriors representative players.
+$30
payable later in the season
Players selected into a Junior Country Championships team pay an additional $30. This doesn't cover the full cost of team entry — WBA subsidises the remainder.
Tournament fees: approximately $50 per player, per tournament — payable across the season as tournaments are entered, in addition to season registration.
Eligibility
The Country Representative Program fields teams across the following age groups, in both male and female competitions. Our top age group now extends to U19.
Teams are only formed where player numbers support them. Note: U10 (Boys & Girls) compete in Country tournaments only and do not attend the Junior Country Championships.
Our top age group now extends to U19, with U19 players trialling alongside the U18s as one group. Under Basketball Victoria rules, U19 players are not eligible for the Junior Country Championships (JCC), so the JCC team in each program — Team 1 for both boys and girls — is selected U18-only.
We expect the boys to field multiple teams, so selected U19 players will play in Team 2 or below, taking a full part as normal members of those teams. The girls are likely to field a single team; a U19 may still be selected in that squad on the understanding that JCC-eligible players will be prioritised for court time at JCC-related fixtures.
The Big Stage
The leading team (Team 1) in each age group represents the Warragul Warriors at the Basketball Victoria Junior Country Championships — a prestigious event bringing together the best country basketball talent in Victoria. In our top age group, this JCC team is U18-only, as U19 players are not eligible to compete at JCC under Basketball Victoria rules.
Full commitment required. Selection in Team 1 carries a full-season commitment that includes attending the JCC in its entirety — regardless of results on any given day. Basketball is a team sport, and every player's presence matters to the group throughout the full competition.
Host venue changes year to year. Please visit the Basketball Victoria website for current Junior Country Championships information: basketballvictoria.com.au
Proud History
The Warragul Warriors have built a proud history of success at state and national level. Our graduates include athletes who have gone on to represent Australia on the world stage.
Pathway Two
The Competition
The 2027 season is coming. The 2027 Victorian Junior Basketball League season tips off on Friday 20 November 2026, with grading phases running through to February and the season proper from March — the full calendar is below. Trials for the Warragul Warriors 2027 VJBL teams are locked in for Friday 2, Sunday 4 and Wednesday 7 October, with venue and session times to be confirmed.
Representative teams
Associations
Participants
Venues statewide
The Victorian Junior Basketball League is the highest level of junior competition in Victoria — and the Warragul Warriors are in it. Games are played every Friday night across 80+ venues statewide, in a graded structure from the Victorian Junior Championship League through to the Regional Competition.
The aims of the VJBL: to provide a stimulus for associations to develop teams to the highest competitive level; to provide a relevant step in career paths from domestic basketball through to state, national and international level; and to extend the opportunity for players, officials and spectators to participate in high-quality competitions.
Born on 18 May 1999 through the amalgamation of the Victorian Junior Girls Commission and Victorian Junior Boys Commission, the VJBL grew from 8–10 A Grade teams in the early 1970s to over 1,200 teams today.
Ever heard of Josh Giddey? Ezi Magbegor? Andrew Bogut? Jenna O'Hea? All of these superstars started their competitive basketball careers in the VJBL. It's where champions begin.
2026 — Major Change New
Basketball Victoria has announced a significant restructure for the VJBL beginning in 2026 — introducing the Regional League (RL), which replaces the former RDL competition and creates a clearer, more accessible three-tier pathway for U12 and U14 athletes.
Great news for country clubs like Warragul. The new Regional League organises competition into geographical pools to reduce travel — meaning more Gippsland and regional rivalries, and less time on the road for families.
Under 12 & Under 14 — Three-Tier Pathway
Under 16 & Under 18 — Two-Tier Pathway
2027 Season
Trials for the Warragul Warriors 2027 VJBL teams run across three sessions in October. Venue and session times will be confirmed and published here.
Trial 1
Friday
2 Oct
2026
Venue and session times will be confirmed and published here.
Trial 2
Sunday
4 Oct
2026
Venue and session times will be confirmed and published here.
Trial 3
Wednesday
7 Oct
2026
Venue and session times will be confirmed and published here.
Please attend a minimum of two trial sessions. All interested players are expected to take part in at least two of the three trial dates so coaches can make fair, fully-informed selections. Players unable to attend two sessions must contact us in advance to submit an exemption request for consideration of selection.
2027 season confirmed. The full 2027 VJBL calendar — grading phases, season rounds and finals — is published below. All VJBL games are played on Friday nights.
Want to play VJBL with the Warriors? Register your interest now and we'll let you know as soon as the venue and session times are confirmed.
Register Your Interest2027 Season
The 2027 season runs on Friday nights from 20 November 2026 through to the Grand Finals in September 2027. Expand each phase to see its game nights.
* Grading and X-Over entries marked "all competitions" apply across VC (12–18), VC 18 Championship and VJL & RL. All games played Friday nights.
Who We Are
Whether you're playing CRP, VJBL or both — the Warragul Warriors standard never changes. These values underpin everything we do.
We compete with heart, pride and purpose. We play hard, we play fair, and we never stop. #warriorspirit
For opponents, teammates, coaches, referees, families and the game itself — at all times.
Humble in victory and gracious in defeat. How we win and how we lose says more about who we are.
Basketball should be the best part of a young person's week. Results matter — but so does the smile on the way home.
We are more than a basketball program. Every player, family, coach and volunteer is part of something bigger than any single game or season.
Everything In One Place
Playing in WBA's domestic competition is a requirement for both representative programs. The full stipulations for each program are set out in its parent information pack — available for download here as soon as each pack is ready.
Everything a Country Representative Program family needs — fees, trials, team structure, tournament expectations and the domestic participation requirements.
Download PackEverything a VJBL family needs — competition structure, Friday-night logistics, fees and the domestic participation requirements.
Coming SoonGet In Touch
For all enquiries about the Junior Warriors — CRP or VJBL, trials, team structure, fees and uniform — contact our Representative Programs & Community Engagement Coordinator.
Natasha Billing
Representative Programs & Community Engagement Coordinator