• You are here:

Junior players dressed in the jerseys of the seven Investec Super 14 teams Queensland will face at Suncorp Stadium this season joined forces today to tackle giant QR Reds prop Rodney Blake.

The seven players, who come from junior clubs in Brisbane, the Darling Downs, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast, wore the jerseys of the Highlanders (NZ), Stormers (SA), Bulls (SA), Force (WA), Blues (NZ), Crusaders (NZ) and Waratahs (NSW) when they tackled the 130kg prop forward.

As well as the opportunity to meet their local hero, the seven juniors will each have the opportunity to walk, or run out onto Suncorp Stadium alongside the captain of their guest team, starting with the Highlanders this Friday.

“Naturally we want junior fans to support the QR Reds, but rugby is also about respecting the opposition and honouring the game,” said Brent Hagen, QRU Junior Rugby Manager.

“With junior sign-ons now underway, it’s also a timely message to a new generation of rugby players and their families that there’s a fabulous global rugby family out there and they can enjoy becoming a part of it.”

The junior tacklers:

Player                                  Club        Games
Patrick Heagney (age 8)  Wynnum       Feb 15 QR REDS v Highlanders
Conor Murphy (9)           Kenmore       March 8 QR REDS v Stormers
Antonio Caranese (8)      Sunnybank    March 15 QR REDS v Bulls
Curtis Wales (8)             Redcliffe        April 18 QR REDS v Force
Jai Lewis (10)                 Toowoomba   May 2 QR REDS v Blues
Macca Fairfax (age 10)   Sunshine Coast  May 10 QR REDS v Crusaders
Mitch Third (13)          Rugby Gold Coast  May 17 QR REDS v Waratahs