The North Queensland Toyota Cowboys now have the backing of 20,000 members throughout Australia, the Torres Strait, Papua New Guinea, Pacific Islands and New Zealand.
Cowboys Chief Executive Jeff Reibel said the vast geographic and cultural footprint of the club’s membership base made it one of the most ‘remarkable’ in the National Rugby League.
“Unlike any other club in the code, our members aren’t a short commute away, instead travelling thousands of kilometres from their respective communities to support the Cowboys at our home and away games,” Mr Reibel said.
“Many of our members travel in from cane farms and cattle properties, mining towns out west, remote communities in the top end and all along the region’s coastline for our home games at Queensland Country Bank Stadium,” he said.
“We’re even aware of full season members who drive up from the Sunshine Coast to Townsville support the squad from the grandstand.”
“With this in mind, achieving a milestone of 20,000 members is a profound achievement for which we are deeply grateful, given the Cowboys is a community-owned club.”
“Every single one of our 20,000 members have made a commitment to support the first and only club that was created in the name of the North, and we humbly thank them for this support.”
Tipping the tally to 20,000 members this week was Mr Cameron Scott who joined Cowboys membership for the first time, as an NRLW Supporter Member.
Mr Scott was presented with a signed jersey by NRLW Cowboys Head Coach Ben Jeffries and Membership Ambassador Jasmine Peters at the squad’s training session in Townsville last night.
He said it was the striking design of the NRLW Cowboys inaugural away jersey that first drew his attention to membership.
“I really liked the design of the jersey so bought one as soon as they came out last week, but then thought since I looked the part, I should really ‘be the part’ by getting a membership,” Mr Scott said.
“Then when I looked into it, I liked that I could support the Cowboys first NRLW team in their inaugural year and could be there from the start, so I joined as an NRLW Supporter member.”
The club’s membership base for the 2023 season includes a record-breaking 9,600 full season members, along with multi-game, single-game and non-ticketed supporters for both the NRL and NRLW squads.
The Cowboys’ overall membership record was reached in 2018 at 23,437 members.
The NRLW Cowboys first home game will be held on 5 August at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, with both the NRLW and NRL squads set to contend the Broncos in a XXXX Derby double-header.
Pictured: NRLW Membership Ambassador Jasmine Peters and Mr Cameron Scott.
