Following the news that Sportsnet in Canada will be broadcasting games live, we have put together a list of five reasons the world's friendliest nation should follow the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys.
1. Up North
Much like the Toronto Raptors and Blue Jays, we are the northernmost team in the professional rugby league competition in Australia, the National Rugby League. In fact, the closest professional sports team are our rivals, the Brisbane Broncos, who are almost 1,500km away.
2. Bear & Moose
Two of Canada’s most popular animals, the bear and moose, are the nicknames of both a past and present Cowboy. Paul “Bear” Bowman is a club legend who made his debut in our inaugural year in 1995, while Josh “Moose” McGuire is a Queensland Maroons representative who joined us following the 2018 season.
3. Sister cities
Three cities in North Queensland are lucky enough to have a sister city relationship with towns in Canada.
· Mt Isa ---> Kamloops, British Columbia
· Cairns ---> Sidney, British Columbia
· Emerald North ---> Altona, Manitoba
4. Ashton Sims
The former Cowboy played 50 games for the Toronto Wolfpack in 2018-19, helping get the team promoted to their maiden season in the English Super League. The front-rower was a fan favourite in North Queensland, playing 90 games for the Cowboys between 2011-14.
5. Northern Lightning
Despite the average temperature in winter being a lovely 24-25° celsius, Townsville is home to the Northern Lightning Ice Hockey Club, the only club outside of the state’s South East.
