By Adam Sheldon

UQ head coach Elton Berrange says Indigenous Round carries extra significance at the club, and a loss to Sunnybank this weekend would hurt more than normal.

While the game, hosted by UQ features the bottom two sides in the competition, UQ are only a few wins out of the top four. Sunnybank, meanwhile, showed its potential last week when it came within moments of beating Easts, the only unbeaten side left in 2025. 

For this Indigenous Round, UQ will honour all of its cultures, and has prepared a shirt with 27 flags on it – the number of nationalities involved at the club.

Berrange told Rugby News his players were fired up ahead of the special day. 

“Playing at home in front of our community is always special, but there’s more on line this week –we have a few Indigenous boys” Berrange said.

“We’ve got a diverse group — 27 countries are represented at UQ — so this is about more than just the game; it’s about celebrating our community and our culture.”

UQ’s coach said he was wary of a Sunnybank side, which although had only won once this year, seemed to be hitting its straps – pointing to the visitors’ clash against Easts last weekend which almost produced the boilover of the season.

“They showed last week against Easts that they’re so dangerous. They led most of the game and really tested Easts in different areas – it taught us some lessons on how to play Easts next time,” he said. 

“We can’t take anything for granted. We need to be disciplined, accurate, and play for 80 minutes if we want to get the win.”

With Sunnybank possessing a formidable forward pack, UQ will focus on shifting the ball to its outside backs whenever its possible. Berrange said his squad was fit, which could play a part in the last 20 minutes. 

“Sunnybank are a big, physical team, and if we let them dominate possession or get on top early, it’ll be a tough day,” Berrange said. 

“Our game plan is about getting some width – we want to move the ball around a fair bit but we will have to earn the right to go direct. You can’t avoid the contact but you have to be faster, the detail around the entry into contact has to be much better than them.

“We have a fit team; we have to build the lactic acid in them. If we are in the game in the last 20 minutes and our fitness comes into it, we should be ok.”

One player to look out for this weekend is Tom Robinson (8), son of World Rugby chair and Wallaby Brett Robinson. 

“He’s just come back from the Australian under 20s – I’m excited to see how he plays,” Berrange said.