As hundreds of young Junior Rugby League players prepare to converge on Townsville for the 2025 Laurie Spina Shield, current NRL stars are reminiscing about the special experience the carnival brings.
Seventy-eight under 11 Junior Rugby League teams from clubs across the state including the Torres Strait, Mt Isa, Cairns, Mackay, Rockhampton and Gold Coast will take part in the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys’ annual carnival, presented by Localsearch.
Emerging Cowboys star Jaxon Purdue represented his junior club, North Devils Mackay, at the carnival back in 2016 but still remembers the exhilaration of taking part like it was yesterday.
“I remember seeing all the Cowboys players walking around the field and sort of pinching myself,” said the 19-year-old who has played himself into the starting NRL side this season.
“All of the little towns that don’t get to see the Cowboys much come along and you get to go meet your idols and see them walking around the field and watching you play, it’s awesome,” he said.
“I think my best memory was after the carnival finished, we got to high-five the Cowboys players as they walked around the field after their NRL home game.
“It’s a bit crazy to think that now I’m one of those Cowboys, and it makes me really want to interact with the young kids because I remember how special and inspiring it was for me.
“If I could give the players any advice it would be to have fun, play fair and don’t be afraid to come up and say hi.”
Named after the club’s inaugural captain and all-round good bloke, the Laurie Spina Shield is all about encouraging participation, good sportsmanship and enjoying ‘the greatest game of all’.
The memories are still fresh for current Cowboy Jake Clifford too; he played for the Tully Tigers in 2009.
“To go from the signing session, to playing the games and then to running the relay at half-time of the Cowboys game, it’s such an enjoyable weekend,” Clifford said.
“There’s something special about that age group, I’m still great mates with all the people I played with in that competition.
“It’s fitting the carnival is named after Laurie, who was the first Cowboys captain and is a hard-working North Queenslander from Ingham, and it’s great to see his legacy continuing through the future of the game.”
The two-day Laurie Spina Shield will be held at Queens Park, Townsville starting on Friday 4 July and finishing up with the iconic Fastest Feet team relay across Queensland Country Bank Stadium at the Cowboys home game (half time of the NRLW curtain-raiser) on Saturday 5 July.
For more information about the Laurie Spina Shield visit our website.
