Mount Isa Hosts QRSS Rugby League Championships

Published on 26 June 2025

Mount Isa is hosting the Queensland Representative School Sport (QRSS) 11s/12s Rugby League Championships for the first time, and Deputy Mayor Kim Coghlan was proud to help officially open the event on the morning of Thursday 26 June.

The six-day-long championships are being held at Alec Inch Oval, with 12 teams - more than 200 players - from right across Queensland taking part.

Host team North West are joined by teams from Capricornia, Peninsula, Metropolitan East, Metropolitan North, Metropolitan West, the South Coast, Wide Bay, South West, Northern, Sunshine Coast, and the Darling Downs.

Councillors also held a barbecue at Alec Inch Oval that afternoon for attendees, players, and their families.

At the event's official opening, Cr Coghlan thanked the players and their families for coming to Mount Isa.

"To the true champions of the next couple of days - thank you very much, kids, for making the effort to come up here and play in these championships. I wish you all the best. I hope you play hard, play fair, and play to win," Cr Coghlan said.

"We've got a proud history of having championships here - the last time there was a State championships here for sport was about 19 years ago, at Kruttschnitt Oval for touch football. It was the open boys' touch championships. One player that stood out amongst the lot was Kalyn Ponga. There was also Ben Woolf, who ended up playing down in Brisbane."

Cr Coghlan said she had received phone calls and messages from the likes of Coen Hess from the North Queensland Cowboys, Scott Prince, Dolphins CEO Terry Reader, and coaches Kristian Woolf, Ben Woolf, and Nathan Fien, who wanted to wish all of the championships' competitors the best of luck.

"To the parents who have made the effort to come up to Mount Isa, from a Council point of view, we really appreciate it - we know full well how much it costs and how long it is to get up here. Don't think you being here hasn't been noticed," she said.

At the opening, QRSS 10-18 Years Rugby League Executive spokesman Daniel Harrison said the event is an opportunity for young and up-and-coming players to showcase their football skills, sportsmanship, and teamwork.

Following the championships, a Queensland team will be selected to compete in the national championships to be held in Brisbane in July.