Townsville to host cultural clash
Townsville will host the NRL All Stars game for the first time in 2021 after Queensland Country Bank Stadium was announced on Wednesday as the venue for the February 20 clash.
The All Stars double header — featuring the men’s and women’s
Indigenous teams taking on their Ma¯ori counterparts — is expected to attract a sellout crowd.
NRL head of football Graham Annesley was joined by Indigenous rugby league icon Johnathan Thurston in making the announcement at Townsville.
The Ma¯ori won the men’s match this year with Storm forward Brandon Smith playing a starring role while the
Indigenous women won their clash 10-4.
Online voting will be carried out to select the Indigenous and Maori men’s teams in January via nrl.com.
NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said North Queensland was a rugby league heartland.
“I know this game will mean a lot to the local community,” he said. “All Stars is an event like no other on our calendar. It brings people together and helps us celebrate First Nations people and rugby league’s diversity.
“All Stars is more than a game, it’s a week of community engagement, education and cultural awareness.”
Australian Rugby League Indigenous Council chair Katrina Fanning said the All Stars concept had a range of benefits.
“The All Stars concept has been such an important initiative since 2010,” the former Jillaroo said.
“It has changed lives from Gold Coast and Brisbane to Newcastle and Melbourne.
“It makes so much sense to include Townsville — an incredibly important rugby league region but also one with such strong links to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.”
— nrl.com