QLD Premier Rugby: Logan City to join competition in 2018
“The announcement is significant for the club as well as the region, which is one of the fastest growing in Queensland, and has a strong history of producing great Rugby talent such as current St.George Queensland Reds players Karmichael Hunt, Chris Kuridrani and Sef Fa’agase, as well as Wallabies Israel Folau, Matt Toomua and Quade Cooper.”
Logan City Rugby Club President Michael Gallagher said: “As a club we’re excited for the opportunity to play in the top level grassroots Rugby competition in Queensland. Premier Rugby is a proven breeding ground for Rugby talent and we’re hoping that by competing in the competition we can offer greater opportunities for local players from the Logan area to progress and develop their Rugby.
“We’ve worked hard over the last few years to develop capacity within the club and our elevation into Premier Rugby is a great step forward as we look to the future of Rugby in the region.”
Logan City Council and the Queensland Government invested $4.5 million in a purpose built Rugby Union facility at Meakin Park – Logan, which was officially opened in 2012 when the club relocated from Homestead Park. Since that move, the club has continued to see year on year growth in juniors and competed strongly in the Brisbane Premiership competition, winning the 2014 Premiership in Brisbane First Grade, with the ambition of being in a position to enter the Premier competition. In recognition of the significant talent pool, the Queensland Rugby Union has also, for the past two seasons, located Under-15 and Under-17 Junior Gold Cup teams in the region.
Queensland Premier Rugby has a long standing history dating back to 1899. While traditional clubs such as GPS, Brothers and University of Queensland have been part of Premier Rugby competition for over 100 years, the top level of grassroots Rugby in Queensland has also seen teams from the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Canberra compete for the coveted Hospital Cup.
The competition continues to develop talent for the top level of the game, with Henry Taefu (Sunnybank), Junior Laloifi (Sunnybank), Waita Setu (GPS) and Matt Mafi (Brothers) all having made their Reds and Super Rugby debuts during the opening rounds of the 2016 Super Rugby season.
The addition of Logan to the Premier Rugby ranks in 2018 will benefit Rugby in the region, further developing the pathway opportunities for players within the area.
“It is important that Rugby continues to expand into new regions in a crowded sports landscape where we are competing for participants with rival football codes,” Donaghue said.
“The club has outstanding facilities, a rapidly growing catchment area and significant local support. The inclusion of Logan City in the competition will provide more opportunities for players to develop and compete at this level and make their case for selection in the National Rugby Championship (NRC) and ultimately for the Reds.”