PRIDE ON THE LINE
THEY haven’t been able to convince Mel Gibson to don the kilt and jump on a horse, but Scottish pride is expected to be flowing thick and fast at Barlow Park tomorrow night.
While their supporters concede the Bravehearts will be serious underdogs against Samoa, they have vowed to cheer until the final siren sounds in their Rugby League World Cup clash.
Scottish World Cup ambassador and Cairns Post head of sales Patricia O’Neill concedes she may not know much about the sport, but that matters little when it comes to national pride.
“Whether you love league or loathe league, you’ve got to love your roots,” she said.
“As a passionate Scot, I will be heading down on Saturday to cheer home the Bravehearts, win, lose or draw.
“I would ask everyone in Cairns to dig deep into your family bloodline and if you can find a wee bit of Scottish blood, I urge you to come down to Barlow Park and cheer the boys home.”
This will be the second game Scotland will play in Cairns during the World Cup.
More than 9000 people watched them lose 50-4 to a Tongan team that includes stars Jason Taumalolo and Daniel Tupou.
Scotland will be without its captain and Huddersfield halfback Danny Brough, Featherstone’s Sam Brooks and the former Super League forward Johnny Walker, who were sent home after reportedly being too drunk to board a flight to Cairns from New Zealand.
Tomorrow night’s game will be the third and final Cup match Cairns will host.
Mrs O’Neill said she hoped the Cairns community got behind it.
“It’s so exciting to have big sporting events like this in Cairns and I feel proud that Scotland has chosen our home town to play two of their games,” she said.