Region to host NRC final this weekend

RUGBY UNION: After going down to Perth Spirit in the dying minutes of their game yesterday Queensland Country announced they will play a semi-final in the Garden City next weekend.

Qld Country finished second on the National Rugby Championship ladder after their loss which means they will host Fijian Drua at Clive Berghofer Stadium on Sunday in a knock out semi-final.

Qld coach Brad Thorne said it would be a homecoming for former Toowoomba Grammar School students Phil Potgieter and Hamish Stewart.

“They have come through the Darling Downs pathway and the pair will be looking forward to returning home to play in front of family and friends,” he said.

“The Darling Downs is the biggest country rugby region in Queensland and Toowoomba is arguably the spiritual home of Queensland Country Rugby.”

He said the team was relieved to hear it would play a home semi-final in Toowoomba.

“We recorded just one win during the 2016 season and that was in Toowoomba against NSW Country,” Thorne said.

“We’re looking forward to taking the semi-final back to the Darling Downs and showing the rugby community just how much we’ve grown as a team on and off the field in this year.”

The game kicks off at 2pm with the winner going straight through to the big dance.”