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Footy fever shows no signs of slowing in the Whitsundays, with 72 junior rugby union teams preparing to descend on the region for the biggest Viking Cup yet.
Now in its 15 year and expanding to three days for the first time, the October 1st to 3rd carnival will bring players from under-sixes through to under-16s to the Whitsunday Sports Park, alongside exhibition matches for women and men’s masters.
Teams will travel from across North Queensland and beyond, including Rockhampton, Yeppoon, Townsville and Mount Isa, with the western Queensland contingent taking the title of the carnival’s furthest travellers.
Sponsored by Community Bank Cannonvale–Proserpine, It’s an event marked by the footy played on the field, and the fun had off it.
“It’s not just about the rugby but about coming to our beautiful town and staying for three, four or five days,” said event organiser Tim Oberg.
“We want everyone to have a great rugby experience, but we also want families to stay a little longer, visit Whitehaven Beach and enjoy everything the region has to offer.
“It creates that all-round family experience, which is exactly what we’re trying to achieve.”
This year’s Viking Cup will also support Ronald McDonald House Northern Australia and FightMND, two charities with personal connections to members of the organising committee.
“Both charities are ones that people in our committee have personally been involved with over the last 12 months,” Tim said.
“So we wanted to support them at our event.”
With future plans to extend into a four-day, the hope is that the Viking Cup will eventually become one of Queensland’s largest junior rugby union events.
“The ambition is for this to become the largest junior rugby union carnival in the state, and we’re not a million miles away from that already,” Tim said.
“In time, we want to attract rugby clubs from across New Zealand, the Pacific and potentially even Asia.”
Entry will be free across all three days, with locals encouraged to head down and enjoy the action.
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