Ahead of the start of the 2017 season, we look back at the exciting work our junior rugby league development team undertook in some of the most remote North Queensland communities last year.
Laura, Cape York Peninsula
The North Queensland Toyota Cowboys' development team visited remote Laura, 304km north-west of Cairns, late last year as part of their comprehensive community engagement program, thanks to the generous support of Hutchinson Builders.
The trip was part of a wider development program that includes visits to rural and remote communities across North Queensland, delivering rugby league clinics and messages on healthy lifestyles to schools.
While in Laura, the Cowboys development team were lucky to meet up with the AACAP 16 Contingent Army ahead of their own men’s rugby league carnival organised in conjunction with the Queensland Rugby League (QRL).
The AACAP 16 Contingent opened their camp up to the Cowboys travelling party, who stayed in army tents for the duration of their visit.
Cowboys game development manager Liam Bartlett said the week-long visit was packed with various activities for the children in the community, along with formal training for the Army rugby league team.
“The Cowboys have a strong relationship with the Army, with our home base in the garrison city of Townsville, but it was a real experience to be living in such close quarters with Defence personnel,” Bartlett said.
“The carnival itself was played on a dirt field which is something quite different to other fields we’ve played on, but it didn’t stop the teams playing some tough footy.”
After a full day of rugby league, the team from Wujal Wujal took out the trophy as winners of the event.
