Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
Burdekin Rugby Union Canetoads are recruiting new players for the North Queensland season (April–August). Men’s squad seeking key positions (prop, halfback/fly-half, centre), with all roles welcome; women’s team open to all levels. Club promotes strong country rugby pathway with competitive regional competition in Townsville. Emphasis on lifestyle appeal for locals and travelling/working holiday players (community, fishing, outdoor living).
Read the full story
Easter Saturday, 4 April 2026 saw the Home Hill Community Sports Club host its annual Easter Fours bowls tournament, with 64 players in attendance. On arrival at the club, visitors were greeted by our mascot, a ’35 Grey and Gold Belly Ferguson tractor—a machine built between 1956 and 1958 and widely used to help build the sugar industry in the Burdekin. Not to mention, the grounds were looking a picture. The tournament comprised three games of sixteen ends over the course of the day. Teams from Wangaratta, Bowen, Collinsville, St Townsville, Jubilee, Suburban, Alligator Creek, Ayr, Brandon, and Home Hill were represented. Looking over the green, spectators were delighted to witness the array of club and team colours. Jamie Woods’ Chicken Bin shirts were a standout—good job, boys. Like any tournament, competitiveness and camaraderie were clearly evident. Winning teams on the day were: First – Will Johnson (St Townsville) Second – Sandie (St Townsville) Third – Jamie Woods (Brandon) Congratulations to you all. The club wishes to extend its sincere thanks to our event sponsors: Coral Coast Electrical, Home Hill Prawn Shop, Home Hill Tyrepower, Inspiration Paints, Burdekin Printers, and K & S Wright. Your generosity ensured the event’s success. To our visiting clubs, we also extend our sincere gratitude for the commitment shown by all, especially considering the distance travelled under difficult financial times. Within the club, these sorts of days don’t just happen without the support of members such as kitchen provider Judy Elton and her team of ladies, Ron Smith and Bruce McCallum on the barbecue, Mick Olsen and Michael Young on the scoreboard, and Belinda, Shantel, and Precilla on the outdoor esky bar—not forgetting our President working the bar. Good job to all. In summary, the entire day turned out to be a huge success—bring on 2027! Wednesday night numbers remain steady, with 20 players taking to the green, enjoying the stars above and the friendly atmosphere prior to a sausage sizzle. Names in by 5.30pm for a 6.00pm start. Visitors welcome. Ph: 0478 642 515. Home Hill Hot Shots continue to attract good numbers for Wednesday night darts and Friday night snooker games, both starting at 6.00pm. Ph Scott: 0480 208 335. Thursday club bowls saw 22 players take to the green to compete in three games of triples and one game of pairs. The overall random winning team went to Paul Vass and Hugh Montgomery, who had a very close win over Katarina and Gary Nosworthy, with one shot the difference. Congratulations to you both. Raffle winners were again the Giru boys, Steve Mutu and Geoff Taylor. Well done and well deserved, gents—your support for the club goes without saying. Club Weekly Activities Monday – 9.00am: Gentle Exercise Class Tuesday – 9.00am: Trimmers Wednesday – 9.00am: Craft group Thursday – 9.30am: Bingo Contributed with thanks to Bob Pickard. CAPTION: Players and spectators enjoy a vibrant day on the green at Home Hill Community Sports Club’s annual Easter Fours tournament. Photo supplied
Read the full story
Local Seniors What with Easter and School holidays, there are no fixtures now until 17th April. Junior Junior soccer has now paused for the school holiday break, giving players and families a well-earned rest after a great start to the season. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to the fields after the holidays, refreshed and ready to go again. Here’s hoping for some beautiful weather when we return so the kids can enjoy their games and training to the full! Masters The Masters had another good turnout, and in perfect conditions, Leeds and West Ham fought out a relation battle. West Ham won 9-3 after going 0-2 down. Man of the Match was Fengil with a hattrick. The Masters will be happening on Easter Monday. All players are welcome, male, and female, useful and hopeless, halt and lame. Be there, International Park for 6.30 Kick off. National and International In the World Cup department, the Socceroos, under Coach Tony Popovic, have just one more match, a friendly against Mexico, before the squad of twenty-six players is announced by 1st June. The Socceroos travel to the USA to play Mexico on 31 May at the Rosebowl in Pasadena. The final World Cup playoffs have now been decided, and Turkey beat Kosovo to make it to Group D. Australia’s group games are now versus Turkey on 13 June in Vancouver, USA on 19 June in Seattle and Paraguay on 25 June in Santa Clara. In England, the EPL has seven rounds to go, and Arsenal is nine points ahead of Manchester City, who have a game in hand. ManU is in third place a further six points adrift and Aston Villa is another point behind. In the FA Cup quarter-finals Southampton beat Arsenal 2-1, Manchester City beat Liverpool 4-0, Chelsea thumped Port vale 7-0 and Leeds defeated West Ham on penalties. In Germany, the Bundesliga has six rounds to go. The top three teams all won, and Bayern continues to lead Dortmund by nine points. Leipzig and Stuttgart are a further eleven points behind. At the foot of the table Heidenheim and Wolfsburg look doomed and St Pauli could well join then in relegation. In Spain there are still eight rounds to go. Only three of the top six teams won and with Real Madrid losing against relegation threatened Mallorca, Barcelona is now seven points clear of Real and eighteen points ahead of third placed Villarreal. In the relegation zone, Oviedo and Levante are struggling and Elche could be joining them. In Italy’s Serie A with seven rounds left, Inter thumped Roma 5-2 to stay nine points clear of AC Milan with Napoli a further point behind. Como is in fourth place. Juventus drew and stays in fifth place. At the foot of the table, for Pisa and Verona it looks like Goodnight Luigi, and Cremorne or Lecce could be joining them. Finally, in France, PSG beat Toulouse 3-1 and with Lens losing, has a four point lead with a game in hand. Lille are third a further nine points away with Marseille fourth. At the foot of the league, it looks like Au Revoir for Metz and Nantes and Auxerre could be joining them in Ligue Deux. In the A League, with just three rounds left, Newcastle lost 2-3 to Macarthur but is still three points ahead of Auckland who drew 1-1 away to Adelaide, who stay in third place. Melbourne Victory missed their chance of moving up into third place after losing at home to Wellington. The Roar drew 0-0 at home to Sydney FC and remains in tenth place. Western Sydney and Perth Glory continue to hold up the table. In the A League Women, with three rounds left, three of the top four teams won. Melbourne City won 2-1 at Newcastle to stay six points clear of Wellington who beat Adelaide 2-0. Canberra lost 1-2 away to Brisbane but hangs onto third place on goal difference from the Roar. Sydney FC and Western Sydney are still holding up the table. The Soccer Quote of the Week is from ex- Manchester Utd and Ireland Star Roy Keane. “People say 'go with the flow' but do you know what goes with the flow? Dead fish.”
Read the full story
Netball excitement is growing as teams from across Queensland get ready to compete in the 2026 Senior State Age Netball Championships, which will be held in Townsville this year. The annual championship is one of the biggest events on the Queensland netball calendar. It brings together associations from all over the state for four days of intense competition. In 2025, the tournament saw an impressive 210 teams participate, showing how large and popular the event has become. Burdekin’s teams have been preparing for months, with many players starting their training late last year. Through weekly sessions, trial matches and fitness work, athletes and coaches have been working hard to build connections and improve their skills before the major competition. The tournament offers a great chance for players to challenge themselves against some of the best talent in Queensland while also showcasing the strength of regional netball. Players, coaches, and supporters are excited to travel north and represent the Burdekin community. With plenty of determination, teamwork, and the unmistakable Burdekin spirit, the teams look forward to taking the court in Townsville and giving their best effort. The championships promise four days of high-quality netball, good sportsmanship, and community pride as Queensland’s top young athletes come together for one of the state’s key netball events. Contributed with thanks to Burdekin Netball Association Publicity Officer, Kelli Loizou. CAPTIONS: Burdekin Netball Association’s U17/18s team; (front) Lola Carmicheal, Isla Chapman, Riley Sartori, Lacey Catanzaro, Aja Olsen, (back) Ali Balin (Manager), Jayel Gibson, Georgia Thygesen, Indy Macdonald, Pascal Crooks, Jorja Bapty, and Kristy Penisi. Photo supplied Burdekin Netball Association’s U16s team; (front) Tahlia Lammon, Shilah Horan, Emma Wilkie, Lisa Keryk, (back), Chloe Steel (Coach), Ruby Prescott, Amaya Caspanello, Mya Mitchell, Maya Mahoney, Gemma Keihne, and Clodagh Liessman. Photo supplied Burdekin Netball Association’s U15s team; (front) Ebony Moul, Zara Scovazzi, Emma Jones, Milla Chapman, Eden Godfrey, (back) Sarah Butterworth (Coach), Emily MacDonald, Maggie and Addy Chandler, Lily Ahern, Paityn Coleman-Blakoe and Alicia Butterworth (Manager). Photo supplied
Read the full story
In a showcase of community support and sporting camaraderie, the Burdekin Tyre Service Day 2023 witnessed a vibrant gathering at the Ayr Golf Club. Pam and Jason Guy, renowned for their unwavering backing of sports across the Burdekin region, once again displayed their generosity by sponsoring this year's captivating partner day.
The event, which featured a 4-ball best ball (4bbb) format, attracted the participation of 25 enthusiastic ladies, all eager to showcase their golfing prowess. The competition was fierce, with impressive scores punctuating the day's play, and the distribution of prizes extended down to the fifth spot.
However, it was Donna Reid and Ingrid Vaes who emerged as the day's shining stars, displaying a remarkable synergy that propelled them to the top with 45 points. Their outstanding performance is sure to turn heads as they gear up for the upcoming Ayr Open.
The competition remained intense as four teams finished closely behind with 43 points each. In a nail-biting countback, Janet Trezise and Loretta Mauro secured the second spot, edging past the formidable duo of Betty Durrant and Sandra Wight. Meanwhile, Angie Baxter and Kim Manty held their own to secure the fourth position, followed closely by Tuk Williams and Lorraine Henderson in fifth place.
The Ayr Golf Club community now eagerly anticipates the upcoming Peagham Honour Board 4bbb event on Saturday, followed by the thrilling 9-hole Burnt Sugar afternoon challenge on Sunday.
In a display of family camaraderie, the McIntosh Family made their mark at the BMX State Championships held at Coolooa BMX Club in Gympie. Bradley McIntosh competed in the masters in the 40-44 Cruiser Men category, Deon raced in the 13 Boys and 13-14 Cruiser Boys categories, while sister, Holly, rode in the 11 Girls and 11-12 Cruiser Girls divisions.
The McIntosh Family's journey to the championships was a testament to their love for the fast-paced sport of BMX. Riding fearlessly through every fast corner, they showcased their skills and determination on the track.
BMXers in the Burdekin race every Wednesday night and enjoy Sunday Fundays filled with thrilling rides and friendly competition. Their training sessions are organised into skill groups, ensuring that everyone, from rookies to seasoned riders, can improve their abilities.
Lisa Purssell, President of Burdekin BMX, expressed the club's enthusiasm for the upcoming season. "We are having the most amazing time at Burdekin BMX and look forward to the season ahead," she said. "Our biggest and most talked-about carnival of the year is on the horizon, taking place on the 18th and 19th of November. We anticipate hosting 150-200 riders and their families from across the region for an unforgettable weekend of BMX action."
To make this event even more remarkable, Burdekin BMX is actively seeking sponsors. Their commitment to promoting BMX and community engagement is evident, and they welcome any support to make the carnival a resounding success.
Recently, Burdekin BMX held its Annual General Meeting (AGM), welcoming a new committee that is eager to steer the club towards a promising future. With fresh ideas and a passion for the sport, the club looks forward to a year filled with exciting events and opportunities for riders of all ages.
For those interested in joining the BMX fun or supporting Burdekin BMX, whether as a rider, sponsor, or enthusiast, they can visit the club's Facebook page for more information.
The McIntosh Family travelled to Coolooa BMX club in Gympie for The Cycling Queensland BMX State Championships
Deon launching off the start line at the State Championships. Credit: Tahlia Jayne Photography
The 24th annual Hacker's Cup, hosted by the Lower Burdekin Hockey Association on Saturday, September 23, saw around 40 passionate players take to the field for a fun day of grass hockey. In a remarkable turn of events, the Broncos, leading the way for their NRL counterparts, clinched victory, adding to the day's excitement.
The carnival was designed to introduce new players to the sport of hockey through a 5-a-side competition on modified fields. Teams are mixed gender with novice hockey players, or hackers, a hot commodity. A number of teams also use junior players in their roster, helping to ensure that the future of the sport is in good hands.
The windy conditions were welcomed by players to combat the effects of a sunny, cloudless sky. Fields were green and lush, with the unpredictability of ball movement on grass proving to be a challenge for some of the experienced turf and indoor hockey players.
Although the day was physically challenging with all teams playing in at least four games, the spirit of friendly competition was evident all day. The Darcy Duggan Memorial Award for Spirit of the Carnival (introduced in 2014) acknowledges the player who epitomises the friendly, fair and inclusive hockey player we all strive to be.
Results
A Division Winners – Burdekin Broncos
B Division Winners – Thunder
Best and Fairest Female – Ashley Green and Lynette Wheeler
Best and Fairest Male – Westley Darwen, Wesley Glover, Mark Nicolaides, Bradley Sibson
Goal Hog – Westley Darwen
Spirit of the Carnival – Matthew Gardner
B Division Winners, Thunder
Three Burdekin Roosters Junior Rugby League squads recently travelled to compete in tournaments, bringing their 2023 seasons to a close.
The under 9s team travelled to Proserpine to compete in the Paul Bowman Challenge from September 16 to 17.
The non-competitive carnival welcomed over 80 teams from across Queensland to the Proserpine Junior Rugby League Fields.
“Every year, our whole club attends all carnivals from under 8s to under 15s,” said Burdekin Roosters JRL President Jared Smith.
“It’s good for the kids to get out and play a lot of different kids from a lot of other communities.
“They play eight or nine games in those two days, so they jam in a lot of football and get a lot out of it.”
The Burdekin Roosters under 9s team wore black armbands as they ran onto the field for the Paul Bowman Challenge in Proserpine, honouring local rugby league legend and Burdekin Roosters life member Norm Bohl, who passed away on Sunday, September 10.
Norm’s great grandson played in the under 9s team at the carnival.
“The boys wore black armbands for Norm because he was instrumental in the starting of junior rugby league in the Burdekin,” said Mr Smith.
The weekend of September 23 to 24 saw both the under 10s and under 14s compete in respective tournaments.
The under 10s travelled to Townsville for the Gorden Tallis Cup where 80 teams from across Queensland met for the non-competitive carnival.
“They played five games on the Saturday and four on Sunday,” said Mr Smith.
“They have an absolute ball, those kids.”
The under 14s then travelled to Cairns for the Tassel Trophy Challenge, the boys unfortunately not making it past the group stages of the tournament.
“The boys kept training once a week and went up there to have a good time rather than trying to take it out,” said Mr Smith.
“We’d rather go with the teams we have and give all of our kids the opportunity to play in those carnivals.”
The under 9s Burdekin Roosters recently travelled to Proserpine to compete in the Paul Bowman Challenge. Photo credit: Bronte Hodge
The Burdekin Roosters under 9s team wore black armbands honouring local rugby league legend life member Norm Bohl. Photo credit: Bronte Hodge
.jpg)
Publishers Indemnity. Any individual or entity that places advertising, supplies copy material, or submits editorial content to Core Life Publishing agrees and undertakes to ensure that all such material:- Does not infringe upon any copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights;- Is free from any content that could be considered defamatory, libelous, or slanderous;- Does not infringe upon any rights related to privacy or breach of confidence;- Contains no obscene, indecent, or otherwise unlawful material;- Complies fully with the Trade Practices Act and all other applicable laws, regulations, or statutes.Furthermore, by submitting or placing such material, these individuals or entities agree to indemnify and hold harmless the publisher, Core Publishing and Events Pty Ltd, and/or its agents from and against any and all investigations, claims, demands, liabilities, damages, costs, or judgments arising out of or in connection with the material provided. All material is believed to be accurate at the time of printing and remains the copyright of Core Publishing and Events Pty Ltd.
© 2026 Life Publishing Group Pty Ltd.
