Reds 2011

[RugbyReg]

The Queensland Reds have announced they will play their first trial match of the season for 2011 in Cairns against leading NZ team the Crusaders.

Reds Coach Ewen McKenzie flew to Cairns today to make the announcement in partnership with the Cairns and District Rugby Union.

The game, a valuable part of the pre-season training schedule, will be played on the evening of the 29th of January at the Cairns Stadium with tickets going on sale in the next few weeks.

The Reds Coach said the team was excited by the prospect of playing in Far North Queensland. “Cairns and District Rugby supporters are among the most enthusiastic in the country and this game is formal recognition of that.

“It’s a great opportunity for us and a great opportunity for Cairns to show the broader community just how far Rugby has come along in the regions.”

McKenzie paid tribute to the Cairns and District Rugby community for their hard work in securing the game.

“The Reds are coming to Cairns because of the local support. The Reds are for all Queenslanders. We are the only truly State-wide team and we want everyone to come along and support us on the night.”

2011 will arguably be the most important year yet for the Reds and Queensland Rugby with the expanded Super Rugby season offering more games in an expanded season.

The Reds are targeting their inaugural First XV – 15,000 Members and Regional Queensland is a major part of that focus.

“We understand that many Queenslanders living outside the South East can’t make it to every game in Brisbane so we have developed the Forever Red membership at a cost of only $50.”

The Forever Red Membership offers a Reds t-shirt, cap and other merchandise as well as discounts on Super Rugby home matches. In addition Members will have a priority purchase period for the Bledisloe Cup in 2011.

Memberships will be on sale before and at the game through the Cairns and District Rugby Union Club

McKenzie said Cairns was an exceptional venue for a Reds Trial Game that promises all the intensity of the pending Super Rugby Season. “We want to make sure that Cairns gets to see a top-class game and we hope to be able to deliver that in spades.”

 

[Ruggo]

Good stuff, spread the game.

 

[Scotty]

“The Reds are coming to Cairns because of the local support. The Reds are for all Queenslanders. We are the only truly State-wide team and we want everyone to come along and support us on the night.”

How are they able to justify that comment?

 

[fatprop]

How are they able to justify that comment?

They can't

 

[chief]

I really think GC, would have been a far better option. Cairns, really?

 

[RugbyReg]

forget the goldy. It's all Titans and Ablett/Karmichael Hunt.

 

[Reddy!]

Why not Cairns? About time some converting of the damnned happened up there.

And the Gold Coast is way too close to Brisbane for a trip there to have much impact.

 

[TOCC]

My understanding is QR that was always leaving the Reds sponsorship post-privatisation.

The Reds have some major sponsors in the wings, but are waiting for the sponsors to confirm. The sponsors are waiting for an investigation involving misuse of government funds (or is it more of a misallocation thing?), if my understanding is correct?

Yes exactly, there is still the ongoing CMC investigation over misconduct involving a government grant, a few sponsors have expressed there opinion but are awaiting the outcomes of the CMC investigation to protect there image, no surprises really..

As for QR, the sponsorship was always going to come tom end coinciding with privatization of the company, it needs to be understood that QR as a company has split, there is the QR National which is the coal, freight,etc which was just privatized, and there is the QR City Trains which does all the Public Transport across QLD which is still govt owned...

QR National has the bulk of there workforce and operations based in central QLD around the coal mines and ports, the pledge to sponsor a potential CQ QLD NRL side is there as a public relations project to deflect angst when the company starts there restructure(retrenchment) program. It was conditional with the sale that no retrenchements or restructures were made in the 2 years post the sale, save face for the govt primarily. But it will cause uproar when it inevitably happens in 2 years time, especially in central Queensland.

 

[Jets]

$70 off the Jersey's shows how much they've overpriced them.

Im hoping they wont be jerks about the 2011 Jersey's (same with the Wallabies).

I think it has more to do with the big QR logo on the front. Don't expect to get a new one for under $150. I wanted to get a couple for the kids but they were asking $130 a pop. I think they should make the smallest ones really cheap and you will have fans for life.

 

[Tangawizi]

I think it has more to do with the big QR logo on the front. Don't expect to get a new one for under $150. I wanted to get a couple for the kids but they were asking $130 a pop. I think they should make the smallest ones really cheap and you will have fans for life.

Actually you'll just have to wait for jerseys to be flown over to the UK so that you can pick one up off eBay or website like Lovell rugby and fly it back over. Retail price of £50 there is not $170 these days.

 

[dobduff11]

Aidan Toua and Ben Tapuai are some exciting prospects, I haven't seen Tapuai play club rugby before certainly looked like he was dominant for whoever that team was.

Aidan Toua is so talented, I hope he can get some game time for the reds at 15 this year maybe against some of the worse RSA teams.

It seems that it takes 5 years for schoolboys to become a decent international player, 2005:schoolboys Beale, Quade and Pocock

2007 schoolboys slipper, JOC (James O'Connor), morahan, taps, horne, To'omua and toua should hopefully be ready by 2012

 

[Rothschild]

forget the goldy. It's all Titans and Ablett/Karmichael Hunt.

The GC has a great rugby following that have for years been shunned by QR. Just getting the Breakers into the Bris comp was painful enough.
All those who have represented the GC at QR meetings come away with the same headshaking - absolute nepotism towards Brisbane clubs and do whatever you can to thwart any GC expansion or promotion.

 

[TOCC]

Blah, take it to the qld premier grade thread



Il be interested to see Tapuai in 2011, whilst he plays 10 at club level, he is purely a 12 at super rugby level.
His major attribute is his strength in contact, seems to have a low centre of body mass similar to mealamu and nonu

 

[RugbyReg]

The GC has a great rugby following that have for years been shunned by QR. Just getting the Breakers into the Bris comp was painful enough.
All those who have represented the GC at QR meetings come away with the same headshaking - absolute nepotism towards Brisbane clubs and do whatever you can to thwart any GC expansion or promotion.

like the Gold Coast shunned the East Coast Aces? Worst crowds in the comp with one of the better teams on paper.

 

[Rothschild]

Agreed, the crowds were abysmal and so were the performances.
We went to a couple of games and as tragic as I am I couldn't muster the fortitude to throw that ridiculous amount of money around to watch what was essentiall very, very poor rugby. The Gold Rugby community, the die hard ones comprise mostly working class and the consensus was it was wayyyyyyy too overpriced and people just weren't prepared to folfk out that level of cash.
So, yes, they didn't attend but the ARU or whoever set the marketing didn't do their job.

 

[TheTruth]

Agreed, the crowds were abysmal and so were the performances.
We went to a couple of games and as tragic as I am I couldn't muster the fortitude to throw that ridiculous amount of money around to watch what was essentiall very, very poor rugby. The Gold Rugby community, the die hard ones comprise mostly working class and the consensus was it was wayyyyyyy too overpriced and people just weren't prepared to folfk out that level of cash.
So, yes, they didn't attend but the ARU or whoever set the marketing didn't do their job.

Yep my wife and I went to a game at carrara - cost a fortune - my wife couldn't take her umbrella into the ground (as rain was coming) fuckwits - crowd of about 200 - would have been better playing the game at breakers or tss or on the frioggin beach

 

[Often Wrong]

Agreed, the crowds were abysmal and so were the performances.

You mean performances like this?

ENIGMATIC rugby talent Andrew Walker yesterday breathed life back into the East Coast Aces Australian Rugby Championship season with a match-winning penalty shot 100 seconds from full-time.

The successful penalty goal from about 40 metres out nudged the Aces ahead 35-34 against competition heavyweights the Canberra Vikings at Gold Coast Stadium Carrara.

The Aces were a Gold Coast based team with a Gold Coast based coach and captain, which southern Brisbane clubs Sunnybank, Souths, Easts plus Qld Country got behind for the good of the game. If the working class die hards on the Coast couldn't be bothered supporting them at $20 a ticket it pretty well sums up their level of commitment.

BTW the Reds played two trial matches on the Gold Coast at the start of 2007 and the crowds were pathetic then, too.

 

[Rothschild]

You mean performances like this?

The Aces were a Gold Coast based team with a Gold Coast based coach and captain, which southern Brisbane clubs Sunnybank, Souths, Easts plus Qld Country got behind for the good of the game. If the working class die hards on the Coast couldn't be bothered supporting them at $20 a ticket it pretty well sums up their level of commitment.

BTW the Reds played two trial matches on the Gold Coast at the start of 2007 and the crowds were pathetic then, too.

Yeah, you pack in a wife and 2 or 3 teenage kids and it is no longer a $20 outing. And Truth was correct, pissing rain and you couldn't take in your umbrella.
That 2007 trail, again, it was a terrible game and frankly the coast gets bugger all support from the QRU and it is showing because people on the coast have had a gutfull. On top of that, they have their egular teams and there was no identification with the Aces - as was the case around the country - the whole ARC failed, not just on the coast so please don't use the coast as an isolated example when the crowds were not as expected everywhere and they were no worse here than anywhere else.
As for the trail matches, please come up with figures. I was there and the stands were packed, you couldn't park within cooey of the ground so I have no idea to what games you are referring, so please get facts as your assertion is crap.

 

[Red Rooster]

How are they able to justify that comment?

I interpret the comment in that face of the other Queensland teams (winter) being based around Brisbane, Gold Coast, nth Queensland etc - not an attack on the rugby provinces - If it is Queensland reds they need to be out in Queensland

 

[RugbyReg]

I interpret the comment in that face of the other Queensland teams (winter) being based around Brisbane, Gold Coast, nth Queensland etc - not an attack on the rugby provinces - If it is Queensland reds they need to be out in Queensland

good point. They aren't comparing to the Tahs etc. They are comparing to the Titans, Broncs, Cowboys, Lions, Roar etc.