Jillaroos winger Julia Robinson has urged the Australian Rugby League Fee to make Townsville a everlasting residence for elite ladies’s rugby league fixtures.
Queensland Nation Financial institution Stadium set a Ladies’s State of Origin attendance report in June and backed up with greater than 18,000 by the gates on the weekend’s Pacific Championships double-header.
These outcomes have proved to former third Brigade soldier Robinson that her outdated stomping floor deserves an annual place on the ladies’s rugby league consultant calendar.
“I might be all about it.” Robinson mentioned.
“Brisbane has all the time been residence to me as a result of I grew up there however I’ve received a very smooth spot for Townsville. I used to be primarily based up right here for a 12 months.
“The entire group up right here, you stroll round anyplace and other people will cease you on the road to want you good luck. They simply like it up right here.
“It’s such an enormous rugby league group that the extra video games we get right here the higher turnout can be.
“It’s undoubtedly one of many craziest rugby league cities. Every time we come up right here the entire group is so smitten by getting round us. I really like taking part in up right here.”
With a 25,000 capability Queensland Nation Financial institution Stadium’s medium dimension presents a key benefit over bigger stadiums to the south.
Whereas Suncorp Stadium stays the house of rugby league in Queensland, ladies’s fixtures nonetheless battle to fill its mighty cauldron.
Nothing kills an environment like a swath of empty seats.
Robinson, who was primarily based at close by Lavarack Barracks in 2018, is aware of that received’t be a problem in Townsville.
“The scale of the bottom right here is unquestionably good for ladies’s footy,” she mentioned.
“The group feels massive and also you noticed with our State of Origin this 12 months it’s an superior environment.
“All of the followers are so near the sector right here that you may hear all of that help. It even makes it a little bit bit onerous for us on the sector as a result of it’s so onerous to be heard over all the folks within the stadium going off.”
Jillaroos coach Brad Donald (pictured proper) mentioned the expertise in Townsville, together with a workforce go to to the Torres Strait island group forward of the match, had made for a memorable week.
“There’s all the time a terrific buzz round Townsville,” Donald mentioned. “As we all know it was a (close to) sellout for the Ladies’s Origin.
“Ali (Brigginshaw, Jillaroos captain) was speaking about how nice that have was on the way in which in.
“There’s a terrific crowd out right here supporting rugby league and I believe North Queensland goes near the craziest rugby league cities within the nation.”
Initially revealed as Australian Rugby League Commission urged to make Townsville a permanent home for Jillaroos
