Harvey Norman Queensland Maroons coach Tahnee Norris joined forces with Brisbane Broncos stars Selwyn Cobbo and Adam Reynolds, as well as Brisbane Lions player Cal Ah Chee, to encourage more children to get involved in sport.
They encouraged more families to take advantage of the Queensland Government’s FairPlay program to help eligible families with the cost of children’s sport.
Through vouchers valued up to $150, FairPlay is designed to help reduce the cost of sports memberships, registration or participation fees, and ease cost-of-living pressures.
Round 10 of the program – part of the Queensland Government’s 10-year Activate! Queensland Strategy to get more Queenslanders moving more often - provides more than $6 million worth of vouchers to assist with getting children aged between five and 17 onto sporting fields or involved in active recreation programs.
Norris said the initiative was a great opportunity for more girls to put their hand up and play footy.
“I think it's a fantastic concept and I hope that we get a lot out of it for women's rugby league and it continues to grow our game… this is good too because in this sport, we obviously rely on a lot of people coming out of the regions, people coming out of the Indigenous communities,” Norris said.
To register to play something unreal, or to find your local rugby league club, click here.
Queensland Rugby League has strengthened its regional footprint this year with the addition of the Sunshine Coast Falcons and Western Clydesdales teams in the BMD Premiership.
“The Falcons are going to have some really good standard players… Annette Brander, former Jillaroo and former Maroons player, is going to lead that team,” Norris said.
“I think it’s a good opportunity to go home to her roots and, and play for the Sunshine Coast Falcons. I'm really looking forward to what they put out on the park. I think they're going to be a really strong team.
“With the Clydesdales, there’s a couple of good players, being Ali Brigginshaw, our Queensland captain, actually heading up that side, and Shenae Ciesiolka, who's a local junior from out there… they should be a really strong side.
“What they've done is actually brought a lot of players back to these regions… taking girls back to where they grew up playing footy and they're now going to represent in the BMD Premiership competition.”
Norris said she was bringing the Maroons into camp in a few weeks in preparation for the 2024 State of Origin series.
“I'm really looking forward to bringing girls back together and see how they tracked in the off season because we've got an early game… Game I is early in May and just before Magic Round,” Norris said.
“We need to see how they're tracking at the moment and then throughout the BMD season as well and hopefully we can bring together a really good squad for Game I on the back of growth of girls playing sport in the last few years.”
Broncos captain Adam Reynolds said the more people playing rugby league, the better.
“This is a great initiative to get more young kids involved in sport, and hopefully the game we love, rugby league,” Reynolds said.
“As a dad of four young kids, I’m around junior sport a fair bit, at clubs like Arana Hills, and I see the positive impact it can have on kids’ lives, mentally and physically.
“This is a great way to give kids and families a helping hand to make sure they don’t miss out on these opportunities.”
In an added bonus, the expiry date of more than 4000 vouchers of Round 9 FairPlay vouchers has been extended; this allows these vouchers to be presented to clubs and organisations until May 1. Clubs and organisation can also redeem Round 9 FairPlay vouchers until June 12.
Since the program began in 2019, an investment of more than $27 million has seen more than 182,000 vouchers redeemed by eligible families.
Sport Minister Michael Healy said “FairPlay is helping thousands of kids play sport and be more active”.
“The Miles State Government knows that families are doing their best to manage cost of living pressures, and FairPlay helps to break down the financial barriers involved with organised sport and recreation activities,” Healy said.
“In fact, since the program began in 2019, it has seen more than 182,000 vouchers redeemed, saving Queensland families over $27 million.
“More Queensland kids are getting involved in activities such as rugby league, AFL, netball, bushwalking and abseiling, where without the program, they may have been out of reach for many.
“We’ll continue to assist our families, clubs and organisations, to help more young Queenslanders be more active, more often.”
Applications are open until May 1, with vouchers to be redeemed by clubs and organisations by June 12.
For more information on FairPlay, visit www.qld.gov.au/recreation/sports/funding/fairplay.
