Playing for a lost comrade
Memorial match returns
It’ll be mate against mate this weekend when the Townsville Titans and Pirates team up for the second annual Luke Gavin Memorial Match.
Last year’s game, held between the Townsville’s Masters Rugby League Pirates and a Titans team bolstered by defence force servicemen, raised thousands for North Queensland Defence support service Legacy NQ.
This year’s match, played between a Titans-pirates combined side and a side made up of emergency and corrective services personnel, will also aim to raise funds, this time for Suicide Prevention Queensland.
The match will also honour one of Townsville’s fallen soldiers, named after serviceman Luke Gavin, who was killed in action while serving in Afghanistan.
Beau King, himself a veteran served alongside Luke and helped organise the event, will again line-up for this year’s match.
“For a lot of veterans, it’s been a tough 20 year stretch with our operational service and what the guys have been through,” Mr King said.
“This is an opportunity to honour those like Luke, who made the ultimate sacrifice for the country we have today. It’s also an opportunity to show the camaraderie and respect that exists between both the military and our community services – organisations that do so much for the community off the sporting field.”
Fellow ADF veteran, and Titans and Pirates founding member Pete Shefford said last year’s game had a profound impact.
“It’s not very often just playing a game will solicit an emotional response from battle hardened, tough as teak, bush footballers,” Mr Shefford said.
“But that’s exactly what happened last year as the pride in wearing the Titans jersey took hold at the conclusion of the match. Every player who took the field knew they’d been involved in something very special, and stood tall, proudly honouring the stoic traditions of our ANZACS.”
Bryan Wilkinson, a Masters Rugby League player who lined up last year and will play again this year, welcomed the opportunity to be a part of the event again.
“It was a really unique and interesting atmosphere, even just in the changing rooms,” he said. “You could really tell it was actually something really special and very different.”
A unique, combined jersey will be auctioned off following the game, with all proceeds raised being donated to Suicide Prevention Queensland.
The match will kick-off at 10am on the Jack Manski Oval on Sunday, April 23.