QLD Premier Rugby: UQ eager to continue dominance
By Michael Atkinson
Following University of Queensland's win over Sunnybank last weekend, their 14th straight for 2016, it’s hard to imagine a time when UQ weren’t featuring heavily in the QLD Premier Rugby Finals.
However, it wasn’t too long ago that the now powerhouse club were the competition cellar dwellers. Winning just three games in 2008, UQ were looking for someone to take them in a new direction: enter head coach Mick Heenan.
Heenan had been head coach at the GPS Rugby Club since 2002 and had experienced a reasonable level of success, making the finals in four of the six seasons he was in charge but unable to claim an elusive premiership.
“At ‘Jeeps’ we were pretty consistent and we had some good years but we came up against some red hot teams in the finals, teams that often went on to win the premiership,” said Heenan.
Moving to St. Lucia to take the reins at Stade de Heavy – UQ’s colloquial name for their home ground – Heenan set about turning the