By
Pte Nichole Douglas
For the first time, North Queensland has sent a team to the Combined
Australian Services Rugby League National Carnival at Randwick
Barracks.
A
squad of 25 players headed to Sydney for the carnival played between
October 3 and 7 although exercise commitments shortened the preparation
time for the team.
Team
manager WO2 Alan Lynch said rugby league was a mythical Army team
sport in north Queensland.
“Since
our commitments to Timor and other training, rugby league has
fallen off the program,” he said
“This
new team will raise the profile and reputation of the game and
hopefully will inspire others teams to start up again.”
The
Northern Defenders competed against other tri-service sides from
southern Queensland, NSW Metro, NSW Country and Emerging States.
The
competition served as a vehicle to select a national side to go
on and play the visiting Royal Medical Corps at the completion
of the carnival.
WO2
Lynch said there were future plans to challenge some of the local
civilian teams such as the Police Force NQ team.
The
team was supported Australian Defence Force Credit Union, Leslie's
Auto Electrical and the North Queensland Cowboys, who have all
provided equipment as a basis for training for the carnival.
A
full report of the event will appear in the next edition.
