Cowboys Game Development Manager Liam Bartlett reflects on one of the highlights of their development calendar, the Dan Ropeyarn Cup.
Liam says:
The North Queensland Toyota Cowboys' Game Development team have attended the annual Dan Ropeyarn Cup in Bamaga with club ambassador Matthew Bowen for the last four years.
The Cup means so much to the local community and each game is played in the right spirit with absolutely toughness and pride as they play over three days in extreme conditions.
Areas such as the Northern Peninsular Area (NPA) thrive on carnivals such as this as it attracts teams from all over the region.
Cowboys community partner Skytrans provide return airfares for all the referees to attend the event each year.
The initiative to include junior rugby league games during the competition has also been a real highlight for the young up-and-comers.
This year's trip was a standout as we visited the schools in Bamaga and Injinoo during the lead up to the Cup, which had eight teams from all over the Cape and Torres Strait.
Skytrans also hosted a BBQ at the Bamaga Oval, where we held an open come-and-try day for any juniors to attend and enjoy some rugby league activities.
The kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves and loved the opportunity to play some games with club legend Matthew Bowen.
Attending this carnival and assisting with junior games as curtain raisers allows us to connect with key stakeholders, volunteers and community members across the region.
We're looking forward to coming back in 2020!
