Rugby's grassroots met its international stage this month, as the Harvey Norman Heart of Rugby Regional Tour rolled through North Queensland — five towns, hundreds of young players, and a fitting finale under lights at Queensland Country Bank Stadium as the Wallabies took on Japan.
Presented by the Australian Rugby Foundation and Rugby Australia with the backing of Harvey Norman, the Heart of Rugby Regional Tour is on a mission to bring the game to the places that don't often get a visit from the national side — regional and rural communities where a Saturday morning clinic can spark a lifelong love of rugby. The North Queensland leg was one of the tour's biggest, tracking through Cairns, Innisfail, Mount Isa, Charters Towers and Townsville.
Across the five stops, more than 300 participants got involved through Get Into Rugby clinics and school visits — kids who, in many cases, were picking up a rugby ball with a current or former elite player for the very first time.
Each stop had its own flavour, but the formula was consistent: skill stations, small-sided games, plenty of laughs, and access to coaches and Classic Wallabies who've worn the gold jersey at the highest level.
Mount Isa was a standout example of what these visits mean to a community. Local juniors spent a session being coached by former Wallabies Mike Harris and Scott Higginbotham, alongside Rugby Australia and Queensland Rugby support staff. As Mount Isa Rugby Union put it in their thanks to Rugby Australia and Queensland Rugby Union, opportunities like this "mean so much" to young players in isolated communities — giving regional kids something to aspire to and a tangible link to the top of the game.
That sentiment echoed all the way along the tour route. In Cairns and Innisfail, clinics tapped into Far North Queensland's strong junior rugby base, while Charters Towers brought the tour to the Outback pathway between Mount Isa and the coast. By the time the convoy rolled into Townsville, the region had put on a genuine grassroots showcase — proof that strong clubs and strong communities go hand in hand.
The tour's final act tied grassroots rugby directly to the international game. On Saturday, August 15, Queensland Country Bank Stadium hosted the Wallabies against Japan in the second Test of their Flight Centre Series — and North Queensland's junior rugby community had a front-row seat to the occasion.
- 32 Get Into Rugby Walla session participants took to the field at Queensland Country Bank Stadium ahead of kick-off, giving young players from across the region the experience of running out onto the same turf as the Wallabies.
- 50+ regional participants were part of the pre-match presentations, serving as mascots and flag bearers alongside the players as they walked out — a moment plenty of North Queensland families won't forget in a hurry.
It capped off a tour that was as much about connection as it was about skills — putting regional kids close enough to touch the elite pathway, even if only for an afternoon.
The rugby on show didn't disappoint. The Wallabies backed up their opening win in Osaka with a commanding performance in Townsville, defeating Japan 56–17 in front of a passionate regional crowd. It marked the second time in as many years that Queensland Country Bank Stadium has hosted a marquee Wallabies Test, cementing Townsville's growing reputation as a genuine home of international rugby outside the capital cities.
The Harvey Norman Heart of Rugby Regional Tour is one part of a broader 40-clinic national program running through the winter, aimed at growing rugby participation in the lead-up to major home tournaments in 2027 and 2029. But numbers aside, what the North Queensland leg really delivered was visibility — showing young players in Cairns, Innisfail, Mount Isa, Charters Towers and Townsville that rugby's biggest stars, and its biggest stages, aren't as far away as they might think.
A huge thank you to every local club, school and volunteer who helped host the tour along the way.
Strong clubs. Strong communities.
