Community Club Vists

Queensland’s community rugby clubs will once again play host to some of the biggest names in the game during the Brisbane Global Rugby Tens.

As they did in 2017, each competing professional side will link with a local Queensland club, engaging with the grass roots rugby community.

For some, like former Wallabies captain Ben Mowen, it will be a case of going back to where it all began.

Mowen is a member of the star-studded Pau side that will visit the Easts Tigers club from 4.30pm-6.30pm on Wednesday February 7.

“We’re very excited,” Easts rugby director Pat Richards said.

“Ben is an ex Easts player so we’re excited to have him come down here and bring the boys down. Then we saw all of the names of all of the All Blacks in that Pau side. It’s pretty star studded. There are a couple of legends in there.”

The club, which continues its French connection after hosting Toulon last year, is putting on food stalls including a crepe stall and a sausage sizzle “to keep it a bit Australian”.

“The players will have a few games with the kids for a hour or so then do some photos and autographs and mingle with the crowd,” Richard said.

A crowd of around 600 attended last year’s hosting of Toulon and Richards expected Pau’s visit to at least match that.

Elsewhere, the reigning Brisbane Global Rugby Tens champion Chiefs will visit Souths’ Chipsy Wood Oval, also on Wednesday afternoon/evening.
On Thursday the home town St George Reds will link with the Caboolture Rugby Club in Morafield on Thursday from 3.00pm, while the Super Rugby champion Crusaders visit the Springfield Hawks from 4.30pm.

“These visits are a great chance for lovers of the game to get up close and interact with some of the game’s greatest players,” tournament chief executive Rachael Carroll said.

“The likes of Kurtley Beale, Samu Kerevi, Conrad Smith, Liam Messam and Carlos Spencer will be out there running drills and playing games with the kids who might well one day grow up to be them. It’s a really cool aspect of the tournament.”

The full schedule of the Brisbane Global Rugby Tens Community visit programme is contained on the graphic below.

For details of each individual visit, see the host clubs’ website and facebook pages.

The Brisbane Global Rugby Tens is supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland and Brisbane City Council through Brisbane Marketing.

Hurricanes fans please note: The Hurricanes have a closed club engagement with the Toowoomba Bears Rugby Club. Fans may make enquiries by contacting: TBRC president Michael Jarroush on P: 07 5466 2333 or E: [email protected]

Alternatively, fans can see the Hurricanes at Tens HQ, Queen St Mall, Thu 8 Feb, 11:35am – 12:05pm