ITALY COMES TO INNISFAIL FOR RLWC17 TRIAL

INNISFAIL will welcome a wealth of international rugby league talent to the region with the community set to host an important trial match ahead of the World Cup starting this month.

Tonga and Italy will clash in a warm-up game at Callendar Park next Friday, October 20, with the Papua New Guinea women’s team playing a cur- tain raiser against a Cassowary Coast invitational squad made up of North Queensland representative players.

Italy team manager Reno Santaguida said the match would be crucial to the Azzurri’s preparations ahead of their first match against Ireland.

“It’s about getting our combinations right,” Santaguida said.

“We’ll only have a short period together before our first game so we need to make something of it.

“It’s also a good way to get the team together. “We’re excited. “The culture that we instil within the Italian team is about hard work and that fits in well with Innisfail as a town.

“It’s got strong Italian and Tongan communities from what I hear and it’ll be fantastic to play in front of a passionate crowd.”

Cassowary Coast Regional Council Mayor John Kremastos said the passionate rugby league community welcomed the opportunity to see stars like Tonga’s Jason Taumalolo and Italy’s James Tedesco playing in the region.

“Jason’s commitment to play for Tonga, the birthplace of both his parents, resonates with the people of the Cassowary Coast as many of our young men have gone on in their rugby league careers and made it to the greater rugby league stage and still call Innisfail home, (including) Billy Slater, Scott Bolton, Ty Williams and Kerry Boustead,” Cr Kremastos said.

The fixture will also feature a third game between New South Wales and Queenslanders of Italian descent before the main event prior to the Papua New Guinea match.

The gates open at 4pm.