Students rally round to give USA warm welcome
JAMES Cook University and the North Queensland Cowboys are ready to give team USA a welcome to remember.
The USA Eagles fly into Townsville today ahead of their Rugby League World Cup pool game against Fiji on Friday at 1300SMILES Stadium, followed by their clash against Italy on November 5.
JCU’s large community of US exchange students are performing an Americanstyle pep rally at the universi- ty on Monday, where the Cowboys’ Under- 20s squad will also join the Eagles for a training session.
A group of JCU sports and event management students have also been working behind the scenes to help make sure everything runs smoothly on game day.
One of them is Cowboys player Reuben Cotter, who has used downtime from surgery to further his studies.
“It’s definitely good to get among the World Cup, and adding to that is the fact we have American students here to be a part of it,” Cotter said.
“For me it’s good to be doing something active as well while I’m injured, obviously I have the time to really get into my studies.
“The Cowboys have been great with supporting me along the way with uni and recovery as well.”
Cotter, a Mackay junior, recently re- signed with the Cowboys until the end of 2019 and is fighting to be fit for 2018 after recently having surgery to his second ACL tear done earlier this year. Cotter is hopeful that local supporters will throw their support behind Townsville’s World Cup games. “It’s different and it’s exciting,” he said.
JCU associate professor Laurie Murphy, who teaches in event management, said it was all systems go.
“We hope that Townsville joins us in making the American team feel like they have a home away from home,” she said. “It also allows our American students to feel a bit patriotic and support the team.”
JCU Student Association vice- president and RLWC host city ambassador Sydney Jones is just one American student getting into the World Cup spirit.
“I’m a huge Queenslander fan actually – State of Origin is like my rugby league fix – and I’ve been to a couple of Cowboys games,” she said.
“I really enjoy the sport and it’s a lot more fast- paced than ( American) football.”
Tickets for World Cup games are available at rlwc2017. com.