WORLD STAGE LEAGUE SPOTLIGHT: P6, SPORT
City earns praise for Cup role
RUGBY league heavyweights have praised Cairns’ hosting of three World Cup games after more than 13,000 people turned out to support the visiting teams.
Samoa and Scotland played out an entertaining draw at Barlow Park on Saturday in one of the more surprising results of the tournament so far with more than 4000 fans getting behind the two sides.
It capped off an exciting fortnight of football action for the region and continues Cairns’ involvement in top flight league, which is set to continue next year with an NRL trial game and regular season fixture both locked in.
Rugby League World Cup chief executive Andrew Hill said it had taken “courage” to take games out of the major cities to places including Cairns, Townsville, Port Moresby, Darwin and Perth.
“It shows the maturity of the sport and it’s also a way of us saying thank you to the people of Far North Queensland for such strong support of rugby league,” he said.
“They’ve supported the game through thick and thin and good and bad times and I’m really pleased we’re able to bring some really high-quality rugby league here to Cairns.”
Scotland played two of its games here and coach Steve McCormack said the side felt as they had been treated like “royalty” during their stay in the city.
“The whole community had supported us and our boys have given a bit back,” he said.
‘We’ve done the same wherever we stay. We couldn’t thank the people enough for the way they’ve supported us.”
Cairns Mayor Bob Manning said the city had been showcased across the country through the games.
“It’s great that the game was brought to North Queensland and Northern Australia,” he said.