Potts ponders higher aspirations in rugby
AFTER six seasons of playing in the Far North, Zimbabwean Colin Potts always wondered how high the step-up of competition was at the Queensland Country Championships compared with club rugby.
Potts, who plays at Southside Crusaders locally, will get his first taste of the level tonight as he and a number of other FNQ players will represent North Queensland in Bundaberg at the championships.
Potts spent time in the UK Christian Aruha (JCU) Liam Duncan (JCU) Kai Lowah (JCU) Colin Potts (Southside) Callum Beasley (Northern before relocating to the Far North and is looking forward to testing himself against South Queensland and Central Queensland.
“This has been something I have always really wanted to get to and I am more than keen to go now,” Potts said.
“I reckon they are going to Beaches) Bradley Manoi (JCU) Kerwin Swanson (Barron Trinity Bulls) Dudley Miles Thomas (JCU) be fairly fast-paced games against all the teams. It will be interesting to see the level of rugby the other areas have.
“I have not experienced it as much in comparison with the UK where I played. It is a much faster pace here.”
Cairns’ Dwayne Irvine has been appointed as a development coach for the NQ side.
“It is very humbling and exciting and I am thankful for an opportunity,” Irvine said.
“On a personal level, it was great and satisfying to see a number of players that myself and Northern Rangers coach Damien Swain coached and selected in the Northern Rangers squad earlier in the year be selected into the FNQ rugby squad and now on to the next level NQ open representative rugby.”
NQ will be coached by John Gilmore from Townsville and Rama Chand from Mackay will be his assistant. The squad travels to Bundaberg this morning via Brisbane and have their first game tonight against South Queensland before tackling Central Queensland tomorrow.
A North Queensland colts under-19s squad will also compete with a number of Far North products on show.
In FNQ Rugby Round 8, Southside Crusaders tackle Brothers at Stan Williams Park tonight before Innisfail play Northern Beaches Mudcrabs on Saturday while JCU Mariners face Barron-Trinity Bulls.