Here’s Cheers to the Volunteers in 2020!

The Board of Rugby League Ipswich (RLI) have today forged an historic pact with the Toowoomba Rugby League to celebrate the wonderful contribution of rugby league Volunteers.

From August 2020, the newly minted Volunteers’ Cup will be contested by the Goodna Eagles, the Northern Suburbs Tigers, the West End Bulldogs and 3 teams from the Toowoomba Rugby League; the Gatton Hawks, the Southern Suburbs Tigers and the reigning TRL Premiers, the Valleys Roosters.

Each week over 10 rounds in 2020, senior representative teams from each of the clubs will contest the Volunteers’ Cup in recognition of the priceless role volunteers have played in rugby league across the Western Corridor Region since 1910. Round 1 will see 3 games back to back at the home of rugby league, the North Ipswich Reserve, with each of the RLI teams pitted against the Toowoomba sides.

RLI Chair Gary Parker remarked “In our 110th season, rugby league in this community begins to repay a huge debt to those individuals at clubs that mark the fields, pump up the footys and stack the pie warmers in canteens so players can play. My Board and I decided it was about time the players should begin to repay the Volunteers, henceforth they will play for the Volunteers Cup!”

Parker further described the importance of the QRL in the new post COVID 19 era, “I have to acknowledge Mitch Kent and Jackie Stephson and their teams on how quickly they answered our call to arms. Their involvement with our clubs and committees in putting together the 2020 Volunteers' Cup again demonstrates our close ties and underlines clearly how much rugby league is important to the Western Corridor community moving forward. They'll now put the finishing touches to the Volunteers' Cup draw in time for its release over the coming week.”