The biggest gathering of grassroots rugby talent in Townsville for 23 years is unfolding at the Queensland Country Championships.
More than 1100 participants, from juniors through to the divisions that will settle selections for Country’s Heelers and Orchids rep sides, have converged for 115 matches in all from today.
If anyone is to know those markers it is Dan Withers, the Townsville & District Rugby Union’s Director of Rugby. He was a strapping 15-year-old schoolboy No.8 at the State Junior Championships in 2002 when a rugby gathering this big last arrived in the city.
“It’s a wonderful way to grow rugby in the region and we’ve already seen these championships attract talent into the game,” Withers said.
“We have 40 teams, playing across four fields, in juniors alone for boys and girls.”
Championships are nothing without some hometown fervour for the North Queensland teams in contention.
Former Queensland Country skipper Josh Fletcher will again be pulling the strings for North Queensland from flyhalf just as he did when NQ last won the men's title in 2018.
There has been a fresh energy to country rugby at rep level with the Queensland Country Heelers toppled arch rivals NSW Country to win the Australian Rugby Shield on the Sunshine Coast last year,
Heelers skipper Luke Kimber is a maths-science teacher. Chemistry is still a subject when it comes to getting a rapidly-forged team together as a no-nonsense backrower for the South Queensland side this week.
“When you are pulling together players from the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Darling Downs, you haven’t even met all your teammates until you jump on the plane to the Country Championships,” Kimber said.
“You have a few beers, get to know each other better and then it’s the trial by fire in the first game.
“It’s great to have the opportunity with the Country Championships. You do know what people have put in to be there with airfares, accommodation and time away.
“That’s kinda how it is in country footy.”
An October date in Newcastle awaits for the best players who will take aim at the Australian Rugby Shield.
On another level, a Rio Tinto Combine in Townsville will bring together up-and-coming female players under the educated eye of Nico Andrade, the Queensland Rugby Union’s Women’s High Performance Manager.
Rio Tinto’s support of women’s rugby is enabling country products to get greater exposure.
The net across the state’s country regions also brings together junior teams from Under-13s to Under-20 Colts. The presence of Brisbane Junior Rugby Union teams adds to the standard.
For Paul Carozza, the Queensland Reds Head of Talent Management, the championships are a valuable showcase of country talent.
For example, halfback Koby Hill and centre Darius Anderson, both Gold Coast Cyclones, featured in Reds Academy programs over the off-season.
The Country Championships are an important part of the Reds Academy Talent Identification process and a pathway into teams for the Emerging Reds Cup in September.
At U14 and U16 level, Queensland Country teams will be selected to play in the ERC.
The BJRU’s eagerness to improve on 2024 results at the ERC means U14 Navy and Red teams will compete in Townsville to feed into selection of one team for the 2025 ERC.
KINGAROY CAPTURES THE RUGBY SPIRIT
The eager, smiling faces in Kingaroy showed the success of the South Burnett Primary 7s on Thursday.
Kingaroy State School, Kingaroy’s Saint Mary’s Catholic College, St Joseph’s, Murgon and Kingaroy’s Taabinga State School dived into the sevens tournament and the polishing of rugby skills that the day offered.
Saint Mary’s was a happy host.
The proud boys and girls from Taabinga State School came out on top in the final.
The initiative was part of the Play Rugby program proudly supported by the Queensland Government as part of legacy funding linked to the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour of Australia.
Teachers and students also took part in “Junior Coach” accreditation and “Referee Ready” accreditation as part of the program to make sure the benefits of the day can be ongoing.
CRUNCH TIME IN STORELOCAL HOSPITAL CUP
Willy Rua's University of Queensland side head down the highway to the Gold Coast with their season on the line in the StoreLocal Hospital Cup.
Saturday's Round 13 clash at Bond University is all important if the fifth-placed Red Heavies (25 points) are to keep in touch with fourth-placed Souths (32) and a potential semi-final berth.
It is no less important for the seventh-placed Bond University (22) who need to start a string of wins to contend for fourth spot themselves.
There are intriguing match-ups everywhere, notably between high-performing backrowers Rua (UQ) and Matt Engelbrecht (Bond), the whirlwind under the blue headgear who first made his name for UQ.
It extends to the coaches because Bond mentor Mick Heenan and Elton Berrange were long-time coaching partners for premierships at UQ before Heenan's switch to the Bull Sharks.
"It's a very important game for both clubs. Time is running out so it's time to get a move on," Berrange said.
"We know what Bond bring but you still have to handle it. A player like (centre) Tyler Campbell is so important to them with his strong ball carries, deft passes and the way he gets active in the attacking quarter. We have to be aware.
"Mick and I go back a long way. The ledger is a win, a loss and a draw apiece since we started opposing each other as coaches so there is a little something in play there too."
UQ will be strengthened up front with hefty former Ulster Academy prop Jack Boal on the bench for front-row duties. Any hint of sun will improve his Irish suntan as the flaming redhead all clubs should be mandated to include in a match day 23.
