Published On: 5 July, 2018Categories: General

This Saturday the Ben Campbell Building Group Tweed Heads Seagulls return to North Stradbroke Island to take on the Wynnum Manly Seagulls in the Intrust Super Cup Indigenous Recognition Round.

“The Indigenous Recognition match on Stradbroke Island is something our whole club is proud to be involved in,” said Tweed Heads Seagulls board member Jamie McDonald.

“Our players, staff and supporters love going to the island and playing in front of the local Rugby League fans. The event is supported by Deadly Choices which promotes health awareness and healthy choices and recognises Indigenous culture.

“We are going to push to have an indigenous round match at Piggabeen next year so we can really celebrate it with the Tweed community.”

Jamie’s family has a rich history with Seagulls that goes back four generations. In 1920 his mum’s grandfather’s brothers, John and Tom Ford, played in the 1920 premiership winning team. Another brother great, great uncle, Doug Ford, captained the 1947-48 premiership team. Other family members played through the 1960s, 70s and 80s and in the 1990s her sons Jason and Jamie played and another son Adam played for the juniors and was senior trainer in early 2000s. Jamie is now a board member.

“Seagulls have a long and proud history of Aboriginal involvement in their teams since it formed in 1908. The club is steeped in history and provided opportunities for Aboriginal people to be involved in sport during otherwise, very difficult times for our people.” said Jamie’s mum Jackie McDonald.

“At that time, though many Aboriginal players were unable to represent at a state or national level, due to the colour bar, local clubs, like Seagulls were quick to recognise and embrace the exceptional talent of local Aboriginal people on the sporting field.

“That association with the club has continued through the generations, with some families boasting several generations who have played for Seagulls RLFC.  When the colour bar was lifted in later years, Aboriginal players like Uncle Lionel Morgan, who later played for Queensland and was the first indigenous player to represent Australia, played for Seagulls RLFC first, along with his three brothers Maurie, Paddy and Mickey.

“In those days, it was very much a family affair with the whole family spending the entire day at the footy. The women also played a key role, in many ways, and their dedication to the game was remarkable. The Morgan boys’ mother, Ruby Morgan, was known to have washed the jerseys, for not only her son’s grade, but for all grades, such was her support for the game and her club.

“The strong connection with Aboriginal people still exists within the club today. Approximately 30 percent of the current senior playing squad identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, demonstrating the club’s ongoing commitment, over many years, to the development of young Goori players in sport, and providing a pathway to greater success in sport. It’s a remarkable result when you also consider how we are represented in the overall population, generally (around 6 percent in Tweed Heads).

The Tweed Heads Seagulls will be out to avenge their loss to Wynnum Manly in the first match Intrust Super Cup match staged at North Stradbroke last year, played in pouring rain.

Tweed Heads led 18-0 after just 11 minutes with three converted tries, only to go down 24-18 in the round three match.

After suffering just their second defeat in 10 rounds last weekend in the local derby against Burleigh Bears, Ben Woolf’s team will be desperate to avoid a similar experience on North Straddie – especially after letting a 16-0 lead slip against the Bears last Sunday still in their minds.

They slipped out of the top six, a position they held for just a week, with the defeat and Saturday presents a golden opportunity for the Tweed-based Gulls to get back into the finals position in the ‘Flockbuster’.

Tweed’s winning run this season began with a 24-16 victory against the other Seagulls at BDM Kougari Oval in round six, and they’d like to get back onto the winner’s list by repeating the effort in front of enthusiastic locals and mainland fans of both teams this weekend.

There will be plenty of NRL-experienced players on show to in Titans Kane Elgey, Leilani Latu, Brendan Elliot and Ryan Simpkins (Tweed Heads) and Broncos-contracted forwards Salesi Funaki and Patrick Carrigan (Wynnum Manly).

What else you need to know

  • The Intrust Super Cup will return to Stradbroke Island when the BMD Wynnum Manly Seagulls play against the Tweed Heads Seagulls at North Stradbroke Island’s Ron Stark Oval on Saturday, July 7.
  • The Seagulls’ Indigenous Recognition game will be televised live on Channel Nine at the kick off time of 1.10pm and headlines the QRL’s Indigenous Round.
  • The match will recognise the Quandamooka Peoples whilst showcasing Stradbroke Island’s natural beauty.
  • There will be a number of fun activities for kids and families also taking place on the day such as a free NRL Development clinic, inflatable games, interactive local stalls, health information and check-up clinics.
  • Deadly Choices ambassadors Petero Civoniceva and Steve Renouf head to the game to promote the importance of making healthy lifestyle decisions. In addition to taking part in the many family focused activities which start from 10am, event-goers are invited to come and meet the former Maroons legends.