Remote clubs to discuss QRL aid

BETTER support for rugby league in the Cape and Torres Strait region is on the horizon with the QRL Northern Division launching an ambitious plan to officially recognise the people who play the game.

QRL officials met with teachers from the region this week to discuss moves to affiliate more clubs and register more players in the hope further funding can be funnelled into the North.

Rugby league may well be the unrivalled No. 1 sport on the Cape but only a small portion of players are officially signed on.

QRL Northern Division assistant manager Robbie Moore said the goal was to have incorporated bodies in the eight major Cape communities in the next six months which would open the door for more resources for the region.

“If we actually get a committee and a league, they can run their own football,” he said.

“We want everyone to be incorporated and affiliated with the league, which gives us more scope to support them in the future.

“It just enables them to come under the QRL banner, which we can give more support to and it opens them up to grants, including facility grants and Get Started vouchers for juniors.

“It opens them up for grants for their local fields, such as for line markers and stuff they haven’t got like post-pads and fencing that you need to run a competition.

“We have started the process already, now it’s just a matter of them holding their AGMs and obviously we’ve still got a fair bit of work to do to go up and support them on the process of meetings and the governance side of things.

“That’s going to be a huge step and it needs to be done.”

Moore said being able to play more regular competition would benefit junior development, but it relied on stronger communication between stakeholders.

“I think we’re starting to realise as a game, we’ve got a great game but we all need to come in, start communicating and growing from there,” he said. “I think we’re just communicating with ourselves more now between schools, clubs and seniors and the QRL are we’re trying to work together for the betterment of the game.”

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